Connected Minerals starts 6,000m drill programme
- Connected Minerals has commenced a 6,000m diamond and reverse circulation drilling programme at the Bailundo Carbonatite Project in Angola.
- Following the update, Connected shares were unchanged at $0.37.
- The company aims to test primary niobium and rare earth element targets identified by recent ground geophysics.
Connected Minerals (ASX:CML) has commenced a 6,000m drilling programme at its Bailundo Carbonatite Project in Angola following the completion of 31 line-kilometres of ground penetrating radar and seven electrical resistivity tomography profiles.
The ground survey identified variable and deep weathering zones across the deposit, which the company used to refine its initial subsurface target maps.
"This is the first phase of a broader programme designed to test both the niobium and rare earth element potential of Bailundo, with the scale of the carbonatite complex providing significant scope to identify additional target areas as exploration expands," said Connected CEO Stephen Wetherall.
The exploration campaign comprises 63 planned holes over the primary niobium target zone and 54 planned holes across the northern rare earth element target.
The company stated that both drill rigs are on site to run concurrently ahead of the seasonal wet season in late November.
Following the announcement, the Connected share price was unchanged at $0.37.
Connected holds an 80% interest in the local operating entity Frontier Resources Angola, Lda, which manages the exploration licences in the Huambo Province.
The project sits over a prospective carbonatite complex where previous surface geochemistry and geological mapping identified broad zones of mineralisation.
