Larvotto Resources Limited announced maiden total rare earth element oxide (TREO) results from aircore drilling at its Merivale South prospect
in Western Australia. Merivale South lies within the Company's 100%-owned Eyre Project, located 40km east of Norseman within the Albany­Fraser Range sequence of rocks, known for its rare earth mineralisation. Initial drill results have produced very encouraging results, with multiple wide, near surface intersections of TREO. It is expected that the mineralisation is hosted within ionic clays, making them suitable for simple, cost-effective extraction. Samples are predominantly six metre field composites, unless the hole was stopped at drilling refusal. Maximum values of up to 3,466ppm TREO over six metres were recorded. The drill program consisted of two lines of 60o aircore drilling along lines approximately 500 metres long.
Holes were typically drilled to aircore blade refusal. The drill lines were designed to cover a broad geochemical TREO anomaly identified by a historic auger drill program and an infill soil geochemical anomaly defined by Larvotto. The higher-grade core of the anomaly was over 3km-long but this lies within a greater, lower grade anomaly over 8km-long. The geochemical anomaly was also aligned with a very strong thorium radiometric
response. The anomaly drill tested was one of three identified within the Merivale South prospect. Results from the drilling reveal the mineralisation has very good heavy REO (HREO) percentages as well as excellent NdPr ratios, both of which are significant in assessing rare earth projects. Combined with good widths and near surface mineralisation the first pass drilling has potentially identified a significant project. The aircore drill lines were designed as a quick test of the northern and central parts of one anomaly to determine if it was highlighting significant subsurface TREO mineralisation as the surface geochemistry suggested. Results to date would suggest this aim has been achieved successfully. This drill program formed part of a wider drill program that also covered the lithium target at Merivale and was completed before the lithium drilling began for logistical reasons. Lithium results are to follow once received and interpreted.