Mining & Trade News

ASX-listed DY6 Metals reports outstanding progress in Malawi mineral exploration projects

By Marcel Chimwala

ASX-listed DY6 Metals has reported outstanding progress in its exploration for various minerals including Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Niobium (Nb), Platinum Group Elements (PGEs) and lithium in Malawi.

DY6 is conducting exploration works in a number of its licence areas in Malawi including Tundulu in Phalombe where it is prospecting for REEs.

Tundulu REE project update

The Company’s Chairman Daniel Smith says in a Press Statement that DY6 has collected 63 metallurgical samples from 37 sample locations along the high-grade historic trench (TUTR10) in the newly granted Tundulu tenement.

The sampling is intended to be representative of the mineralised Bastnaesite and Apatite carbonatite rock types exposed within the trench. Historical results from TUTR10 returned average grades of 7.1% P2O5 and 1.8% Total Rare Earth Ore (TREO) across 83m.

Smith reports that each of the samples will be analysed separately with a portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) onsite at DY6’s drill core warehouse prior to dispatch to SGS Laboratories in Perth and South Africa.

He says five bioavailability samples were also taken across various trenches, targeting phosphate rich rocks with P2O5 greater than 15%.

“Bioavailability is used for analysis on phosphorous rock sources to determine the solubility of phosphate in soils. This analysis is useful in determining whether a particular phosphate rock type is suitable for direct fertiliser applications where the phosphate would be applied directly to the soil for uptake,” Smith says.

Tundulu is formed of several hills in a ring around a central vent called Nathace Hill where the majority of the historic surface sampling and drilling was undertaken. The predominant geology at Nathace Hill is REE apatite hosting carbonatites and feldspathic breccia and comprises a large inner agglomerate vent. Mineral rich carbonatite also occurs at Tundulu Hill east of Nathace and Makhanga Hill west of Nathace and is previously unexplored and prospective for REEs and niobium mineralisation.

REE mineralisation remains open towards southern and western directions of Nathace Hill and potentially extends beyond the boundaries of the previously established mineralised area over Tundulu Hill. Initial indications of mineralisation appear to be high in valuable MREEs and low measurable radioactive uranium (U) and thorium (Th). This compares favourably to Lynas Rare Earths’ Mount Weld Central Lanthanide Deposit in Western Australia where Th and U concentrations in the ore are approximately 660 ppm and 25 ppm respectively.

Meanwhile, DY6 has engaged Perth-based consulting metallurgists Met Chem Consulting for initial metallurgical evaluation to review historical testwork work programs and assess the findings from the 2017 metallurgical report, completed by the previous operators of the licence. Met Chem Consulting has 20 years' experience and has overseen beneficiation testwork and pilot programs for many ASX-listed companies and overseas rare earths projects.

“The testwork by DY6 will initially focus on validating the beneficiation results achieved by the previous laboratory. Conducting test work at this early stage enables the Company to ascertain the preliminary viability of producing two product streams; a REE commercially saleable concentrate and a mixed phosphate concentrate containing rare earths,” says Smith.

Machinga Rare Earth and Niobium Project

DY6 is also prospecting for REEs and Niobium in its Machinga tenement. Smith reports in the Company’s quarterly report for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 that during the quarter, the Company reported the receipt of assay results for its second comprehensive reconnaissance rock chip and soil sampling program completed at Machinga Main Licence Area Anomaly.

Significant rock chip samples include:

• 2.26% TREO, 0.19% Nb2O5 (MEX061)

• 1.60% TREO, 0.60% Nb2O5 (MEX098)

• 3.22% TREO, 0.75% Nb2O5 (MEX141)

• 1.00% TREO, 0.11% Nb2O5 (MEX270)

• 1.16% TREO, 0.41% Nb2O5 (MEX510)

Smith says: “The results indicate multiple parallel zones consistent with the drilling results. The area of drilling and to the southeast tend to show patchy results due to extensive soil cover derived from up slope to the west, but clearly anomalism is not being dispersed.”

“The two western anomalies where sample density is higher show a much more continuous character of greater TREO results, highlighting the scale potential of REE mineralisation in this area of the licence. This zone was only partially tested by the first phase of drilling as no drilling was completed west of the main road.”

“The extension of this trend is highly significant as this is within the Forestry Reserve, where DY6 has a forestry permit, and not within farming activities, allowing for future exploration activities west of the highway.”

Ngala Hill PGE Project

DY6 is also conducting exploration at Ngala Hill Platinum Group Elements (PGE) prospect in southern Malawi. Smith explains in the report that during the quarter, DY6 was in the process of commencing a reconnaissance program at the highly prospective PGE project.

“The Company has since commenced engagement with local community members at the project site with the purpose to facilitate awareness of the exploration program planned,” he says.

DY6 will commence a reconnaissance mapping and rock chip sampling program to validate and potentially expand the significant area of interest at Ngala Hill.

Salambidwe and Mzimba

DY6 is also proceeding with exploration for REEs at Salambidwe in Chikwawa and prospecting for lithium in the Mzimba central licence area which has just been formally granted by the Mines Department. DY6’s other remaining lithium exploration licence applications awaiting grant are Mzimba West, Mzimba South and Karonga North.

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