Lanthanein Resources Ltd (ASX:LNR) will target large-scale carbonatite intrusive targets and high-grade ironstones in upcoming reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Lyons Rare Earths Project in Western Australia.
The company recently received $200,000 in funding from the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) to investigate the potential for large tonnage REE carbonatites similar to Lynas Corporation (ASX:LYC)’s Mount Weld deposit.
Consequently, two diamond holes jointly funded under this EIS scheme will be drilled into deeper carbonatite targets in April this year.
Moving forward, Lanthanein’s geological team is mobilising to the site in early March for field reconnaissance and rock chip sampling on the new recently defined ironstone targets.
Potential to transform the company
Lanthanein technical director Brian Thomas said: “The upcoming field programs are extremely exciting as we position ourselves to make a breakthrough discovery that could potentially transform the company.
“Not only do we have some large-scale carbonatites to test but multiple new ironstone trends under shallow cover which we have only recently identified from our review of geophysics.
“We are setting up a 12-man field camp in March to allow for an extensive plus-10,000-metre RC drill program to commence over the coming months.
“We look forward to building on the discoveries made to date with the high-grade outcropping ironstones at Lyons 12. 13 & 27 which are approximately 2 kilometres from Hastings Technology Metals' Frasers and Simons Find pits and updating the market with results as drilling progresses.”
Forward plan
Further rock chip sampling at Lyons 11, 12, 13 and 27, high-resolution satellite spectral interpretation and drilling programs, are planned to investigate additional targets not yet followed up, including thorium and magnetic anomalies throughout the Lyons Project.
This includes high-priority structural targets along the major Bald Hill lineament which transects the Edmund and Lyons project areas.
The Bald Hill lineament is the major control on rare earth mineralisation at Hastings Technology Metals' Yangibana mine and represents a very high-priority target for Lanthanein.
Potential remains for further discoveries of ironstones and carbonatites where no historical REE exploration has occurred.
Importance of carbonatites
Carbonatites are becoming increasingly important due to their potential to host economic quantities of thorium, uranium, niobium, phosphorous, yttrium and rare earth elements, which are strategically important for modern technology.
Within the Lyons Block and along the Bald Hill Lineament, numerous carbonatite intrusions have been modelled from the airborne magnetics with a similar dimension to the Mt.Weld carbonatite.