London-listed Kendrick Resources has reported broad rare-earth mineralisation from drilling at its Teufelskuppe project in Namibia, providing further geological data as the company advances work towards a maiden resource estimate. Certified assays from drill hole TKDD003 returned 59.78 metres grading 3.39% light rare-earth oxides (LREO), including 4.35 metres at 3.97% LREO. A second hole, TKDD002, intersected 38.2 metres grading 3.14% LREO, adding another broad mineralised interval to the project’s drilling results.
Exploration Target and Resource Definition
Kendrick has previously established an exploration objective of at least 40 million tonnes grading approximately 3% LREO at Teufelskuppe. The exploration objective is not a formal mineral resource, and additional drilling and geological modelling are required before the company can determine whether the targeted scale can support a JORC-compliant mineral resource.
The latest intersections provide data on the continuity and width of mineralisation across the project, rather than relying solely on isolated high-grade results. Kendrick also reported a correlation of more than 0.82 between certified laboratory assays and portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements collected during exploration.
Field Measurements Support Drilling Work
The reported correlation could enable Kendrick to use field XRF measurements more effectively when guiding exploration drilling and geological interpretation. Certified laboratory assays will remain the basis for formal resource estimation, while the portable measurements provide additional information during exploration and modelling activities. The latest drilling results combine relatively high LREO grades with broad mineralised widths, providing further information for assessing the potential scale and continuity of the Teufelskuppe mineralised system.
Metallurgy Remains a Key Development Test
Further development of the project will depend not only on defining sufficient tonnage and grade but also on establishing whether the mineralisation can be economically concentrated and separated into saleable rare-earth products. Metallurgical work, together with resource definition, will therefore be an important part of assessing the project. Processing costs and the complexity of the mineralogy will also need to be addressed as development work progresses.
For junior exploration companies, broad and repeatable mineralised intervals can influence potential mining geometry, dilution and processing throughput alongside individual high-grade assays. Kendrick’s next drilling and geological work will need to establish whether the reported 3%-plus LREO grades can be reproduced across a sufficiently large area to support the company’s targeted resource scale.
