Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) rose after announcing that the first reverse circulation (RC) drilling results from its Green prospect at the Aileron project in the West Arunta region of WA hosts extensive, enriched, high-grade niobium mineralisation in the upper portion of the system. Of the four initial RC holes completed in Green’s western area, three returned thick zones of niobium mineralisation. Looking ahead, further batches of assays from the latest RC drill program at the Green prospect will be returned over the coming months (with 30 of the 34 holes recently drilled still pending).

• First assay results (four holes) from RC drilling have confirmed that Green hosts extensive, enriched, high-grade niobium mineralisation in the upper portion of the system
• These initial results demonstrate the continuity of the high-grade niobium system from WA1’s Luni discovery in the south-west, across the tenement boundary into Green. New  intercepts from Green include:
                 – 116m @ 1.7% Nb2O5 from 52m to End Of Hole (EAL894)
                 – 81m @ 1.5% Nb2O5 from 39m (EAL899)
• EAL894 (197 metre % Nb2O5) is the highest ‘grade x thickness’ RC drill intercept returned from the entire West Arunta province to date
• Initial RC drilling at Green has established a zone of strike extensive, thick, high-grade mineralisation, and accordingly, a diamond hole has been completed for metallurgical test work
• Further batches of assays from the remaining 30 RC holes completed across approximately 2km of strike at the western part of Green will be returned in the coming months.

Commenting on the first results from RC drilling at Green, Encounter Resources Executive Chairman Will Robinson said: “Green is a large mineralised carbonatite (+3km long) containing multiple zones of shallow, high-grade niobium mineralisation identified with aircore drilling. The first RC holes completed at the western side of Green demonstrate some of the best, depth extensive niobium mineralisation in the West Arunta. A further 30 RC drill holes have been completed at Green, through the better mineralised zones defined by aircore drilling, and we look forward to providing further assay results in the months ahead.”