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Highlight
- Re-assaying confirms significant total rare earth oxides (TREO) and phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) mineralisation
- New evidence indicates a complex system potentially spanning more than six kilometres
- 2025 drill program fully permitted to investigate deeper REE, gold and copper potential
Desoto Resources (ASX:DES) has identified what is described as a significant mineralisation event at Fenton North in the Northern Territory. A reassessment of drilling data from 2023 has uncovered an intercept of seven metres at 0.49% TREO, including one metre at 1.30% TREO and 0.37% P2O5, from a depth of 479 metres. The project is located six kilometres from Desoto’s Spectrum project, which focuses on rare earth elements alongside gold and copper. Similarities have been noted between the mineralisation at Spectrum and the results arising from the recent re-assaying at Fenton North, especially in the zones rich in TREO and P2O5. The scope of these finds is supported by grades and Nd/Pr ratios that are in line with Spectrum’s profile.
Desoto has conducted structural, geochemical and geophysical evaluations at Spectrum, aiming to establish a mineralisation model and assess the project’s full potential. Early analysis suggests that the Quantum REE-Au discovery, the Vesper EM copper anomaly, and the Fenton North gold project may be linked within a broader, intricate system associated with the intersection of the Fenton Shear Zone and the Hayes Creek Fault system. Observations point to a large mineralised zone, with selective re-assaying of the 2023 drill pulps revealing the possibility of continuity over more than six kilometres and potentially extending even further.
Company statements indicate that the scale and structural complexity along the Fenton Shear Zone present substantial prospects for multi-element systems, including precious metals and rare earth deposits. The presence of REE occurrences more than six kilometres from the known Quantum discovery is considered a promising advance. A fully permitted drill program is scheduled for 2025, targeting additional REE, gold and copper occurrences in the area. The ambition is to extend the known strike length of mineralisation and refine understanding of this potential multi-commodity system. Comparative resource projects in Australia, such as those operated by companies like (ASX:BHP), underline the significance of large-scale mineral discoveries across the region, further highlighting the potential importance of Desoto’s growing portfolio.
