Korsnäs Drill Hole KR-316 Yields 31.5m at Nearly 0.5% TREO with 30% NdPr Enrichment

Breakthrough Drilling at Korsnäs

European Resources Limited (ASX: ERE) has delivered a standout rare earth element (REE) drilling result from its Korsnäs project in Finland, with drill hole KR-316 returning the best intersection of the current program. The hole intersected a thick zone of strongly neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) enriched mineralisation, including intervals exceeding 1% total rare earth oxides (TREO), a key benchmark for economic viability.

The highlight intercept from KR-316 spans 31.5 metres averaging 4,902 parts per million TREO starting at 98.5 metres depth, with NdPr enrichment around 28%. Within this broader zone, narrower intervals boast even higher grades, including 8.5 metres at 10,414 ppm TREO and 4.5 metres at 14,003 ppm TREO with NdPr enrichment reaching 30%. This mineralisation is hosted in apatite and monazite minerals, which are known for their favourable metallurgical properties.

Validating Innovative Targeting Techniques

Crucially, these results validate the use of Horizontal Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) passive seismic surveys as an effective exploration tool at Korsnäs. The KR-316 hole was drilled to test a target identified by coincident gravity and HVSR anomalies in the southern zone, an area previously unexplored. The success of this approach not only confirms the presence of high-value REE mineralisation but also opens a new growth corridor for the project.

Managing Director Jason Beckton emphasised the significance of this breakthrough, noting that the passive seismic method has already identified additional targets warranting further seismic work and drilling. This geophysics-led targeting strategy could accelerate discovery and resource expansion at Korsnäs, positioning the project as a key player in Europe's rare earth supply chain ambitions.

Strategic Importance and Next Steps

The southern target zone's mineralisation style, dominated by apatite and monazite, is particularly encouraging due to its metallurgical amenability. This aligns well with downstream processing pathways under consideration in Europe, a region keen to secure diversified and domestic sources of critical rare earths to support advanced manufacturing, electrification, and defence industries.

Alongside the drilling results, ongoing metallurgical test work is progressing to refine beneficiation and extraction methods. Retained drill core from KR-316 will support advanced metallurgical studies, essential for future feasibility assessments.

European Resources plans further seismic surveys and follow-up drilling to delineate the extent and continuity of the southern zone mineralisation. These efforts will underpin future Mineral Resource Estimate upgrades, advancing Korsnäs towards development readiness.

Overall, the latest results reinforce Korsnäs as a strategically significant European rare earth project with emerging scale and high-value mineralisation, supported by innovative exploration techniques and a clear pathway to resource growth.