- 01Tundulu RC: 91m @1.51% TREO; 80m @1.54% TREO.
- 02Heavy REE & Y enrichment; distinct signature.
- 03Maiden MRE targeted by end-2026; drilling/data pending.
AuKing Mining (ASX: AKN) has returned wide, high-grade rare earth mineralisation from the first assays of its maiden reverse circulation drilling program at the Tundulu rare earth project in southern Malawi.
The initial three holes exceeded reported intersections from historical drilling, including 91 metres at 1.51% total rare earth oxides (TREO) from 40m and 80m at 1.54% TREO from surface.
Results also showed unusually high enrichment in heavy rare earth elements and yttrium within mineralised intervals, giving Tundulu a distinctive rare earth signature compared with conventional carbonatite-hosted deposits.
AuKing has responded by prioritising work towards a maiden mineral resource estimate, which it intends to deliver before the end of 2026 subject to sufficient drilling, assay data, and completion of relevant studies.
Early Holes Set Strong Marker
The 91m intersection contained 43m at 2.00% TREO from 77m, including 15m at 3.40% from 90m, while the 80m intersection from surface included 11m at 4.33% TREO from 2m.
A third hole returned 20m at 2.06% TREO from 113m, including 12m at 3.24%, together with a separate 10m interval at 2.86% TREO from 84m.
The first two holes were drilled near historical work to validate geological interpretations and establish internal lithological markers because previous explorers had retained no historical RC chips or drill core.
“These results not only validate (and surpass) historical drilling results but identify the potential for a much larger mineralised footprint at Tundulu than was originally considered,” managing director Paul Williams said.
“It suffices to say that these initial results have already propelled Tundulu onto a pathway for a maiden MRE, and our focus has already turned toward that activity.”
Heavy Rare Earth Signature
The first three holes also identified discrete intervals with elevated heavy rare earth elements and yttrium, including extended zones where their proportion of TREO was higher than in the broader mineralised intervals.
AuKing recorded a 42m interval where heavy rare earth elements and yttrium represented 11.46% of TREO from 13m, while another hole returned an 8m interval at 16.09% from 68m.
A step-out hole drilled away from the primary Nathace Hill target to test a southern magnetic low also detected several TREO-mineralised intervals, supporting the broader extent of the mineralised system.
All reported intersections are downhole lengths, with true widths not yet known because the project remains at an early stage of exploration and the mineralisation geometry has not yet been established.
Resource Case Builds
AuKing completed 4,300m of RC drilling across 31 holes to a maximum depth of 150m, generating about 4,500 samples, with further assay batches either at Intertek’s Perth laboratory or being prepared for transport.
Diamond drilling has reached 1,160.6m across four holes, including two extended to about 510m and 400m after carbonatite lithology continued well beyond the original 300m target depth.
The company is fast-tracking logging, preparation, and export approvals for core from those deeper holes, and intends to continue drilling towards an initial 15,000m combined RC and diamond program through the end of the year, with the wet season potentially influencing whether work is extended or paused.
Preparation of the maiden MRE will include metallurgical and mineralogical test work using composite samples from diamond drilling as AuKing builds the technical data required for an initial estimate.
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