Mt Stirling Central HREE Discovery Confirmed
Perth, Jan 31, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Torian Resources Limited (
ASX:TNR) is pleased to announce the discovery of "Yttria", a significant HREE-Y-Co-Sc-Ni-Cr-Pd- Pt enriched broad ~1km occurrence at its Mt Stirling Central project area. Yttrium is a key pathfinder indicator of high value Heavy Rare Earth Elements used in Critical Metals exploration.
Rare earth elements are in high demand because they are critical components (the "vitamins") to many technologies that drive the modern world. However, as the supply of REEs is dominated by China, there is significant geopolitical risk to the supply chain in the west. This has created urgency to discover alternative sources of supply.
The five most critical REEs are Dysprosium (Dy), Terbium (Tb), Europium (Eu), Neodymium (Nd) and Yttrium (Y). These are all present in Yttria mineralisation.
As part of the Company's ongoing systematic exploration of the Mt Stirling Gold Project, a total of 151 AV drill holes systematically targeted the Arktos Fault and adjacent structures at the Wishbone Prospect for arsenic and other Au vectoring pathfinders. Reconnaissance field work confirmed the presence of prospective breccias within Archaean granites and Proterozoic mafic dykes, where the potential for Rare Earth mineral structural/lithological model was recognised.
Focus on Yttrium anomalism was initially confirmed by pXRF analysis of soils to guide AV drilling, for gold exploration. Subsequently oxide intervals observed in AV drilling samples revealed a broad (1km scale) extent of discrete Y anomalies in the area.
To provide additional analytical support for the discovery, 21 selected AV samples from 1m intervals, containing an average of 536+/-193 ppm HREYO; with HREYO/TREYO ratio of 0.63+/-0.1 were submitted for additional analysis at Lab West (Malaga, Western Australia) by ICPMS following MMA 4 acid digestion to ensure complete dissolution of refractory HREE-bearing minerals such as xenotime.
Immediate follow-up exploration continues to expand the Yttria footprint through surface detailed pXRF surveys and reconnaissance AV drilling.
Full mineralised intercepts will be reported on once systematic submission of entire horizon zones of interest are processed. Turn-around on these assays is expected within 4 weeks.
Torian's Executive Chairman Mr Paul Summers said:
"Torian's exploration undertaking over the past 2 years has been exceptional, and we are now benefiting from a well-managed program to increase our gold resource.
If undertaken methodically, exploration can offer many surprises. During a field traverse with our chief exploration manager Claudio Sheriff Zegers in December 2021 we came across some interesting ground which really stood out.
From that chance find, and the interest generated, we find ourself today releasing a most exciting discovery. It has the likelihood of being a company maker, an outstanding opportunity for our shareholders.
It now appears to our team that this exciting discovery will morph Torian into an advanced minerals exploration Company"
Torian's exploration manager Claudio Sheriff-Zegers added:
"I'm incredibly proud of the small pragmatic and dedicated Torian Exploration team; Strataprobe Drilling and Portable Analytical Solutions (PAS) support.
Never could we have imagined that Yttria's REE spectrum would likely materialise with one of the highest ratios of HREO's to TREO's occurrences.
Discoveries like these don't happen overnight. Timing is ever critical. Thank you to the team @ MinAnalytical and to Paul and Torian Directors for believing the science; and setting Torian exploration up for technical success.
*To view the full release with tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/O3N2941G
About Torian Resources Limited
Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) is a gold exploration and development company with an extensive and strategic land holding comprising eight projects and over 400km2 of tenure in the Goldfields Region of Western Australia.
Torian's flagship project, Zuleika, is located along the world-class Zuleika Shear. The Zuleika Shear is the fourth largest gold producing region in Australia and consistently produces some of the country's highest grade and lowest cost gold mines. Torian's Zuleika project lies north and partly along strike of several major gold deposits including Northern Star's (ASX:NST) 7.0Moz East Kundana Joint Venture and Evolutions (ASX:EVN) 1.8Moz Frogs Legs and White Foil deposits.
Torian's other projects include the strategically located Mt Stirling and Malcolm Projects in the Leonora region (near Red 5's King of the Hills Project), where it recently completed updated Mineral Resource Estimates and preliminary scoping studies, and a suite of other projects in the Kalgoorlie region including Credo Well JV Zuleika JV, Bonnie Vale, Gibraltar and Mount Monger/Wombola.
| ||
|
