Encounter Resources (ASX: ENR) has reported further high-grade niobium intersections at the Emily and Green deposits in Western Australia as it accelerates exploration across the Aileron project.

Additional assay results from drilling at the Green deposit continued to return niobium grades well above the average mineral resource estimate. Notably, drilling at Green ended in mineralisation, identifying depth potential at the deposit.

At Emily, the company has commenced diamond drilling to test how far mineralisation extends below the shallow aircore drilling. The program, now underway, will test the depth extent beneath aircore holes that have consistently ended in mineralisation.

Both Emily and Green lie within the West Arunta region, an area attracting continued interest for its critical minerals potential, and the new results add more data ahead of the next resource estimate update.

"High-grade niobium intersections at Green and Emily continue to build, with Green delivering some of our highest grades to date within potential starter-pit areas," executive chairman Will Robinson said.

"At Emily, drilling continues to expand the footprint of near-surface, high-grade mineralisation ahead of the next resource estimate update, and these results support the potential to bring Emily forward in the development schedule," he said.

"With three rigs operating and a substantial drilling program ahead of us, we expect a strong pipeline of results through 2026 and into 2027 as we advance Aileron towards development," Mr Robinson added.

The Emily deposit currently hosts an Inferred mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 3.5 million tonnes (Mt) at 1.9% niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5), within a broader 14 Mt at 0.93% Nb2O5.

Shares in ENR were up 17.8% at 26.5 cents, giving the company a market capitalisation of $125.9 million.