Frontier Resources picked up a suite of high-quality rare earths from a 134-piece rock chip sampling program at its Gascoyne Rare Earths project in Western Australia, with the best result on over 8 percent of total rare earth oxides, or “TREO”. The campaign was aimed at testing a number of compelling targets hosted in a geological field that offers multiple world-class discoveries.
Other notable results include 6.44, 5.27, 4.32 and 4.16 percent TREO.
Notably, over 54 of the packaged samples rarely returned Earth degrees of over 0.1 percent and 31 were characterized with a TREO of over 1 percent.
A comprehensive mineralogy analysis was also performed by Diamantina Laboratories in Perth, which verified the occurrence of monazite mineralization in ironstone.
The company will soon begin initial metallurgical testing work to determine if the ironstones are capable of producing a commercially viable monazite concentrate.
Curiously, the company says that the iron stones discovered in the project differ between rare earth deposits internationally due to the high concentration of neodymium and praseodymium in the very rare earth oxide of the material.
Neodymium and praseodymium are both valuable rare earths that can be used in electric motors.
According to earlier works by Diamantina Laboratories, the samples tested appear to be a monazite-bearing siliceous ironstone, which supports the probability of slightly rare earth representations.
The lab says the findings suggest that Frontier’s ironstone rocks share similar geological makeup as samples from Hastings Technology Metals’ Tier-1 Yangibana project and several discoveries made by ASX-listed Dreadnought Resources.
Yangibana lays claims on a mineral resource of over 27 million tons to 0.97 percent TREO.
Importantly, the newly discovered rare earth iron stones dramatically extended the strike length of the known mineralization in the project to over 2.5 kilometers.
The company says the discoveries support its geological model to explore the Gifford Creek Carbonatite Complex, which is adjacent to the world-class Hastings Yangibana Project and contains a whole host of prospects to pursue.
Frontier previously defined over 30 interpreted Ironstone targets up to 4 miles in length through an extensive review of an amalgamated airspace geophysical data set. According to the company, their key targets are widespread ironstone dikes that carry abnormally rare earth mineralization.
Heritage surveys and permit applications are now planned ahead of a Maiden Drill campaign in the project for later this year.
The company says the drilling rig will be critical to determine the resource potential, scale, degree and continuity of the mineralized iron ore in the depths and along the strike.
Further rock chip samples and drilling proposals are now planned in the project to look into unexplored areas such as some thorium geophysical anomalies over the Lyons project and a high priority structural target along the Bald Hill feature running through the Frontier’s Edmund project.
The company believes there is still room to explore further iron rocks and rare earthen rocks in areas above its tenants where little previous exploration has been completed.
Does your ASX listed company do something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au
Add Comment