Ark Mines (ASX:AHK) defines targets for Phase 1 drilling at Sandy Mitchell rare earths deposit

Highlights

• Ark has shared its detailed plan for the first phase drilling campaign at Sandy Mitchell.
• The Company is planning to drill a defined 2.0 km² area of the ~147km² anomalous Sandy Mitchell Rare Earths placer deposit next month.
• The Company believes that infill and extension drilling of historic augur drill holes will obtain data for a resource estimate along with material for metallurgical and beneficiation testwork.

In the latest announcement, Mineral exploration company Ark Mines (ASX: AHK) has put forth the details of the Phase 1 drilling campaign to be conducted at the Sandy Mitchell advanced Rare Earths and Heavy Minerals project.

According to the Company, the preparations are being done as planned and the drill rig has been secured to commence the drill program next month.

As of now, the project has seen major historical work including completion of over 100 augur drill holes, as well as sediment and stream sampling. Also, extensive pan concentrates have been collected, that demonstrate the Project’s grades considering that the RRE at Sandy Mitchell are present in sands.

Source: © 2023 Krish Capital Pty. Ltd.

The management also commented, “We are pleased to present a detailed outline of the Phase 1 drill program at Sandy Mitchell, following an extensive review and planning process. The program has been designed to carry out targeted testing of historic augur drill holes, complemented by 30 renassiance holes to test the scale of the broader REE anomaly. The additional 30 drill holes were commissioned after the planning and review process highlighted the potential scale of the project, where previous auger drilling already shows evidence of an anomalous REE area covering more than 30km².”

Sandy Mitchel REE Project

Based in North Queensland with access to port facilities at Mourilyan Harbour, the Project tenement is rich in REE through multi-stage erosion and alluvial deposition of the Mesopalaeozoic Yambo metamorphics with remnant outcrops north of the Project tenement (EPM 28013).

There is alluvial transportation heavy element enrichment because of the ephemeral drainage system. This is most evident in thorium band radiometric readings, which correlate with other enriched elements of comparable weight, including REE. The high range thorium anomaly within the Project tenement covers an area of 10,067ha.

The ASX-listed firm is looking forward to begin resource drilling on a 120m-by-120m pattern over an area of 2km², with four follow-up resource grids planned for future extension. Around 30 reconnaissance holes targeting untested areas of the anomalous zone will be included in the drilling program.

The drilling campaign will be conducted with the prime objective of extending REE grade guidance from the historic auger and pan concentrate samples over the majority of the alluvial REE zone.