Rimfire Pacific Mining has welcomed the first assays from its Currajong prospect, describing them as “the highest-grade scandium results” it has ever produced in the Fifield region of New South Wales.
Currajong is one of several prospects within Rimfire’s scandium pipeline that are being investigated.
Others include Forrest View, Kars, Tout East and Derriwong prospects, and the Melrose and Murga North areas, the latter two of which are believed to contain at least three million tonnes (Mt) at 240 parts per million (ppm) scandium, and 21Mt at 125ppm scandium respectively.
Now, Rimfire has drilled 200 air core holes across magnetic anomalies that define the 3km length of the scandium-prospective Currajong ultramafic belt.
The drillholes intersected a range of weathered mafic, ultramafic and sedimentary rock types including pyroxenite, a known source of scandium throughout Fifield.
The results of the first 51 drillholes have been received, several of which saw multiple strong scandium intercepts defined.
Some drilling highlights include 12m at 367ppm scandium from 12m in FI2684, including 5m at 464ppm scandium, and 16m at 361ppm scandium from 15m in FI2689, including 6m at 454ppm scandium.
Rimfire managing director David Hutton welcomed the results, highlighting their importance amid the recent restriction of scandium product exports by China.
“This work is taking place at a time when global supply of this strategically important critical mineral is being threatened by the recent Chinese restrictions on scandium exports,” Hutton said.
“China is responsible for 67 per cent of global primary scandium feed stocks and refines approximately 90 per cent of scandium supply. The Fifield scandium district, in which Rimfire has one of the largest scandium-prospective landholdings, including Currajong, has real potential to be a long term, low risk, secure supplier of this high valuable metal for the Western world.”
Rimfire will submit the remaining 149 drillholes to the laboratory by the end of this week, with the results expected to be returned by mid-June. The company hopes they can underpin a maiden mineral resource estimate for the prospect.
Scandium is known for being used in alloys for aerospace industries, specialised lighting applications, and electronics.
Subscribe to Australian Mining and receive the latest news on product announcements, industry developments, commodities and more.