Blaze Minerals (ASX:BLZ) is conducting a maiden diamond drilling program at the Ntungamo critical metals and rare earth elements project in Uganda, according to a Monday Australian bourse filing.

The program is designed to test the geometry, grade, and potential mineralogical zoning of two main pegmatite targets at depth and along strike, the filing said.

Blaze used a handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer to scan cores and identify mineralized zones for follow-up sampling and laboratory analysis.

The results indicated the presence of anomalous levels of the critical metal rubidium, as well as rare earth elements like neodymium and praseodymium.