Namibia Critical Metals (TSX-V:NMI, OTC:NMREF) announced announce that it has commenced resource in-fill drilling as part of the pre-feasibility study (PFS) at the significantly expanded 'Lofdal 2B-4' heavy rare earth project in northwestern Namibia.
The company said a final drill program was worked out with support by The MSA Group to increase the level of resource categories as required for the PFS for the expanded project.
Phase 1 of the resource drilling campaign commenced at the end of January 2023 and aims to drill 35 reverse circulation (RC) holes for a total of 4,930 metres (m) in Area 4 until mid-March. A Phase 2 campaign of four RC holes of 310m each is planned to conclude RC drilling for PFS by end of March 2023, the company added.
WATCH: Namibia Critical Metals looks to Pre-Feasibility on Lofdal Project following robust PEA
"Our team is excited to get back to drilling at Lofdal after our incredibly successful 2020 drill campaign which delivered a six-fold increase to our maiden resource,” Namibia Critical Metals president Darrin Campbell said in a statement.
“The goal of this drill campaign is to move more of the established resource to the measured and indicated categories for our pre-feasibility study "2B-4" which is underway,” Campbell added. “Over the next few months, we will also be evaluating ramping up production from 2 million tonnes TREO (total rare earth oxides) per annum run-of mine in the current PEA (preliminary economic assessment) “2B-4” to 3 million tonnes.”
Expanding on the program, the company said four in-fill boreholes are planned at Area 2B to obtain samples across the planned pit "2B" for variability test work at SGS Lakefield. Variability tests will conclude metallurgical test work to conduct flotation and hydrometallurgical processing on a pilot plant scale.
Further, the company said it completed a geotechnical drilling campaign in December 2022. A total of seven holes for 1,326m were drilled in the hanging walls of the planned pits "2B" and "4" to take samples for geotechnical testing.
The geotechnical studies are contracted to SRK Consulting in Johannesburg, South Africa, and are planned to be completed by end of March 2023, it added.
Namibia Critical Metals noted that the Lofdal deposit has the potential for significant production of dysprosium and terbium, two of the most valuable heavy rare earth elements, and is targeting to become a long-term, sustainable supply of heavy rare earths.
“I expect the next year to be one of the most impactful periods in our corporate development as we continue to accelerate pilot plant testing through feasibility to production,” Campbell concluded.
Namibia Critical Metals is developing the Tier-1 heavy rare earth project, Lofdal, which is a globally significant deposit of the heavy rare earth metals dysprosium and terbium.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com