Lanthanein Resources Ltd (ASX:LNR) has secured an exploration investment scheme grant to the tune of $200,000 to support part of an exploration drilling program over the Lyons Intrusive Complex of the Lyons Project in Western Australia, hunting for carbonatite-hosted rare earth elements (REEs).
This co‐funded drilling support is from the Western Australian Government and will cover two drill holes.
The company intends to use a combination of diamond and reverse circulation (RC) drilling to test down to 450 metres of depth.
Data from these drill samples will provide a greater understanding of the mineralised potential in this area and determine depth, width, grade and continuity at depth of the geophysical targets identified.
Lyons Block 3D magnetic model, showing carbonatite intrusive targets LI01, 02, 03, 05, 06 and Bald Hill Lineament.
Carbonatite REEs
Lanthanein has highlighted the rising value of carbonatite mineralisation, which is known to host economical quantities of thorium, uranium, niobium, phosphorus, yttrium and rare earth elements strategically important for advanced modern technology like electric vehicles and wind turbines.
The company proposes to complete two drill holes at the outer magnetic rim of two of the larger carbonatite intrusives – LI-03, which has a 3-kilometre diameter and LI-01 which has a 4-kilometre diameter.
Independent consultant and expert on carbonatite intrusives Franco Pirajno has reviewed the geophysical modelling, rock sampling results and proposed drill sites. Franco will evaluate results from the co-funded drilling programs.
The ironstones of the Lyons Project are of particular note due to their high proportion of neodymium and praseodymium in the total rare earth oxides, with rock chips from Lyons containing up to a 58.8% neodymium-praseodymium ratio.
LNR’s systematic field sampling program of 134 rock chip samples returned a peak result of 8.01% total rare earth oxides (TREO).
Of that total, 54 samples returned potentially economic REE grades of more than 0.1% combined neodymium-praseodymium and 31 samples greater than 1% TREO.