AuKing Mining Defines Large-Scale Carbonatite System at Tundulu Project in Malawi

AuKing Mining (ASX: AKN) has identified a large-scale carbonatite intrusive complex at its Tundulu rare earth project in southern Malawi after completing interpretation of a high-resolution airborne magnetics and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey.

The company said the survey confirmed historical drilling had tested only a limited portion of a much larger system centred on Nathace Hill.

The work has identified multiple drill-ready targets beneath shallow post-mineral sedimentary cover ahead of AuKing’s planned 10,000-metre maiden drilling program.

Mobilisation of a reverse circulation (RC) drilling rig by Thompson Resources has commenced, with a diamond drill rig expected to mobilise later this month.

Survey Defines Intrusive Complex

The drone-based survey used high-resolution magnetic and LiDAR systems flown at 50m line spacing and approximately 35m terrain clearance to provide the first modern airborne geophysical dataset across the Tundulu project area.

Interpretation of magnetic data has defined a large and structurally coherent intrusive carbonatite system, with multiple new geophysically defined drill targets beneath shallow cover highlighting significant expansion potential around known mineralisation.

Managing director Paul Williams said the survey had materially improved the company’s view of Tundulu’s scale.

"Importantly, it confirms that historical exploration has tested only a relatively small portion of what now appears to be a much larger intrusive complex.

“With drilling preparations now underway and an earn-in agreement in place providing operational access to the project, we look forward to rapidly advancing Tundulu and evaluating the broader rare earth potential of this highly prospective carbonatite system."

New Priority Drill Targets

The magnetic interpretation highlighted structural corridors, intrusive margins, and possible demagnetised zones as priority drill targets.

The company considers these features potential controls on rare earth mineralisation and has incorporated them directly into the design of its drilling program.

Survey results show significant portions of the interpreted system extend beneath shallow sedimentary cover that has seen little to no historical exploration.

The latest work has advanced Tundulu from a historically surface-focused rare earth occurrence into a geophysically constrained alkaline-carbonatite system with multiple large-scale exploration targets.

A former senior Rio Tinto geophysicist has completed an independent peer review of the survey results, validating AuKing’s interpretation and observations from the airborne dataset.

Nathace Hill Extensions

The new interpretation suggests known mineralisation at Nathace Hill may represent only part of a broader rare earth system, with the central Nathace Hill portion of the complex remaining open in multiple directions, and the potential to extend already defined mineralisation corridors.

The company has identified largely unexplored areas beneath post-mineralisation sedimentary cover around the interpreted Nathace Hill core that will form part of follow-up drilling designed to test lateral extents, vertical depth, widths, and continuity of mineralisation.

AuKing has contracted southern African drilling contractor Thompson Resources for a planned 10,000m combined RC and diamond drilling program across about 50 drill hole targets.

The drilling campaign will test extensions, structural controls and depth continuity of rare earth element mineralisation across the Tundulu project.

Priority holes at Nathace Hill will target south-west extensions and the southern corridor, including step-outs, infill drilling, and three twin holes to validate historical results and extend mineralisation along strike and at depth.