Critica to test big new REE targets at high-grade WA project
Rare earths project developer Critica Limited is about to unleash the drill bit on a batch of exciting 8-plus-kilometre-long satellite targets, which have the potential to supercharge its already massive global resource at the company's Brothers rare earths project in Western Australia's Yalgoo mining hub.
After receiving the government exploration green light last week, the company is preparing the ground at two of its biggest clay-hosted heavy rare earth prospects, dubbed Aurora and Juno, ahead of an air core drilling campaign.
The promising new targets are a stone's throw from Critica's flagship Jupiter deposit, which is home to the largest and highest-grade clay rare earths resource in Australia. Jupiter has an inferred resource of 1.78 billion tonnes grading 1651 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth elements (TREO).
'We've planned a low-cost air core drilling campaign to establish the potential of the Aurora and Juno prospects.'
Critica Limited managing director Philippa Leggat
Previous drilling served up a tantalising amuse-bouche, with holes at Juno in particular lighting up with hits of up to 8 metres at 4256ppm TREO and 34 per cent magnet rare earths.
The hits included highly prized heavy rare earths such as dysprosium, terbium and yttrium, which are all under tight Chinese export controls and key to electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and military technology.
Critica's main Jupiter deposit currently hosts 25,000t dysprosium, more than 5000t terbium and 131,000t yttrium as part of its heavy metal inventory.
Any new drilling results that back up earlier findings at Juno and Aurora - with richer MREO and heavy rare earth element ratios than already discovered at Jupiter - could strongly boost Critica's position at the negotiating table for processing routes and offtake deals.
At a time when geopolitical tensions are fuelling Western hunger for secure rare earth supplies, Critica says it isn't wasting any time getting the drill bit into the ground and will shortly mobilise rigs to site.
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