Aldoro Resources spent the most significant chunk of the N$1.9 million (US$103 000) in the quarter ending March 31, 2024, exploring and evaluating Namibia’s Kameelburg Rare Earth Element Niobium project.
The Kameelburg Project, about 60 km southwest of Otjiwarongo in the Otjozondjupa region, is under EPLs 7372, 7373, and 7895.
Aldoro Resources acquired 85% of the project from Logan Exploration Investments in early 2023.
During the quarter, exploration focused on the Kameelburg Project, with metallurgical bench testing continuing and geological mapping and sampling in two areas for Niobium and REE.
The geological mapping also unearthed other rare earth minerals, such as bastnasite and an unidentified cerium-bearing barium sulfate.
Preparations are underway for a 2,000-meter diamond drilling programme targeting the carbonatite’s Niobium and REE-rich zones.
During the previous quarter, metallurgical samples were collected using a diamond core drill with a 100-mm-diameter bit from several sites. Seven core samples were shipped to Perth for bench testing.
The initiative aims to produce a commercial-grade concentrate of rare earth metals (REE) and niobium.
The seven samples included six for targeting REE and one for Niobium (Nb) from the Kameelburg Carbonatite.
The head assays produced TREO (+Y) ranging from 1.08 to 3.53%, and the Niobium sample assayed 0.74% Nb2O5.
AMCOR conducted initial mineral investigations in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the project lay dormant until 2012–2015, when a private company for REE and phosphates investigated it; however, low commodity prices during this period ended investigations.
Kinloch Resources Pty Ltd. undertook two phases of sampling in 2012 and 2013. This involved a due diligence rock chip sampling program and a grid-based rock and soil sampling program.
*US$ rand rate of US$1=N$18.47
