ASX-listed Ionic Rare Earths has started Phase 4 of its drill programme at its majority-owned Makuutu rare earth project, in Uganda.
Ionic owns 51% of the project.
The drill programme is aimed at converting a significant portion of the inferred resources on RL 1693 to an indicated resource classification, as well as on converting RL 1693 exploration targets to classified resources.
The company’s mineral resource estimate was announced at 315-million tonnes at 650 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxide (TREO) with a cut-off grade of 200 ppm TREO minus cerium oxide (CeO2).
Makuutu ranks among the world’s largest ionic adsorption clay (IAC) deposits and, as such, a globally strategic resource for long-term security of critical and heavy rare earth (HREO) supply, Ionic said on June 15.
The recent Makuutu rare earths scoping study was primarily supported by the project’s indicated resource which reflected only about 27% of the mineral resource estimate.
Ionic said this infill drill programme is primarily aimed at increasing the indicated resource base to support future studies at Makuutu, including the feasibility study.
Commenting on project advancement, Ionic MD Tim Harrison said the company has “ambitious plans” for next six months and that, with a second rig scheduled to arrive on site in coming days, the miner expects to complete a substantial amount of core drilling during this Phase 4 programme.
“The plan is to work towards converting the majority of the higher-grade inferred resource base at RL 1693 to indicated resource over the second half of 2021.
“Additionally, we are working on the required drilling to define a measured resource base at RL 1693, and to help deliver this, a third drill rig is being coordinated to arrive at site in the second half of July,” Harrison said.