Ionic Rare Earths Limited has announced that its phase 5 drilling program for its Makuutu Rare Earths Project in Uganda has been approved to commence.
The program aims to increase the inferred resources on retention licence to an indicated resource category, plus also providing further confidence through reconnaissance drilling at exploration targets identified across the company’s exploration licences.
Drilling is planned to start by May, with both a diamond rig and rotary air blast (RAB) rig secured.
The program will include approximately 4,380 km of core drilling used for resource upgrade and 2,230 m of RAB drilling used for the evaluation of exploration targets on EL00147 and EL00257.
The zones targetted in the proposed RAB drilling programme represent the highest identified total rare earth oxide grade inferred and exploration target mineralisation at Makuutu.
Other activities to be conducted include the field mapping and sampling of outcropping rocks to assist in identifying potential rare earth element source rocks, and the compilation, lodgement and approval of the exploration program by the National Environment Management Authority following the environmental impact assessment for licence EL00147.
The aim of the exploration program in the target areas is to establish further input ahead of the next phase to progress the inferred level resources under the guidelines of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee code.
With the addition of the other tenements at Makuutu, the larger consolidated project has substantial scope for future growth, and increasing geopolitical importance, to underpin the establishment of western sources for new magnet and heavy rare earths supply chains.
Iconic Rare Earths Managing Director Tim Harrison said that given the positive results of the definitive feasibility study at Makuutu, the progress on the demonstration plant and the pending mining licence, the company is eyeing further growth to support efforts at the Makuutu western zone due to be submitted in 2024.
