Niobium Grades Up to 3.1% Nb₂O₅ Confirmed Beyond Initial Green Resource Footprint

Expanding the Green Deposit Footprint

Encounter Resources Limited (ASX – ENR) has announced compelling new results from its Aileron Project in Western Australia’s West Arunta province, where recent aircore drilling has intersected high-grade niobium mineralisation extending more than 1 kilometre east of the previously defined Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the Green deposit. This discovery not only expands the known footprint of the deposit but also underscores the potential scale of this carbonatite-hosted critical minerals system.

The drilling campaign, conducted on broad 400m spaced lines, revealed significant niobium grades, including intervals such as 18 metres at 2.0% Nb₂O₅ and 6 metres at 1.8% Nb₂O₅, highlighting robust mineralisation well beyond the initial resource boundary. These results validate Encounter’s strategic approach of using wide-spaced aircore drilling to rapidly delineate mineralised zones before moving to denser infill drilling.

Rare Earth Elements Emerge as a Separate Target

Alongside niobium, the company has identified shallow, high-grade rare earth element (REE) mineralisation along the southern margin of the Green carbonatite complex. Notable intersections include 46 metres at 1.0% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and shorter intervals with elevated concentrations of dysprosium and terbium, elements critical for high-tech and clean energy applications.

This REE mineralisation appears geologically distinct from the niobium zones, suggesting a separate but related mineralising event or process. The presence of REE fluorocarbonate minerals such as bastnaesite and parisite further supports the prospectivity of this southern margin as a new target area within the project.

Ongoing Drilling and Resource Development

Infill drilling at Green East is currently underway at a tighter 200m by 80m spacing to better define high-grade zones for inclusion in an upcoming MRE update. Previous infill results at Green Central have demonstrated that increasing drill density often yields thicker and higher-grade niobium intersections, a trend the company aims to replicate in the eastern extension.

Additionally, diamond drilling is progressing to collect metallurgical samples and test regional targets such as Scott, with assay results from regional drilling expected every two to four weeks. These ongoing programs are critical to refining the resource model and advancing the project towards development.

Strategic Importance in Critical Minerals Supply

The Green deposit’s expanding footprint and dual commodity potential position Encounter Resources as a significant player in the critical minerals sector, particularly for niobium and rare earth elements, which are essential for emerging technologies including electric vehicles, renewable energy, and advanced electronics.

Executive Chairman Will Robinson highlighted the significance of these results, noting that the extensions confirm the deposit’s scale and the emerging REE zones add a new dimension to the project’s value proposition. The company’s methodical exploration approach and strong technical expertise continue to underpin its strategy to unlock value in Tier 1 jurisdictions.