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Renegade Exploration Ltd (ASX:RNX) believes it has opened up a new chapter for its Andrew zinc-lead-silver deposit in Canada with the discovery of critical minerals germanium (Ge) and gallium (Ga) in significant concentrations.
The company reviewed previous diamond drilling at the deposit – which is part of Renegade’s larger Yukon base metals project – finding intercepts such as 45.9 metres at 43.5 grams per tonne (g/t) Ge, 12.5g/t Ga, 9.4% Zn in one hole; and 4.5 metres at 48.0g/t Ge, 15.8g/t Ga, 6.4% Zn, 22.6% Pb, 56.8g/t Ag in another.
The percentage of gallium went up to 28.6g/t in another intercept.
Alongside this, flotation metallurgical testing has shown recoveries of 71.3% Ge – yielding a concentrate of 150g/t – is possible for ore from this deposit.
Renegade is now turning to potential re-analysis of past drill samples, looking particularly for these two critical defence metals.
Chairman Robert Kirtlan said that finding germanium and gallium at Andrew was a significant event for the deposit, adding that previous exploration methods could have underestimated the amounts of germanium there.
“These defence metals, particularly Germanium, are rare, very expensive and are some of the most important and sought after of the advanced electronic materials,” he said.
“During the last phases… at the Andrew deposit, an Aqua Regia analysis method was used.
“This method is very good at determining the Zn-Pb-Ag concentrations but unfortunately it has the potential to vastly underestimate the germanium grade. At the time of analysis, germanium was not the critical defence metal that it is now. As such, it was not an exploration focus.”
Renegade shares last traded at 0.02c after a 40% gain.
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