Red Metal Limited's recent infill drilling at the Sybella Rare Earth Project confirms robust continuity of high-grade rare earth oxide mineralisation, reinforcing the project's inferred resource and advancing its development prospects.
- 19 infill drill holes confirm wide zones of magnet rare earth oxide mineralisation
- Significant intercepts include up to 162 metres at over 330 ppm NdPr
- Results consistent with adjacent drill traverses, supporting inferred resource
- pH optimisation leach tests underway with results expected March 2025
- Plans to upgrade resource to Indicated category and conduct column leach tests in 2025
Infill Drilling Validates Sybella's Rare Earth Potential
Red Metal Limited has delivered a significant update on its Sybella Rare Earth Project near Mount Isa, Queensland, with assay results from 19 infill drill holes confirming the strong continuity of magnet rare earth oxide (MREO) mineralisation. The drilling, completed in November 2024, targeted the eastern Kary Zone and revealed multiple long intercepts of key rare earth oxides including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.
Notably, several intercepts begin at surface and extend to the end of the hole, with standout results such as 162 metres at 337 ppm NdPr and 30 ppm DyTb from 18 metres depth (SBRC148), and 108 metres at 349 ppm NdPr and 38 ppm DyTb (SBRC143). These grades and widths align closely with earlier drilling 400 metres to the north and south, bolstering confidence in the existing Inferred Mineral Resource published in October 2024.
Granite-Hosted Deposit with Bulk Tonnage Potential
The Sybella deposit is distinguished by its granite-hosted rare earth mineralisation, a relatively uncommon style that offers the potential for large tonnage extraction. The mineralisation occurs primarily as fluoro-carbonate minerals bastnasite and synchysite, disseminated throughout a highly deformed granite pluton. This geological setting, combined with early metallurgical studies, suggests the feasibility of a low-cost, low-capital heap leach processing method, which could be a competitive advantage in rare earth production.
Red Metal's Managing Director, Rob Rutherford, emphasised the importance of confirming mineralisation continuity as a critical step towards bulk tonnage mining. He highlighted ongoing pH optimisation leach tests on composite samples representative of a broader area, with results anticipated in March 2025. These tests aim to refine the processing parameters to maximize rare earth extraction while minimizing acid consumption and deleterious contaminants.
Next Steps: Resource Upgrade and Metallurgical Testing
Following the positive infill drilling results, Red Metal plans to recommence drilling early in the 2025 field season to upgrade the resource classification from Inferred to Indicated. This will involve large diameter diamond core drilling to obtain coarse, non-pulverised samples for column leach test work, a critical step in validating heap leach processing at scale.
Mineralogical studies using advanced techniques such as TIMA and LIBS have begun to characterize the mineral hosts and spatial distribution of rare earth elements, providing insights into metallurgical behavior and variability. Understanding these factors is essential for optimizing extraction and processing strategies.
The Sybella Project's proximity to Mount Isa, just 20 kilometres away, offers logistical advantages for infrastructure and potential development. The combination of strong mineral continuity, promising metallurgical characteristics, and strategic location positions Sybella as a compelling rare earth development in Australia's critical minerals landscape.
Bottom Line?
As Red Metal advances towards an Indicated Resource and metallurgical validation, Sybella’s rare earth promise edges closer to commercial reality.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming pH optimisation leach test results confirm scalable, low-cost processing?
- How will the resource upgrade to Indicated status impact project valuation and financing options?
- What are the potential challenges in metallurgical variability across the Sybella granite-hosted deposit?