Altona Rare Earths plc has discovered a 137% increase in grade from near surface gallium at its Monte Muambe project in Tete Province, northwest Mozambique.
SETTINGS
Returns are from a now completed in-fill soil sampling campaign across several anomalies identified in April.
More than 700 soil samples were collected, prepared and assayed using portable XRF
technology allowing for on-site assay and interpretation.
Soil assays returned gallium values of up to 187 g/t gallium while the first test pit revealed up to 550 g/t gallium in exposed rocks, based on internal confirmation, increases from the April figures.
Independent analysis is underway to determine precise gallium concentrations and host
minerals.
The company said it had so far found gallium in two distinct geological settings which increased the potential for “scalable and standalone economic extraction”.
Altona additionally sent samples for metallurgical testing from one drill hole, containing 100 g/t gallium and 3.8% total rare earth oxides, to understand gallium’s “behaviour” during the discovery of rare earths.
“I am very pleased with the swift progress made in assessing the April gallium discovery,” added chief executive Cedric Simonet.
“As predicted, higher grades than those initially reported have been discovered, and this is just the first test pit we excavated.
“Just as importantly, we have now internally confirmed gallium mineralisation in two distinct geological contexts, which broadens the project’s commercial potential and supports the case for advancing the assessment for the potential viability of gallium recovery from this new type of deposit.”