- Meeka Metals (MEK) begins infill drilling for rare earths at its Circle Valley project in Western Australia
- The program is focused on a roughly 15-square-kilometre zone where total rare earth oxide (TREO) grades of up to 6894 parts per million were struck in 2022
- MEK aims to complete the infill drilling before the end of March
- The company subsequently targets an initial Circle Valley mineral resource for the June 2023 quarter
- MEK shares end the day 1.72 per cent lower at 5.7 cents per share
Meeka Metals (MEK) has started infill drilling for rare earths at its Circle Valley project in Western Australia.
The 2023 drilling program is focussed on a roughly 15-square-kilometre zone where high total rare earth oxide (TREO) grades of up to 6894 parts per million were intersected last year.
Meeka also looks to build on the high-grade gold results reported from the Anomaly A area, with assay results ongoing over the March quarter. In 2022, the company intersected 23 metres at 5.09 grammes per tonne gold.
The planned infill drilling is scheduled to be completed before the end of March, with an initial Circle Valley mineral resource targeted for the June 2023 quarter.
“Results received in 2022 show a shallowing cover profile to the northwest at Circle Valley, corresponding with a more-than-1000 ppm high-grade component of the rare earth mineralisation, rich in neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) magnet rare earth elements,” Meeka Metals Managing Director Tim Davidson said.
“This shallow high-grade mineralisation trends northwest into an undrilled part of Circle Valley, which will be the focus for mineral resource drilling now underway.
“This drilling will enable the delivery of an initial rare earth mineral resource during the June 2023 quarter.”
Mr Davidson also mentioned that the mineral resource, together with ongoing metallurgical test work, would aid economic studies in the future.
He confirmed drilling results were expected throughout February and March 2023.
MEK shares ended the day 1.72 per cent lower at 5.7 cents per share.