Lion Rock Minerals (ASX:LRM) has confirmed the presence of coarse monazite crystals in residual soils at its Minta Est Project, supporting the company's exploration strategy targeting high-value rare-earth minerals.
Infill drilling, which began in November 2025, has progressed well, with 285 holes completed for a total of 1,227m. Samples from the drilling are currently undergoing laboratory analysis.
The visual identification of large, angular monazite crystals during a recent field inspection by the company’s competent person, Richard Stockwell, confirms the local monazite-enriched granite as the source of monazite rare earths.
Coarse monazite was observed dominating the mineral assemblage in deeper, weathered saprolite, while panning of residual soils consistently showed monazite liberated by weathering processes.
These findings validate the geological model and reinforce the potential for developing rare-earth resources at Minta Est.
To accelerate mineral separation and assay turnaround, heavy liquid separation equipment is being installed at Lion Rock's Yaoundé laboratory, with commissioning scheduled for January 2026.
Field and laboratory personnel have been expanded to support the ongoing infill drilling and expanded exploration objectives, including assessing nearby alluvial basins and tributaries for rutile, zircon, and monazite potential.
The first batch of 134 routine and QA samples has been sent to Scientific Services in South Africa, with results expected in Q1 2026.
The expanded sampling program, including twin drilling, aims to support future resource estimation.
Lion Rock’s CEO, Casper Adson, highlighted that these developments may strengthen the emerging rare-earth supply chain in partnership with Tronox.
At the time of reporting, Lion Rock Minerals' share price was $0.029.