Norwest Minerals Limited announced metallurgical testing of the high-grade clay hosted REE drill samples from Arunta West will soon commence. The pulverised drill samples remaining from the original lab assay analysis are being prepared for delivery to ANSTO Minerals in Sydney who will analyse the REE recovery levels from the clay host. The samples will be selected from the four discovery holes reported last month from which all returned REE intervals grading above 1,000 ppm TREO from the Bitter Springs sediments.

The REE zone is near surface, flat lying and geologically consistent with ionic adsorption clay (IAC) hosted REE which supply over 80% of all heavy REE and a significant portion of light REE globally. Metallurgical recovery testwork to determine REE recovery from clay host Sample material is being retrieved from the pulverized residues remaining from the lab assay work undertaken on the December 2022, 3-metre composite drill samples. The REE assays from the drilling were reported late last month.

Drilling across the Mount Webb Granite ­ Bitter Springs sediment contact intersected strong clay hosted REE exclusively in the sediments, with four holes reporting shallow intersections in the saprolite zone grading above 1,000 ppm TREO. The pulverised drill sample material from the high-grade TREO intersections is being sent to ANSTO Minerals in Sydney for testing to determine the recoverability of REE from the clay host material. The results are expected near the end of this month.