Pensana Rare Earths: Coola exploration programmes in full swing
Pensana Rare Earths Plc (LSE: PRE, ASX: PM8) is pleased to provide an update on exploration activity in progress at the company’s new Coola Project adjacent to its advanced stage Longonjo NdPr Project in Angola.
Initial field programmes have commenced to test defined targets prospective for a range of high technology critical commodities including heavy rare earths (HREE), light rare earths (LREE), scandium, niobium, tantalum, hafnium and fluorspar. These commodities are listed as critical by the European Commission and would complement future production of magnet metal raw materials from the Company’s advanced stage Longonjo Project located just 16 kilometres to the south.
- First assay results have been received from early reconnaissance work at the Coola Carbonatite and confirm rare earth mineralisation in rocks and soils up to 2.99% REO.
- Outcropping fluorspar mineralisation has been located at Coola and systematic soil sampling and geological mapping has been completed over the 6 kilometre by 2.5 kilometre complex. Fluorspar, as well as being of direct interest, is also a positive indicator of the potential for additional technology metals. Assay results are awaited.
- Targeted exploration programmes of soil, stream sediment and rock sampling together with geological mapping are also in progress at the Monte Verde and the 13 kilometre by 5 kilometre Sulima alkali systems.
- Monte Verde is a sub circular volcanic feature that measures approximately 4.5 kilometres by 3.5 kilometres. The Sulima complex comprises two adjacent ring structures that together extend over a 12 kilometres by 5 kilometre area.
- Geophysical data processing has been completed and ten strong geophysical anomalies identified that could represent additional prospective geological systems. Follow up field reconnaissance and stream sediment sampling is underway.
The Coola Project covers an area of 7,456 square kilometres adjacent to Longonjo and is similarly well located in terms of modern road, rail, port and hydro power infrastructure.
REO = rare earth oxides
NdPr= the magnet metal rare earths neodymium and praseodymium
Chief Operating Officer Dave Hammond commented:
“The Coola Project contains several high quality walk-up targets prospective for a suite of key strategic ‘new technology’ metals forecast to be in undersupply and that could complement future NdPr and rare earth production from Longonjo.
The early reconnaissance sampling results are a great start in already confirming the Coola complex as a fertile mineralised system. The presence of substantial outcrops of fluorspar, which may have direct economic potential, is also a positive indicator of mineralisation of other technology metals within the geological system. Systematic sampling of the 6 kilometre by 2.5 kilometre complex has now been completed and samples despatched for assay.
Exploration programmes are currently in progress over two other prospective alkaline - carbonatite geological systems together with stream sediment sampling and geological reconnaissance of key geophysical anomalies.
We look forward to reporting further results from this exciting new exploration region on Longonjo’s doorstep.”
Authorised by the Board of Pensana Rare Earths Plc
For further information:
Pensana Rare Earths Plc
Website:
Paul Atherley Chairman / Tim George, CEO
www.pensana.co.uk
Buchanan (UK Financial PR)
Bobby Morse/ Augustine Chipungu /James Husband
+44 (0) 207 466 5000
Technical Report
The Coola Project and critical high technology metals
Of the 27 raw materials identified by the European Commission as critical, 9 are commonly found in association with alkaline rocks and carbonatites1: heavy rare earth elements (HREE); light rare earth elements (LREE); niobium; fluorspar; phosphate / phosphorus, hafnium, tantalum and scandium. In terms of geological prospectivity, there is a greater chance of a carbonatite complex having resources economic to mine than any other rock.
The Company identified the occurrence of several carbonatite and alkaline complexes in the Coola region with geological prospectivity for these high technology critical commodities that could complement future NdPr rare earth production from the Companies advanced stage Longonjo Project located just 16 kilometres to the south.
Figure 1: Location of new Coola Licence and known mineralised carbonatites and other alkaline complexes prospective for rare earths adjacent to Pensana’s Longonjo Project and established modern infrastructure
1: HiTech AlkCarb project funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme.https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/hiTechAlkCarb/downloads/Publishable_summary_070520.pdf
The Company was pleased to announce the grant of the Coola licence in May 2020. Pensana holds a 90% beneficial interest in the licence with two Angolan partners each holding 5%. The licence was granted for a period of two years, renewable to 7 years.
The Coola Project is similarly located to Longonjo, close to modern road and rail infrastructure that links the project to the Atlantic port of Lobito. Low cost hydro power is available at Caala, located 40km to the west and the provincial capital of Huambo lies about 60 kilometres to the west.
Two known carbonatites with reported NdPr rare earth mineralisation, Coola and Monte Verde, together with four additional alkali systems and five strong geophysical anomalies represent immediate and well defined ‘walk – up’ exploration targets.
Coola Carbonatite
The Coola Carbonatite forms part of a larger 6 kilometre x 2.5 kilometre intrusive geological system and associated fenite alteration. Previous academic work identified rare earth enrichment to 3.64% REO from limited rock sampling (Alberti et al., 1999)2.
Figure 2: Angled view of the Coola carbonatite intrusive complex looking north east. Two ring structures and a third area of fenite (alteration associated with carbonatite intrusion) extend over 6 kilometres and are largely soil covered.
2 Alberti A. et al., 1999: Geochemical characteristics of Cretaceous carbonatites from Angola, Journal of Earth Sciences.
Assay results from initial reconnaissance work completed by Pensana confirms rare earth mineralisation in soils and rocks up to 2.99% REO.
Figure 3: Rare earth oxide assay results from soil and rock sampling completed by Pensana during a reconnaissance field visit. The ring structure is formed by a carbonatite dyke. The central area lies entirely under soil cover and geological models suggest the potential for an untested carbonatite body.
The company’s experienced field team have now completed systematic soil sampling and geological mapping over the entire 6 kilometre long complex, together with rock sampling and the excavation and sampling of several shallow pits in soil covered areas.
Extensive fluorspar mineralisation has been located within the Coola complex (Figure 4). As well as being listed as a critical commodity and having direct economic potential in its own right, fluorspar is also a positive indicator of the potential for additional technology metals in this geological setting.
Figure 4: Band of fluorspar (blocky outcrop in centre) at Coola with detail inset showing massive style of purple fluorspar mineralisation. Geological hammer for scale is 35 centimetres long.
Samples have been despatched from site and assay results are awaited.
Monte Verde alkali –carbonatite complex
The Monte Verde alkali-carbonatite igneous complex comprises syenite and carbonatite with associated fenite alteration over a 4.5 x 3.5 kilometre area. Substantial parts of the complex lie under shallow transported cover and a carbonatite ring dyke has been mapped (Amores-Casals et al., 2019)3.
Previous geological research by academic workers has returned up to 0.93% REO from limited rock sampling during geological mapping, confirming the presence of rare earth mineralisation in the system. The mineral occurrence database of Angola notes occurrences of ‘pyrochlore, apatite and barite in carbonatite and monazite and zircon in syenites’ at Monte Verde. Mineral concentrations are not recorded but this suite of minerals, as well as having potential economic significance in their own right, can also be indicators of concentrations of rare earths and niobium.
3 Amores-Casals S. et al., 2019: Nb and REE Distribution in the Monte Verde Carbonatite-Alkaline-Agpaitic Complex (Angola), Minerals, 2020.
Figure 5: Geologist Geraldine Tchimbali geological mapping with Senior Geologist Benedito Madaleno at the Monte Verde alkali – carbonatite complex and sampling on regional targets.
Systematic soil sampling and reconnaissance geological mapping and rock sampling has now been completed over the Monte Verde alkali-carbonatite complex and assay results are awaited.
Sulima alkali complex
The Sulima alkali complex is noted on regional geological maps and is identified in geophysical data sets and satellite images as two adjacent circular features each approximately five kilometres in diameter (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Two adjacent ring structures each approximately five kilometres in diameter can be observed from satellite image data at the Sulima alkali complex.
The mineral occurrence database of Angola notes the occurrence of ‘monazite, zircon, apatite and barite’ at Sulima. Mineral concentrations are not recorded and records of any historical economic assessment of the complexes have not been identified.
Geophysical targets
In addition to the above identified targets, the Company has identified a further ten discrete geophysical signatures that have a similar character to the known carbonatite – alkali complexes.
Pensana’s geological team has commenced field investigation and stream sediment sampling of these target areas. The Company will also evaluate the potential for other minerals including copper, nickel and within the Coola licence area. Covering an area of 100 x 75 kilometres, a range of rock types and geological ages offers the potential for additional geological styles of mineralisation.
Figure 7: Stream sediment sampling of regional geophysical target areas, Coola Project.
The Company looks forward to advising the market of the sampling assay results from this series of exploration programmes as they are received.
Competent Persons Statement
The information in this report that relates to geology, exploration results and prospectivity is based on information compiled and/or reviewed by David Hammond, who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. David Hammond is the Chief Operating Officer and a Director of the Company. He has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person in terms of the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. David Hammond consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and contest in which it appears.
