en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chilwa Minerals (ASX:CHW) has identified a continuous zone of niobium mineralization within the Nakombe syenite intrusion in Malawi, including a 22-meter interval grading 0.228% niobium pentoxide within a 161.5-meter mineralized section.
The company's southernmost drill hole, MPYDD015, confirms that niobium mineralization extends across the currently tested 270-meter strike length of the Mpyupyu target.
Grade data from pXRF analysis indicates a 22-meter interval averaging 0.228% niobium pentoxide within a 161.5-meter-wide mineralized zone starting at 349.5 meters downhole, with an average grade of 0.165% across the entire section.
MPYDD015 forms a scissor pair with the previously reported MPYDD009, with both holes drilled from opposite ends of the intrusion at opposing azimuths, each returning significant niobium intervals, confirming the continuity of the mineralized system.
Within the broad mineralized zone, notable intervals delineated using a 0.2% niobium pentoxide cut-off grade include 10 meters at 0.238% from 359.5 meters downhole, and 2 meters at 0.275% from 367.5 meters downhole.
Managing Director Cadell Buss stated that MPYDD015 confirms niobium mineralization in the southern extension of the Nakombe intrusion, completing the mineralization picture across the entire currently tested strike length, with each new drill hole demonstrating the continued growth of the niobium system's scale.
The company noted that pXRF results are for reference only and cannot be used for resource estimation. Correlation analysis with adjacent hole MPYDD006 indicates that at grades exceeding 1,500 ppm, pXRF underestimates niobium pentoxide by approximately 20%, suggesting grades may improve upon laboratory confirmation.
Lithological logging supports the interpretation of a south- or southwest-dipping sill-like intrusion, with evidence of lithological control on niobium mineralization showing continuously increasing grades from 282 meters downhole to the bottom of the hole.
Total drilling at the target has reached approximately 2,866 meters across 15 holes. The company is currently operating two diamond drill rigs and may add a third. Phase 2 drilling is planned north of the Nakombe River and east of the current drilling location, with the target remaining open to the northeast, south, east, southeast, and at depth.
ICP-MS results for MPYDD015 (including rare earth elements, gallium, and tantalum) are pending, and Chilwa Minerals is working toward defining its first exploration target, with ICP-MS confirmation results expected to support this effort.
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