THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF REGULATION 2014/596/EU
WHICH IS PART OF DOMESTIC UK LAW PURSUANT TO THE MARKET ABUSE
(AMENDMENT) (EU EXIT) REGULATIONS (SI 2019/310) ("UK MAR"). UPON
THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION (AS
DEFINED IN UK MAR) IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC
DOMAIN.
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF
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CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH
JURISDICTION.
13 January 2025
Cobra Resources
plc
("Cobra"
or the "Company")
Continuation of Resource
Drilling at Boland
Cobra
(LSE: COBR), the mineral
exploration and development company advancing a potentially
world-class ionic Rare Earth Elements ("REEs") discovery at its
Boland Project ("Boland") in South Australia, announces that it has
re-commenced resource-focused aircore drilling at Boland following
a short pause in activity during the Christmas period.
Prior to Christmas, 20 holes
(~1,000m) were completed. Cobra aims to drill a further ~40 holes
during January to complete Stage 1 aircore drilling aimed at
providing sufficient geological definition to support a maiden REE
resource estimation over the greater palaeochannel proximal to the
established wellfield. Stage 1 drilling is the start of a funded,
four-stage, 12,000m programme designed to define and support a
resource estimate for ionically bound REE mineralisation that is
hosted within permeable sands and is amenable to low cost, low
disturbance in situ recovery ("ISR") mining.
Highlights
·
Stage 1 drilling is designed to infill and refine
the mineralisation footprint peripheral to the established Boland
wellfield where high grade mineralisation (0.44% Total Rare Earth
Oxides) delivered high recoveries (68%) of valuable Magnet Rare
Earths ("MREOs") at pH3 with low acid consumption and low levels of
impurities in the bench scale ISR studies
·
The Pidinga formation which hosts permeable ionic
REE mineralisation has been intersected across broad zones where
unit thicknesses exceed the Company's interpretations
·
Stage 1 aircore drilling is anticipated to be
completed in approximately two weeks
·
Results from drilling completed in December 2024
are expected in February 2025
·
The Company is working to obtain regulatory
approvals to proceed with Stage 2 drilling to extend the target
area of resource drilling
·
Precipitation of a maiden mixed rare earth
carbonate, assays imminent
Rupert Verco, Managing Director & CEO of Cobra,
commented:
"Resource drilling is progressing rapidly. Initial geological
observations are positive for scale, mineralisation thickness and
geological conditions that support scalable ISR mining. A scalable
resource is an important aspect of any mining
asset.
As
drilling progresses, the Company is approaching another important
milestone, with a maiden mixed rare earth carbonate being
precipitated from liquor produced through our bench scale ISR tests
before Christmas from which results are imminent. This will be the
first rare earth product produced through controlled ISR,
signifying a significant step forward in the advancement of
securing critical rare earth metals through low-cost and
environmentally considerate methods. This is a vital advancement to
progress discussions with prospective future
offtakers."
Figure 1: Drilling plan
detailing completed and planned Stage 1 drilling with defined
target areas for Stages 2-4
Follow this link to watch a short
video of Exploration Manager Robert Blythman providing an update on
the Company's drilling programme: https://investors.cobraplc.com/link/pegRby
Boland Project
Cobra's unique and highly scalable
Boland discovery is a strategically advantageous ionic rare earth
discovery where high grades of valuable HREOs and MREOs occur
concentrated in a permeable horizon confined by impermeable clays.
Bench scale ISR testing has confirmed that mineralisation is
amenable to ISR mining. ISR has been used successfully for decades
within geologically similar systems to recover uranium within South
Australia. Results of this metallurgical test work support that,
with minor optimisation, ISR techniques should enable non-invasive
and low-cost production of critical REEs from Cobra's Boland
discovery.
Enquiries:
Cobra Resources plc
Rupert Verco (Australia)
Dan Maling (UK)
|
via Vigo
Consulting
+44 (0)20
7390 0234
|
SI
Capital Limited (Joint Broker)
Nick Emerson
Sam Lomanto
|
+44
(0)1483 413 500
|
Global Investment Strategy (Joint Broker)
James Sheehan
|
+44 (0)20
7048 9437
james.sheehan@gisukltd.com
|
Vigo
Consulting (Financial Public Relations)
Ben Simons
Kendall Hill
|
+44 (0)20
7390 0234
cobra@vigoconsulting.com
|
The person who arranged for the
release of this announcement was Rupert Verco, Managing Director of
the Company.
Information in this announcement
relates to exploration results that have been reported in the
following announcements:
·
Wudinna Project Update: "Further Positive Metallurgy Results from Boland
Project", dated 16 December 2024
·
Wudinna Project Update: "2nd Bench Scale ISR Study & £1.7M
Placing", dated 26 November 2024
Competent Persons Statement
Information in this announcement has
been assessed by Mr Rupert Verco, a Fellow of the Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr Verco is an employee of
Cobra and has more than 16 years' industry experience which is
relevant to the style of mineralisation, deposit type, and activity
which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined
in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves of JORC.
This includes 12 years of Mining, Resource Estimation and
Exploration.
About Cobra
In 2023, Cobra discovered a rare
earth deposit with the potential to re-define the cost of rare
earth production. The highly scalable Boland ionic rare earth
discovery at Cobra's Wudinna Project in South Australia's Gawler
Craton is Australia's only rare earth project amenable for in situ
recovery (ISR) mining - a low cost, low disturbance method enabling
bottom quartile recovery costs without any need for excavation or
ground disturbance. Cobra is focused on de-risking the investment
value of the discovery by proving ISR as the preferred mining
method and testing the scale of the mineralisation footprint
through drilling.
Cobra's Wudinna tenements also
contain extensive orogenic gold mineralisation, including a 279,000
Oz gold JORC Mineral Resource Estimate, characterised by low levels
of over-burden, amenable to open pit mining.
Regional map showing Cobra's
tenements in the heart of the Gawler Craton
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