Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) said diamond drilling at the Aileron project in Western Australia returned high-grade rare earth element and niobium assays, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.

The drilling was conducted for metallurgical test work purposes, and it encountered an intercept of 7.3 meters at a 6.3% grade of total rare earth oxides, including 1.5% grade of neodymium-praseodymium and 850 parts-per-million of dysprosium-terbium, as well as 8.1% grade of niobium pentoxide, from 90.7 meters.

An air core drill rig and a diamond drill rig are currently operating on site, per the filing.