en.Wedoany.com Reported - Australia's Barkly Rare Earths has commenced the first phase of a drilling program at its namesake rare earth project in the Northern Territory, with a total planned meterage of 10,000 meters aimed at expanding existing resource scale. This marks the first drilling activity for Barkly Rare Earths (ASX:BAK) since its listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in January this year.
The project currently hosts an inferred rare earth resource of 40Mt at a total rare earth oxide (TREO) grade of 2100ppm. This mineral resource estimate is shallow, open in all directions, and partially overlaps with a separate vanadium resource. The magnetic rare earth oxide (MREO) grade within the resource is approximately 34%. An exploration target has also been delineated within just 6% of the project area, ranging from 200Mt to 1Bt at a TREO grade of 1600ppm to 1900ppm.
The existing mineral resource estimate is located within two optimized pit shells and remains open laterally. Barkly plans to drill approximately 400 holes with an average depth of 25 meters, focusing on a 20-kilometer-long corridor called the Immediate Zone between the two resource areas. This corridor coincides with the up-dip potential area identified in the exploration target. Drilling will also test extensions into the Intermediate Zone via branch holes and assess sample quality and bulk density data to support the definition of indicated and measured resources.
Barkly Managing Director Craig Wright stated that the mobilization marks the company's entry into an active field execution phase, and the program is the next step in demonstrating the project's broader potential, generating critical data on mineralization continuity, bulk density, and targeted resource growth.
The Barkly project covers approximately 5,000 square kilometers and contains rare earth mineralized quartz sand, interpreted to have been deposited in a past marine paleo-bay. The company believes this environment may support extensive continuity of mineralization thickness and grade across the tenement area, a continuity that will be tested in this drilling program.
Two civil contractors have begun constructing access roads and drill pads using three earthmoving machines. Clearing work is expected to commence next week following fuel delivery. Barkly has contracted BP distributor Recharge Petroleum to supply bulk fuel for civil works and drilling, with an initial allocation of a 30,000-liter diesel tank. The company has also contracted a multipurpose drill rig for primary reverse circulation (RC) drilling. The rig will also drill twin holes using air core drilling and 100mm core drilling methods to generate verifiable samples and measure dry bulk density. Drilling is scheduled to begin on July 13, with a resource update planned for the fourth quarter of this year.
Additionally, Barkly has early-started exploration work at its Buntine base metals project in the Northern Territory. The project covers approximately 1,876 square kilometers, near the Western Australia border. The company has identified three multi-metal mineralization anomaly zones within a mineralized corridor on the project tenement. Historical sampling has shown a range of high-grade values, reaching up to 667ppm zinc, 1% lead, 1760ppm cobalt, 316ppm copper, 10% manganese, 7100ppm nickel, and 239ppm chromium. A reconnaissance mapping and rock chip sampling program is currently underway, aimed at assessing the potential for multi-metal mineralization within the exposed Blue Hole and Campbell Springs formations along a 9-kilometer strike. Fieldwork is expected to conclude in the second week of July, with results to be announced in the third quarter, followed by further exploration plans later this year.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
