PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Northern Minerals has reported a 50% increase in the mineral resource estimate for the Dazzler rare earths deposit, at its Browns Range project, in Western Australia.
The deposit is now estimated to host 214 000 t of ore, grading 2.33% total rare earth oxide for five-million kilograms of total rare earth oxide, using a cut-off grade of 0.15%.
“We are extremely pleased with the growth of the Dazzler resource in a short period of time. This is a significant increase in high-grade tonnes for the project and highlights the potential of this style of mineralisation,” said Northern Minerals MD and CEO George Bauk.
The Dazzler deposit is located less than 15 km from the Browns Range pilot plant on the edge of a small scarp slope, and the prospect was first drilled in 2013 with only patchy mineralisation intersected.
In 2018, follow-up drilling intersected encouraging mineralisation within the Gardiner Sandstone, and subsequent drilling led to a maiden resource estimate in early 2019.
Dazzler has now become the second largest resource at Browns Range, behind the Wolverine deposit, with Bauk on Tuesday saying that the company was planning mining studies in 2020.
“We look forward to getting back on the ground in the future to further text extensions of Dazzler, as well as other unconformity-related targets.”