East Star Resources to commence drilling at HREE project

Highlights:

• 1000 m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling to confirm historical grades of the ionic adsorption clay (IAC) hosted deposit.
• Samples to be sent for ICP analysis and leach test work to confirm historical grades and the potential for economic recovery of rare earth elements.
• Approvals from government authorities to commence fieldwork received much faster than expected, demonstrating regional support for new projects.
• Drilling programme designed and managed by independent consultants MSA-Minerals Consulting Ltd (MSA), to ensure speed of execution and correct QA/QC procedures in case of future resource conversion.

Alex Walker, East Star CEO, commented:

"We are extremely happy to be able to drill the Talairyk licence this month so that assay and leach test work can commence over the winter period. This means that with positive results we can hit the ground running next year, in the spring, to implement a more significant drill programme designed to convert the historical resource to JORC and test the huge strike potential of this deposit. The timing could not be better with all eyes focused on future supply of these metals which are so critical to the energy transition. We're also delighted with the level of support received from local government and service providers. Stakeholders have pulled out all the stops to get this project drill-ready so quickly and have confirmed they will provide further such support as the project progresses.''

Talairyk project highlights:

• Project comprises Talairyk and Talairyk 1 licences covering 144.7 km².
• East Star farming in for up to 90% ownership linked to exploration expenditure.
• 19 962 t of contained total rare earth oxides (TREO) including 4300 t of yttrium oxide at average of 7.5 m from surface (1994 resource model).
• Average 786g/t TREO in IAC profile up to 58.6 m thick – same geochemical signature as the IACs of South China from where most of the world's HREEs are currently supplied.
• Database includes 128 core holes and 61 auger holes for 3755 samples.
• Exploration upside within the licences across similar weathering profiles over prospective basement lithologies and with potential for additional regional expansion.
• IAC peers generally have lower CAPEX and lower OPEX than hard rock rare earth projects and a higher average basket price.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/12102022/east-star-resources-to-commence-drilling-at-hree-project/