en.Wedoany.com Reported - Mineral exploration company Trek Metals (ASX: TKM) has announced initial reverse circulation (RC) drilling assay results from the Kuro prospect at the Christmas Creek project in Western Australia, confirming shallow, high-grade manganese mineralisation at the site.
Assays from the first 21 drill holes returned multiple significant intercepts. Among them, hole 26XCRC020 intersected 10 metres at 42.3% Mn from 13 metres downhole, within a broader zone of 13 metres at 34.9% Mn from 13 metres. The same hole recorded a peak grade of 54.4% Mn at 16 metres downhole, indicating that high-grade mineralisation extends from surface to depth.
Key results from other holes include: 4 metres at 44.6% Mn from surface; 11 metres at 24% Mn from 6 metres, including 2 metres at 31.8% Mn from 7 metres; and 4 metres at 32.3% Mn from 12 metres.
Of the 21 holes, 15 intersected manganese mineralisation above the 5% cut-off grade, with 10 holes returning grades exceeding 20% Mn.
Chief Executive Officer Derek Marshall said the laboratory results validated the exploration thesis at the Christmas Creek project. He noted that the team had previously relied on assay data from outcropping rock fragments and visual estimates during drilling, and the laboratory analysis confirmed that high-grade surface mineralisation continues at depth.
Preliminary geochemical checks indicate the manganese mineralisation zone has potential for low-iron, low-phosphorus product. Manganese samples grading 20% or higher average 2.7% iron and 0.04% phosphorus, with a manganese-to-iron ratio of 13:1; the highest-grade intercept achieves a manganese-to-iron ratio of 47:1, with an iron content of 0.9%. Iron and phosphorus are the primary penalty elements in manganese ore.
All significant intercepts currently lie between surface and 37 metres downhole, with mineralisation gradually deepening from the northwestern outcrop toward the southeast. Marshall said the regional context of the discovery is the most encouraging aspect: Kuro is merely a prospect, initially selected for its small rock exposure in an area largely covered by shallow sand, and the company is advancing exploration targeting a large interpreted basin.
Induced polarisation geophysical surveys are underway over high-priority zones within the interpreted potential basin, which extends approximately 16 kilometres. Remaining assay results from the first phase of drilling are expected within the next three to five weeks; the RC rig will return to Kuro after continuing to test regional targets. Two additional geophysical surveys are about to commence, including sub-audio magnetic surveys at the Martin gold prospect and regional airborne magnetic-radiometric surveys.
Trek Metals is a mineral exploration company focused on critical battery metals, gold, and uranium, with a focus on frontier regions within tier-one Australian mining jurisdictions.
