Rumble Resources (ASX: RTR) came to prominence on the back of the company’s Earaheedy zinc-lead-silver project north-east of Wiluna in Western Australia.
Rumble Resources announced a major discovery in 2021 and, just two years later, released a pit-constrained, maiden-inferred mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 94 million tonnes at 3.1 per cent zinc–lead, and 4.1 grams per tonne silver at a two per cent zinc–lead cut-off.
The MRE confirmed the Earaheedy project as one of the largest global zinc sulphide discoveries in the past decade.
The MRE comprised drilling completed at the Chinook, Tonka and Navajoh targets, which account for less than 35 per cent of the 45 kilometres of strike the company had, until then, effectively drill-tested.
Rumble recently received assay results from a reverse circulation drilling program undertaken on the project’s Mato prospect, which confirmed it to be a new zinc–lead sulphide discovery with the potential to add substantially to the existing MRE; however, not all of Rumble’s drilling activity has been to grow a substantive MRE.
In late 2023, the company completed 10 PQ3 diamond holes on the Chinook deposit, from which a representative metallurgical core sample for pilot beneficiation trials – including dense media separation and sensor-ore sorting – assessed the potential to upgrade lower-grade mineralisation highlighted within the pit-constrained MRE.
‘These type of ore bodies tend to be amenable to being upgraded using dense media separation,’ Rumble Resources Managing Director and CEO Peter Harold told Future Mining.
‘The drilling we carried out produced some 1.5 tonnes of ore material that is currently being tested with the view of being upgraded.
‘The obvious benefit here is learning how much waste material may be involved, thus determining the size of the processing facility, which means that we can construct a facility fit for purpose – keeping expenditure down.’
Subsequent work will involve initial supporting scoping studies for the Earaheedy project following flotation optimisation and beneficiation testing.
This will enable Rumble to carry out reviews on possible future development scenarios/options.
Harold knows zinc, even though his recent role has been Managing Director and CEO of Poseidon Nickel, where he oversaw bankable feasibility studies on the Black Swan nickel project and the Windarra Gold Tailings project, and activities regarding Black Swan restart pre-works.
‘I like everything about the Earaheedy project,’ Harold says.
‘I like the asset and the size of it, as well as the potential opportunity that such a sizeable zinc deposit offers.
‘I cut my teeth in the zinc industry 30 years ago, selling zinc concentrate on the Golden Grove zinc/copper project, and have always wanted to get back into zinc, as I believe it will play a vital role globally as we transition to a renewable future.’
