AuKing Mining has reported a 50-metre interval grading 2.03% TREO from surface at its Tundulu rare earths project in Malawi. The result, from drilling about 400 metres west of earlier holes, supports a broader near-surface mineralised footprint but remains exploration-stage evidence.
- 50m at 2.03% TREO from surface in hole 26NH011
- 20m high-grade zone grading 4.26% TREO
- Western flank mineralisation extends beyond earlier drilling
- Hole 26NH002 assays remain incomplete
- Approximately 2,900 samples and 1,300m of core remain in preparation
Western Step-Out Returns High-Grade TREO
AuKing Mining Limited (ASX:AKN) has hit a 50-metre interval grading 2.03% total rare earth oxides from surface in a western step-out hole at the Tundulu Rare Earth Project in southern Malawi. Within that zone, a 20-metre section returned 4.26% TREO, giving the company one of its strongest indications yet that mineralisation is not confined to the initially drilled parts of Nathace Hill.
Hole 26NH011 intersected 72 metres at 1.51% TREO from surface. It was drilled approximately 400 metres west of the holes reported on 14 September and was directed away from Nathace Hill, according to AuKing. The company said the result demonstrates substantial mineralisation along the western margin, an area with limited historical drilling compared with the eastern side of the target.
Second Western Hole Adds Near-Surface Support
A second highlighted hole, 26NH002, returned 22 metres at 1.50% TREO from surface, including 8 metres at 3.39% TREO from 2 metres and a further 8 metres at 2.09% TREO from 32 metres. Those assays cover the hole only to 73 metres, however, with results still pending for the remainder where additional carbonatite has been logged.
AuKing said the results from holes 26NH002 and 26NH003 point to mineralisation developing across different depths in the western part of Nathace Hill. The near-surface nature of several intersections could be relevant to future mine planning, although the announcement does not establish a resource, mining study or economic outcome. The reported lengths are downhole measurements, and true widths are not yet known.
Assay Pipeline Remains the Immediate Catalyst
The latest results come from a broader drilling and assay programme that is still moving through the laboratories. AuKing said nearly 1,500 samples have been assayed, while approximately 2,900 more are being prepared at Intertek facilities in Perth and Zambia. More than 1,300 metres of diamond drill core are also being prepared for assay, setting up a continuing stream of results over the next few months.
The company said it is formulating further drilling plans for the western flank, with future work intended to test lateral extent, depth, widths and continuity. For now, the central question is whether the strong intersections can be connected into a sufficiently coherent mineralised system, rather than simply adding a series of attractive but isolated drill results.
Bottom Line?
The western flank has produced a meaningful expansion signal, but pending assays, follow-up drilling and true-width data will determine whether it becomes a resource-scale discovery.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the remaining assays from hole 26NH002 extend the near-surface mineralisation?
- Can follow-up drilling establish continuity between the western holes and the broader Nathace Hill system?
- What will the eventual true widths and metallurgical characteristics show about development potential?