Marquee Resources Declares Maiden Antimony Resource at Eastern Hills
Marquee Resources Limited (ASX:MQR) has announced its maiden Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the Eastern Hills (Mt Clement) Project, declaring 1.14 million tonnes at 0.6% SbEq for 6,800 tonnes of contained metal.
This announcement represents a transformational step for Marquee, establishing the company as an emerging player in Australia's antimony sector at a time when this critical mineral is experiencing record prices.
Resource Highlights and Expansion Potential
The maiden resource, reported at cut-off grades of 0.15% SbEq and 0.35% SbEq for open pit and underground components respectively, includes 6,000 tonnes of contained antimony metal, with approximately 83% contained within the open pit component.
What makes this announcement particularly compelling is the significant potential for resource expansion. Marquee has declared an Exploration Target of approximately 3 to 6 million tonnes with antimony grades of approximately 0.4% to 0.8% at Eastern Hills.
"Our maiden Resource Estimate at Eastern Hills is a transformational milestone for Marquee," said Executive Chairman Charles Thomas. "To have already defined 6,800 tonnes of contained metal provides clear validation of our team's hard work and underscores the enormous value potential emerging from this Project."
Understanding Antimony: A Critical Mineral
Antimony is classified as a critical mineral due to its importance in various industrial applications and limited global supply. The element (symbol Sb) is a silvery-white, brittle metalloid that primarily occurs in nature as the sulfide mineral stibnite.
Key Applications of Antimony
Antimony has several important industrial applications:
- Flame Retardants: The largest use of antimony is in flame-retardant compounds for products like textiles, plastics, and electronics
- Lead-Acid Batteries: Used as a hardening agent in lead-acid batteries to improve battery life and performance
- Metal Alloys: Added to lead to increase hardness and mechanical strength in applications like ammunition, cable sheathing, and bearings
- Semiconductors: Used in the production of some diodes and infrared detectors
- Glass and Ceramics: Employed as a fining agent in glassmaking and to create certain pigments in ceramics
Market Dynamics
The antimony market has recently experienced price increases due to supply constraints. China has historically dominated global antimony production, accounting for approximately 60% of world supply. This concentration makes new sources in stable jurisdictions like Australia strategically important.
The Eastern Hills antimony mineralisation is characterised by boulangerite and jamesonite assemblages with minor galena and accessory arsenopyrite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite. The resource includes valuable by-products including lead, silver, and gold.
Exploration Program and Next Steps
Marquee is moving quickly to build on this initial success. A phase two exploration drilling program is scheduled to commence in two weeks, targeting an additional 400m of potentially mineralised strike to the northeast of the current resource. The program will comprise approximately 15 holes for 3,500m.
The company's drilling has defined five discrete lode structures, comprising the main structure with four sub-parallel, proximal lodes. The mineralisation is interpreted as steeply southeast dipping to sub-vertical.
"What excites me most, is that this is just the beginning," Thomas added. "Our Exploration Target highlights the scale of opportunity before us and places Marquee firmly on the radar as a significant emerging antimony player in Australia."
Strategic Location and Project Context
The Mt Clement Project is located 30km southwest of Black Cat Syndicate's Paulsens gold mine, at the western end of the Ashburton Basin in the northern Capricorn Orogen. Notably, the Eastern Hills Project is contiguous on the eastern flank of the Eastern Hills Antimony Mineral Resource now owned by Black Cat Syndicate Ltd.
Black Cat has stated that its portion of this antimony deposit is Australia's largest undeveloped antimony Project and the fourth largest antimony Resource in Australia comprising 794kt @ 1.7% Sb (~13kt), plus gold and silver.
Marquee has identified several additional prospects (Mt Edith, Yandi Well, Blackadder and Lady Marian) where potential antimony and gold mineralisation will be further targeted, highlighting the district-scale potential of the project area.
Geological Setting
The Ashburton Basin is characterised by Proterozoic meta-sedimentary and meta-volcanic rocks. Within the project area, rocks of the Ashburton Formation crop out as sandstones, siltstones and mudstones. Prominent NE-SW striking dolerite dykes of the Black Hill Suite are often continuous over several kilometres.
At Eastern Hills, antimony-lead-arsenic-silver veins are hosted in numerous, sub-parallel quartz-sulphide lodes. The mineralisation is interpreted as post-dating the nearby syngenetic stratabound Mt Clement Gold Deposit and may represent syn-metamorphic remobilisation and substantial recrystallisation from massive sulphide mineralisation.
Investment Opportunity in a Critical Minerals Play
Marquee's maiden resource announcement positions the company as an emerging player in Australia's critical minerals sector at a time when supply chain security and sovereignty are becoming increasingly important considerations.
With antimony prices at record levels, a defined initial resource, substantial exploration upside, and a clear path to growth through upcoming drilling, Marquee Resources offers investors exposure to a developing critical minerals story with multiple potential catalysts ahead.
The combination of a defined resource, a highly prospective exploration target, and strong antimony market fundamentals makes Marquee an interesting prospect for investors looking for exposure to the critical minerals sector.
As the company moves forward with its planned drilling program, investors will be watching closely for resource growth and further definition of the Eastern Hills Project's economic potential.
Ready to Invest in Australia's Emerging Antimony Player?
Discover why Marquee Resources' maiden antimony resource at Eastern Hills represents a compelling investment opportunity in the critical minerals sector. With 6,800 tonnes of contained metal already defined and significant expansion potential through their exploration target of 3-6 million tonnes, MQR is positioned for growth at a time of record antimony prices. To learn more about this ASX-listed company's transformational milestone and upcoming drilling program, visit www.marqueeresources.com.au today.
