source:Smallcaps
Further lab analysis has confirmed the potential for Eclipse Metals’ (ASX: EPM) Ivittuut project in Greenland to contain high-grade rare earth elements (REE) along with zinc and tin.
A week ago, the Perth-based explorer announced it had returned high-grade REE results from a review of historical drilling data from the Ivittuut mine precinct and nearby Gronnedal-Ika carbonatite area.
In today’s announcement, Eclipse revealed core sample analysis from Gronnedal-Ika returned high-grade results of up to 1,245 parts per million praseodymium with anomalous zinc values, while samples from the Ivittuut pit returned anomalous and high-grade zinc (up to 9.86%), silver (up to 27.6 grams per tonne) and tin (3.54%).
Eclipse also noted very low uranium values ranging from 0.7-24.3ppm were recorded, which are well below the Greenland Government’s recently legislated maximum of 100ppm.
The company is progressing petrological and mineralogical determinations as a guide for future exploration at Ivittuut.
These latest results follow earlier assays that returned up to 22,695ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO) from Gronnedal-Ika and indicate the potential for rapid development and production of cryolite, fluorite, quartz, REE, carbonate, zinc, tin and siderite.
“The REE prospectivity fits well with Eclipse’s mission to excel in the commercialisation of metals and minerals demanded in the production of green energy and required by industry to reduce pollution,” the company stated.
It said the drill core sample analyses provided additional insight on the prospectivity of both the Ivittuut mine precinct, the carbonatite occurrence and mafic dykes.
“Availability of an extensive library of core from this project area will save considerable costs in providing a guide to future drilling to explore for REE mineralisation in this prospect,” Eclipse added.
Further field samples from Gronneldal-Ika and the Ivittuut low-grade tailings dump have been received in Perth, Western Australia for laboratory analysis. Eclipse will announce results from testing progressively.
A priority for further examination will be splitting and analysis of samples from core drilled during the 1940s.