Jequie Drilling Yields 15m at 1720 ppm TREO, Highlighting REE Potential
Australian Mines Limited reports robust assay results from its auger drilling campaign at the Jequie Rare Earth Element Project in Brazil, highlighting significant TREO concentrations and promising targets for further exploration.
- 72 shallow auger drill holes completed totaling 500.6m
- Jequie South drill hole DAME-FT-14 returned 15m at 1720 ppm TREO
- 69% of Jequie South assays exceeded 400 ppm TREO
- Distinct Cerium depletion suggests ionic clay adsorption mineralisation
- Two priority target areas identified for follow-up drilling
Exploration Breakthrough at Jequie
Australian Mines Limited (ASX: AUZ) has announced compelling assay results from its recent auger drilling program at the Jequie Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in Bahia, Brazil. The campaign, comprising 72 shallow holes totaling over 500 metres, targeted two priority REE-in-soil anomalies identified in previous exploration phases.
The standout results emerged from the Jequie South area, where drill hole DAME-FT-14 intersected 15 metres averaging 1720 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), including a high-grade 3-metre interval at 3055 ppm TREO. Overall, 69% of samples from this zone returned TREO values exceeding 400 ppm, indicating a substantial footprint of near-surface mineralisation within saprolite and clay layers.
Geological Insights and Mineralisation Style
Geological interpretation suggests that the REE enrichment at Jequie South is structurally controlled by conjugate fault systems trending NW-SE and NE-SW. These faults appear to have facilitated preferential weathering and groundwater percolation, concentrating REEs within thick saprolite-clay regolith profiles extending up to 20 metres deep.
Notably, assay data reveal a depletion of Cerium relative to other rare earth elements, a geochemical signature consistent with ionic clay adsorption deposits. This style of mineralisation is significant as it often allows for more straightforward extraction methods compared to hard rock deposits.
Jequie North: A Different Mineralisation Signature
In contrast, the Jequie North target, where 56 holes were drilled, showed a less developed regolith profile with 55% of assays above 400 ppm TREO. Here, the REE enrichment is interpreted as a physical concentration of rare earth minerals such as monazite, derived from underlying thorium-rich leucogranite and charnockite rocks, rather than ionic adsorption.
Next Steps and Exploration Potential
Australian Mines plans to advance exploration with further geological mapping, geochemical sampling, and additional auger drilling to delineate the extent of mineralisation. Metallurgical test work is also anticipated to better understand the processing characteristics of the REE-bearing clays and minerals.
The identification of two key target areas, North and South Dário Meira Eluvial, coincident with topographic lows and enhanced thorium radiometric responses, provides clear focus zones for upcoming drilling campaigns.
These results reinforce Australian Mines’ strategic positioning in the rare earth sector, with the Jequie Project offering a promising pathway toward developing a significant REE resource in a geopolitically favourable jurisdiction.
Bottom Line?
Australian Mines’ latest drilling results at Jequie set the stage for a pivotal phase of exploration that could unlock a valuable rare earth resource.
Questions in the middle?
- How will metallurgical test results influence the economic viability of the Jequie REE deposit?
- What is the potential scale and grade continuity of the ionic clay mineralisation at Jequie South?
- How might Australian Mines prioritize exploration between the structurally controlled Jequie South and the mineralogically distinct Jequie North?
