Northern Territory Rare Earths Mine Gets Green Light for 10,000m Drilling

Barkly Rare Earths will drill 10,000 metres, which is a very large amount of exploration work. This is to find important rare earth minerals.
By Newsroom | Mining, Northern Territory |

Barkly Rare Earths has secured the necessary environmental mining licence, paving the way for a substantial 10,000-metre exploration drive at its primary rare earths site in the Northern Territory. The campaign, comprising over 400 shallow drill holes averaging 25 metres deep, is set to commence. Alongside this, the company is accelerating efforts at its Buntine base metals project.

The core of the operation centres on Barkly’s established rare earths deposit, which exhibits a notably high concentration of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr). This focus comes at a time when Barkly is also assessing its holdings within the Tennant Creek Mineral Field, a region historically significant for high-grade copper-gold deposits, including the "Bluebird" discovery.

Barkly plans to employ portable X-ray fluorescence machines, enabling real-time chemical analysis during the exploration process.

Barkly Project: A Dual Focus

The Barkly project, situated on the edge of the Tennant Creek Mineral Field (TCMF), is being explored for both rare earths and base metals. While the current news highlights the rare earths drilling initiative, the tenements are also recognized for their potential to host significant copper-gold mineralization, akin to past mining operations within the TCMF.

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The "Bluebird" prospect, a key copper-gold target, lies within a 5-kilometre corridor. The company's plans also acknowledge the importance of maximizing gold recovery, particularly given current market prices.

Resource Assessment and Future Potential

Barkly’s rare earths deposit is characterized by its inferred mineral resources. Analyses indicate a remarkably high NdPr concentration when compared to other regolith-hosted rare earth deposits. An exploration target envelope suggests the possibility of further expanding the NdPr endowment of the deposit. This contrasts with the primary focus of the Tennant Minerals operations at the same project, which emphasizes copper-gold prospects like Bluebird, known for high-grade mineralisation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is happening with Barkly Rare Earths in the Northern Territory?
Barkly Rare Earths has received its environmental mining licence. This means they can start a large 10,000-metre drilling project at their rare earths site in the Northern Territory.
Q: What will the 10,000-metre drilling project involve?
The project will include over 400 shallow drill holes, each about 25 metres deep. They will use special machines to analyse the rock on-site in real-time.
Q: Why is this drilling important for Barkly Rare Earths?
The drilling will help find more rare earth minerals, especially neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), which are in high amounts at their site. They are also looking for copper and gold.
Q: When will the drilling start?
The drilling campaign is set to commence soon, following the approval of the environmental mining licence.
Q: What other projects is Barkly Rare Earths working on?
Besides the rare earths drilling, the company is also working on its Buntine base metals project and exploring for copper-gold deposits in the Tennant Creek Mineral Field.