Meeka logs stellar upstream REE testwork results; grades increased by 91%

Meeka Metals (ASX:MEK) has today unveiled the results of its latest rare earth element (REE) testwork, finding that company technicians were able to see rare earth grades increased by up to 91%. 

The majority of the samples tested yielded fraction sizes below 20 micrometres; a desirable trait for turning rare earth concentrates into metallic products for use in various applications.

The news comes as Meeka continues to drill for high-grade REEs at its Circle Valley play in Western Australia, targeting Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr) mineralisation; among the highest-value magnetic rare earths in demand on the market. 

Also targeted by the company and believed to be present on-site is scandium; Meeka highlighted in June that a tonne of scandium was worth $1.5m in Australian dollars.

No need for expensive processing: Management 

“This positive test work shows most of the rare earth elements are hosted in the fine fraction of the clays. This presents an opportunity to remove waste and significantly upgrade the rare earth grades,” Meeka chief Tim Davidson said. 

“[This can also be done] using simple, cheap and well understood upstream mineral processing techniques.

The company’s metallurgical team now move ahead to next-stage testwork, which will look at the second part of the processing process; acid leaching. 

That leaching process will be where rare earth metals themselves are extracted from the fines material made up of particulates under 20 micrometres. 

Maiden resource inbound 

Meeka’s geotechnical team continues to prepare for early 2023 infill drilling at its flagship REE play, Circle Valley. 

That drilling will foreshadow the publication of a maiden resource estimate for rare earths at Circle, slated for Q3 of next year.

In the meantime, the company continues to refine its metallurgical understanding of REE product from the Circle Valley project; with testwork now focusing on acid leaching (read: downstream as opposed to upstream,) Meeka is shoring up whole-of-supply-chain knowledge over the Circle Valley project into the new year.

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