Sandy Mitchell assays confirm consistent mineralisation

Consistency is king at the Sandy Mitchell project, where latest assays have returned significant rare earth element (REE) and heavy mineral (HM) intercepts in every metre sampled. Project owner Ark Mines said further samples from the Phase 1 air core drill program had demonstrated consistent mineralisation to previously-reported exploration samples, and verified that Sandy Mitchell carried all rare earth minerals including light REE and heavy REE, plus titanium and zirconia. This, combined with recent beneficiation test work by Downer Mineral Technologies, further validates Ark’s stated development strategy for Sandy Mitchell based on low-cost, straight-forward beneficiation by gravity processing, the company said. “As the Sandy Mitchell assay data comes in, the thing that jumps out at us is how consistent the mineralisation is," executive director Ben Emery said. "We aren’t surprised by this because we’ve set our initial 4000 sq m resource grid in the middle of a 100 million sq m prospective area within the tenement, but it’s great when the assays support our geological understanding of the project. "The ongoing consistency of grade gives us an added degree of confidence around Sandy Mitchell’s commercial development potential, particularly given the already-strong recovery rates achieved through our first-round water-based beneficiation test work in November last year. "In collaboration with our downstream processing partners, the early success of these simple extraction methods to produce high-grade rare earth concentrates demonstrates the exciting scale and development potential of Sandy Mitchell as exploration continues. "We continue to benefit from the field team’s decision to prioritise completion of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 drill programs by year-end, prior to the northern wet season. "In turn, the company looks forward to updating investors with the ongoing receipt of assays over the coming weeks, ahead of the declaration of a maiden mineral resource estimate for Sandy Mitchell later this year.” Related: Ark lines up processing route for Sandy Mitchell Latest assays returned an average grade per-metre for Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) plus yttrium plus scandium of 499 parts-per-million (ppm), with a maximum grade of 3500 ppm. Ark stressed that these were not selective grades or grades with cut-off; they represent every metre drilled and assayed to date, from the surface to basement rock. The average zircon oxide grade for every metre assayed is 420 ppm with a maximum grade of 1500 ppm, the average titanium oxide grade for every metre assayed is 6,490 ppm with a maximum grade of 113,427 ppm. Assay results from Stage 1, along with Stage 2 drilling and ongoing test work, will form the basis of a maiden mineral resource estimate to be released later this year.

Sandy Mitchell assays confirm consistent mineralisation

Industry Queensland

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