Resolution Minerals (ASX: RML) has identified exceptional tungsten grades in stockpiled material at its newly-acquired Johnson Creek tungsten-antimony mill in the US.
Material from a 93.6 kilogram sample comprising six smaller samples from the historical stockpiles was mapped and sampled during two field work programs last year.
The exposed coarse component was confirmed to be predominantly granodiorite while a handheld fluorescent lamp highlighted the presence of scheelite occurring as veins and disseminations.
Sample assays returned grades of up to 1.85% tungsten oxide (with scheelite as the predominant mineral), 0.11 grams per tonne gold, and low levels of impurity elements including arsenic, molybdenum, and phosphorus.
Sampling also identified quartz (>90%) as the predominant gauge mineral (non-ore) with trace levels of gauge minerals calcite and potassic-mica.
JORC Compliance Campaign
Initial sampling of the Johnson Creek stockpiles was part of Resolution’s broader campaign to convert the material to JORC compliance and fast-track production to take advantage of US critical minerals policies.
The next phase of exploration will include sampling of older (sub-surface) material and confirmation of cubic metre volumes via a volumetric survey.
The results will allow Resolution to consider options for direct offtake of the material in the near-term while a process flowsheet is being developed.
The absence of significant impurity elements in the stockpiled material simplifies the production of high-grade concentrate capable of meeting the specifications of ammonium para-tungstate (APT) refineries.
Johnson Creek Acquisition
Resolution acquired the Johnson Creek mill earlier this month, along with its associated infrastructure and two stockpiles containing approximately 2,000 tonnes of tungsten ore from the Golden Gate mine that have remained untouched since the 1980s.
The acquisition included industrial water rights and electrical infrastructure, along with the ability to sustain workshop, storage, accommodation, and support facilities across 25 acres of private land adjoining the company’s Horse Heaven project in Idaho.
The company said the purchase would deliver a short pathway to antimony and tungsten production in the US and position Horse Heaven as a potential critical metals processing hub.
This aligns with its objective of becoming one of the few US-focused critical minerals companies with an in-house processing capability for antimony, tungsten, and gold.
