Pinnacle Minerals has intercepted rock chips returning elevated rare earth oxides during the recently completed Tambellup East drilling campaign at its Great Southern project in WA.

The results from drill hole TAM008 included 626ppm TREO, 589ppm TREO, with a 29.4% average Magnet Rare Earth Oxides (MREO).

Mineralogist Dr Roger Townend categorised the results as an apatite rich “chlorite apatite hornblende rock” with the level of apatite in the rock being characteristic of carbonatites.

Plus, the overlying clay regolith has the potential to host rare earth element (REE) mineralisation from the weathering of the basement material which contains allanite, a mineral extremely rich in rare earth elements – and the allanite within rock chip TAM008-RC-B contained 20.3% TREOs (lanthanum/cerium/praseodymium/neodymium). 

Both rock and clay-hosted REE potential

The company is confident of the potential for both hard rock and clay hosted REE mineralisation at the project, and given the results, the board has approved an immediate follow up, targeted reverse circulation (RC) drilling program to further test what is now being called the ‘Disruptor Prospect.’

“Having only scratched the surface of this unique prospect, the team at Pinnacle is excited about returning to conduct follow up drilling to thoroughly test for mineralisation at depth with the aim defining zones more enriched with rare earth oxides and testing the extent of any clay hosted REE mineralisation,” Pinnacle Minerals (ASX:PIM) MD Nic Matich said.

POWs have been applied for and the company is awaiting approval.

Pinnacle
Pic: The company’s Great Southern Project.

More tenure in what could be a new REE province

PIM has strategically applied for an additional 182.2km2 of tenure located to the north and east, along trend from the dyke intersected during the drilling program.

The extensive tenement package now totals 664km2 over the highly prospective suture zone between the Yilgarn Craton and the Albany Fraser Oregon which is being actively explored by Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN) and Fortescue Metals Group (ASX:FMG).

The company now has under application and holds a commanding tenement package in what could potentially be a newly defined REE “province”.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Pinnacle Minerals, 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.