Power Minerals confirms high-grade carbonatite rock intrusion at Brazilian rare earths project

• PNN confirms high-grade carbonatite host rock at Santa Anna project
• Mineralisation starts from surface and extends at depth
• Expansion drilling and drone surveys underway ahead of maiden resource

Special Report: Power Minerals has confirmed a high-grade carbonatite hard rock intrusion at its Santa Anna rare earths project in Brazil.

Carbonatite-hosted REE deposits are typically high-grade with very competitive cost structures relative to other larger, bulk tonnage rare earths deposits

Plus, Santa Anna is well-positioned to be a major ex-China hard-rock critical minerals player; in a prime location with access to infrastructure and a strategic partnership with miner EDEM – the fifth largest bauxite producer in Goiás State.

Auger drilling has already flagged high-grade niobium and REE mineralisation at the project, with the company now reporting that integrated geophysical, geochemical and geological information has confirmed significant REE mineralisation continues at depth – well below previous drilling.

Ongoing drilling has also hit high-grade pockets up to 6.2% TREO, and visual examination of the drill core has identified carbonatite – boosting Power Minerals’ (ASX:PNN) confidence in mineralisation both near-surface and at depth at the project.

Not to mention, the Santa Anna mineralisation starts from surface and has the potential to be a free-digging deposit.

Aiming for a maiden resource

Expansion drilling is now underway with the aim of defining a maiden resource at the project.

Drone-based magnetic and radiometric surveys are set to commence shortly to more accurately map the phases of the carbonatite complex and prioritise targets for ongoing drilling.

“Hard-rock carbonatite deposits occurring in alkaline complexes can contain elevated REE concentrations, which have the potential to make them more efficient and economical to mine when compared to other deposit styles such as REE in heavy mineral sands and ionic-adsorption clays,” PNN managing director Mena Habib said.

“We are excited about how our work at Santa Anna is progressing and the immense potential we are continuing to uncover.

“Our ongoing drilling campaign is enhancing our understanding of the local geology, as we move towards delivering an exploration target, followed by a potential maiden JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate for the project.”

This article was developed in collaboration with Power 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.