Equinox Resources strengthens exploration team with new chief geoscientist, senior geologist

Equinox Resources appoints Sergio Luiz Martins Pereira as its chief geoscientist to lead its strategic exploration initiatives
It has also appointed Leonardo Fraga as its senior geologist
Strengthened exploration team comes ahead of maiden drilling at the Mata de Corda REE project

Special Report: Equinox Resources has strengthened its exploration team with the appointment of veteran geologist Sergio Luiz Martins Pereira as its chief geoscientist and Leonardo Fraga as its senior geologist.

Pereira has over 36 years’ experience in mineral exploration and mining operations with expertise in both underground and open-pit mining.

He will bring his technical and innovation skills to lead Equinox Resources’ (ASX:EQN) strategic exploration initiatives, which includes the huge 1801km2 Campo Grande rare earths project in Brazil’s emerging world-class Rocha da Rocha REE district.

Maiden auger drilling at the Rio Negro prospect to identify monazite sand below 10m and high-grade rare earth clay pockets at depth to delineate the host high-grade hard rock had returned significant hits such as:

4.1m at 2766 parts per million total rare earth oxides from 7.5m, including a 0.5m intercept at 6084ppm TREO (with 22% magnet REOs) from 7.5m at hole CG-AD24-040
37m at 1884ppm TREO from surface at hole CG-RC24-001; and
9m at 2510ppm TREO from 6m, including a 2m intercept at 3175ppm TREO from 6m at hole CG-AD24-24.

The company also holds ~975km2 of prospective ground at the Mata de Corda project within the Alto Paranaíba Alkaline province in Minas Gerais State – an early-stage ionic-clay-hosted rare earth opportunity.

Bulked up exploration team

Pereira has been at the forefront of numerous exploration and mining projects, specialising in precious and base metals, rare earth elements, and industrial minerals.

He has experience that ranges from managing geological and mining projects to making significant contributions to both greenfield and brownfield exploration.

Previous roles include managing multidisciplinary teams, overseeing comprehensive exploration campaigns, and conducting economic evaluations and resource estimations in compliance with international standards.

Additionally, his hands-on involvement in remote sensing, geophysics, geochemistry, and applied mineralogy has consistently led to successful project outcomes.

As chief geologist, Pereira will spearhead the exploration and development of the company’s REE projects, ensuring meticulous planning and execution.

Meanwhile, Fraga is an experienced and highly skilled geologist who comes to EQN from Appia Rare Earth & Uranium Corp, where he played a crucial role in their exploration projects as their project manager/senior geologist.

He has over a decade of experience in mineral exploration in Brazil and Canada, having successfully contributed to projects involving REE, uranium, zinc, copper, and gold.

This includes helping discover a REE deposit in Goiás, Brazil, and contributing to Canadian exploration projects such as Lawyers Ranch, Kwanika-Stardust, Saddle South, Angilak Uranium, and Eskay Creek.

“I’m excited to welcome Sergio Luiz Martins Pereira as our new Chief Geologist and Leonardo Fraga as Senior Geologist. Their appointments are a big step forward for our rare earth exploration efforts in Brazil,” EQN managing director Zac Komur said.

“I’m looking forward to working with them as we gear up for our maiden drilling campaign at Mata da Corda and targeted drilling at Campo Grande. Sergio and Leo are top-notch professionals – reliable, passionate, and always ready to tackle challenges head-on.

“Sergio and Leo bring decades of experience and have made significant contributions in the field of rare earth exploration and mining. I’m confident that their strategic insights and experience will lead us through our upcoming drilling campaigns.”

This article was developed in collaboration with Equinox Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions