en.Wedoany.com Reported - Heavy Rare Earths has received approval for a drilling program at the South Ridge tin exploration target within the Prospect Hill project in South Australia, with the number of planned holes increased from 24 to 38. The latest geological interpretation indicates an expansion of the host structure targeted by the upcoming drilling campaign, with the company's field team assessing areas surrounding previously identified mineralization in historical data through surface geological mapping.
The Main South Ridge Shear zone is now considered to have a total mapped outcrop extension of 1.85 kilometers, including a 900-meter under-drilled section that is expected to expand known tin mineralization. Field mapping has also identified several previously unrecognized parallel structures near the main mineralization zone, opening up additional exploration opportunities. The upcoming drilling program includes approximately 3,400 meters of reverse circulation and diamond drilling, aimed at testing the extension of existing South Ridge mineralization and providing material for metallurgical testing.
Heavy Rare Earths (ASX:HRE) plans to mobilize the drill rig after heavy vehicle access is reopened. CEO Jason Barnett stated that detailed surface mapping by the field team has demonstrated new extensions, now delineating a 1.85-kilometer-long mineralized structure while identifying several parallel structures worth pursuing, suggesting that South Ridge may not be an isolated structure. The company has now obtained all drilling permits and looks forward to expanding the drilling program.
Prospect Hill covers 75 square kilometers across three exploration licenses on the northwestern edge of the Curnamona Craton, initially acquired for its uranium potential. The company subsequently secured rights to all minerals within the area, including numerous tin prospects. A review of extensive historical exploration data identified South Ridge as the most advanced target, with previous drilling and trenching delineating tin mineralization within a steeply dipping structural zone. New geological mapping has extended the interpreted South Ridge shear zone to 1.85 kilometers, with field work revealing that the structure continues westward before being truncated by a younger shear zone and shallow alluvial cover.
The shear zone is interpreted to be up to 10 meters wide, with additional mapping and pXRF analysis identifying several parallel structures nearby. A review of historical drilling found that the western extension of South Ridge remains under-explored, with only seven holes completed along a 450-meter strike. Two of these holes encountered high-grade tin mineralization, intersecting 4 meters at 1.04% tin from 111 meters depth, and 1 meter at 1.38% tin from 34 meters depth. Based on these historical data, Heavy Rare Earths believes its upcoming drilling program could deliver the first resource estimate for South Ridge.
