Aldoro Resources Ltd (ASX:ARN) is gearing up for a maiden diamond drilling program at the Kameelburg Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in Namibia, with ongoing geological mapping, 22 rock samples lodged for analysis and assessment of seven metallurgical samples.
The primary focus of the company’s mapping is the beforsite dykes, where the 22 rock samples were collected from. The samples have been sent to Intertek for analysis.
ARN has also completed Scanning Electron Microprobe (SEM) minerology analysis of seven samples, part of the company’s effort to optimise niobium and REE recovery flow sheet designs for the project.
Metallurgical analysis
Aldoro engaged highly regarded mineralogist Dr Roger Townend from Diamantina Laboratories to conduct an analysis of niobium and REE minerals within its seven samples.
Dr Townsend’s summary reported:
- Monazites (Ce) and ancylite were the dominant rare earth minerals detected by this study. Both occur consistently as inclusions and associations with a barium-bearing strontianite.
- The two rare earth minerals (identified) as clusters of relatively small grains, often produce aggregates in excess of 100u.
- Other gangue minerals that may be associated with and enclose the rare earth strontianite association include various carbonates, (dolomite, ankerite siderite, calcite rhodochrosite and complex magnesium-manganese-iron carbonate), hematite particularly in one sample, several barium minerals including barite, and romanechite, and two sodium amphiboles, riebeckite and richterite.
- Other rare earth minerals detected were huanghoite (exotic Ce mineral also found at Bayan Obo in China), and bastnasite, similarly associated with strontianite plus an unidentified cerium-bearing barium sulphate.
- Ferrocolumbite was detected in one sample, as tabular crystals in a rare earth-bearing strontianite calcite lithology.
Aldoro is planning a 2,000-metre diamond drilling program at Kameelburg, targeting niobium and REE mineralisation based on the geological mapping and rock sampling the company has already, or is in the process of, completing.