Pensana Rare Earths Plc (ASX: PM8) has identified high-grade rare earths in soils from the first sampling programmes completed at its 7,500 square kilometre Coola Project located 16 km north of its flagship Longonjo project in Angola.
Assay results received from soil sampling over the Coola carbonatite have identifed a high tenor soil anomaly up to 4.69% REO extending over a 1.3 x 1.4 kilometre area.
The highest REO values lie over the 3.2 km perimeter of the carbonatite ring structure and are coincident with an outcropping circular carbonatite dyke.
The centre of the 1.2 km diameter ring structure is anomalous in REO in soils despite lying beneath thick soil cover, which could partially mask a soil response.
An area of outcropping fluorspar mineralisation located 300 metres south of the ring structure is also associated with anomalous soils to 2% REO.
Chief Operating Officer, Dave Hammond, said the company plans to drill test these defined targets in 2021.
Further assay results are expected shortly from soil sampling completed over the Monte Verde alkaline complex.
Meanwhile, on site at the company’s flag ship Longonjo NdPr Project just to the south, a large diameter drilling programme has been successfully completed.
100 tonnes of mineralisation from the areas of proposed first mining will provide feed for the further optimisation and pilot plant programmes of the expanded processing operations in Angola and the UK.
The drilling, using a large diameter drill rig, was successful in quickly and efficiently obtaining over 170 tonnes of mineralisation from surface to 24 metres depth.
These high grade rare earth assays are a great start, from what is only the first of several exploration targets for critical technology metals identified within the new Coola Project, ”Mr Hammond said.
“Results confirm a rare earth mineralised carbonatite at Coola that is now sufficiently well‐defined for drill testing. Drilling will also determine if rare earth mineralised carbonatite lies beneath the soil cover in the central part of the one kilometre diameter volcanic pipe.
“Assay results from soil sampling at the Monte Verde carbonatite – alkali complex are expected shortly and sampling of the Sulima Complex target will commence early next year.”
The Coola Project lies just 16 km north of the Longonjo rare earth development project. Pensana has identified several carbonatite and alkaline complexes within Coola with geological prospectivity for critical technology metal commodities that could complement future NdPr rare earth production from Longonjo.
