Vital Metals (ASX:VML) in new round of rare earths resource definition drilling at Tardiff

• Vital Metals (VML) begins resource definition drilling at the Tardiff deposit, within its Nechalacho project in Canada
• A total of 48 holes are planned to follow up work completed at the deposit last year to extend known rare earths mineralisation and define an initial resource
• Drilling will be undertaken in a modular fashion, commencing at Tardiff Zone 1, before expansion to Zone 3, with further expansion along open boundaries
• Managing Director Geoff Atkins says the drilling could define a reserve to support the first five to 10 years of operation at Tardiff
• Vital Metals shares were flat at 4.5 cents

Vital Metals (VML) has begun resource definition drilling at the Tardiff deposit at its Nechalacho project in Canada as it works to build a large-scale, long-life rare earths operation.

This round of drilling is following up work completed at the deposit last year and is part of the second stage of the company’s growth strategy at Nechalacho as it seeks to become the world’s first light and heavy rare earths producer.

Stage one of the strategy in 2021 involved foundation work at the North T pit, with rare earth materials from an initial mining campaign used to produce a rare earth carbonate at its Saskatoon extraction facility, production of which is set to commence in the middle of this year.

In 2021, drilling at Tardiff targeted three high-grade rare earth oxide zones previously identified in wide-spaced historic drilling by Avalon Materials, known as Tardiff Zones 1, 2 and 3, which are contained within the larger overall resource.

Now, a total of 48 drill holes are planned at Tardiff, with the aim of extending the known high-grade rare earth oxide mineralisation along the trends and defining an initial reserve.

This work will be undertaken in a modular fashion, commencing at Tardiff Zone 1, before expansion to Zone 3, with further expansion along open boundaries.

Managing Director Geoff Atkins said successful drilling could define a reserve to
support the first five to 10 years of operation at Tardiff.

“The region identified as the target for modular operations at Tardiff has a defined resource of 16.3 million tonnes at 1.85 per cent total rare earth oxides,” he said.

“With this resource containing over 300,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides the potential is enormous.”

Vital Metals shares have been trading grey at 4.5 cents in early trade.