Rockfire Resources has reported high-grade germanium alongside zinc and silver at its Molaoi project in southern Greece, strengthening its potential as a European critical-minerals asset.
Drill hole HMO-021 intersected 11 metres grading 5.0% zinc, 19 g/t silver and 8 g/t germanium. Within this interval, a 3.1-metre section returned 6.0% zinc, 25 g/t silver and 9.5 g/t germanium, while another two metres graded 5.2% zinc, 19.2 g/t silver and 18.6 g/t germanium.
A narrower 0.34-metre interval delivered exceptional grades of 51.1% zinc, 222 g/t silver and 35.4 g/t germanium. Although this narrow intersection does not represent the wider deposit, it highlights localised enrichment of the critical mineral.
Existing Resource Supports Development Potential
Molaoi hosts a JORC-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource of approximately 15 million tonnes, grading 7.26% zinc, 1.75% lead and 39.5 g/t silver. The resource contains an estimated 1.09 million tonnes of zinc, excluding any potential additional value from germanium.
Rockfire is preparing a maiden germanium resource estimate to determine the scale of the metal’s occurrence and assess its potential contribution to the project. Germanium is used in semiconductors, infrared optics, fibre-optic systems and defence applications. Its importance to advanced technologies and concentrated global supply chains could increase the strategic value of a viable European source.
Metallurgical Testing and Further Drilling Ahead
Commercial viability will depend on whether germanium can be recovered economically. Rockfire must establish how the metal behaves during flotation, whether it concentrates in zinc products and whether additional processing would be required.
The company plans further drilling to improve resource confidence and upgrade parts of the deposit from Inferred to Indicated classification. Preliminary observations from drill hole HMO-022 indicate additional mineralisation, although laboratory results remain pending. A new Epiroc drilling rig is expected to support the ongoing exploration programme. The maiden germanium resource estimate is the next major milestone. If further work confirms sufficient mineralisation and commercially viable recovery, Molaoi could emerge as a strategically significant zinc-germanium development in southern Europe.
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