East Star Resources PLC on Tuesday said it is moving towards the results stage of initial exploration at Talairyk, its heavy rare earth elements project in East Kostanay, Kazakhstan.
East Star is a minerals exploration company focused on the discovery and development of gold, rare earth, and copper deposits in Kazakhstan.
All 966 recovered samples from the 1,001 metre, 30 borehole initial drilling programme in November 2022 have undergone analysis by a pXRF analyser to provide an indication of rare earth element grades
Individual and composite samples were selected and sent for sample preparation at ALS laboratories in Karaganda, and have now arrived at ALS laboratories in Ireland where assay work has begun.
Additional composite samples will be sent for five stage sequential leach test work. East Star said this would be a major indicator of the liberation qualities of the ore, and the first step in producing a process flow sheet and understanding potential project economics.
‘We are very excited to be moving towards the results stage of initial exploration on the Talairyk HREE project. The kaolinitic clays seen in drilling, when combined with the yttrium pXRF results and historical reports, provide us confidence in the presence of HREE elements with a geochemical signature resembling those of the producing mines in South China. Positive results from pending assay and leach tests will give us the confidence to move rapidly into resource drilling of the historical deposit, exploration of the significant granitic trend, and more detailed metallurgical work required for a scoping study,’ said Chief Executive Officer Alex Walker.
East Star shares were trading 0.6% higher at 3.57 pence each in London on Tuesday morning.
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