Brazilian Rare Earths discoveries expand scale of Pelé Project, Brazil
Brazilian Rare Earths Limited [ASX: BRE] reported results of exploration drilling at the Pelé Target 1 Project, located in Bahia, Brazil.
The Pelé Project is hosted within the Volta do Rio Plutonic Suite, a large-scale magmatic system that extends over 180 km in Bahia, Brazil. Brazilian Rare Earths has confirmed the exploration potential of the province with multiple discoveries of ultra-high-grade mineralization, including rare earth elements (REE), niobium (Nb), scandium (Sc), tantalum (Ta), and uranium (U).
Pelé Target 1 has the largest expanse of weathered REE-Nb-Sc-U outcrops discovered since exploration commenced at the Rocha da Rocha rare earth province. New geological mapping, 75 line-km of ground gamma stations and 162 new outcrop samples highlights that REE-Nb-Sc-Ta-U mineralization repeats along eastern and western limbs of a regional structural fold that now extends over 10 km at the project.
New discovery of high-grade REE-Nb-Sc-Ta-U mineralization – High-grade diamond drill results at Pelé Target 1 returned assays of up to 13.5% TREO: NdPr: 23,217 ppm; DyTb: 938 ppm; Nb2O5: 5,011 ppm; Sc2O3: 381 ppm; Ta₂O₅: 248 ppm and U3O8: 1,100 ppm.
High-grade REE-Nb-Sc-Ta-U from shallow depths (~20 m) extending to vertical depths of ~70 m. Drillhole TG1DD0004 returned 29.8 metres of a cumulative downhole mineralization, including 15.3 metres at 9.1% TREO from 25.6 metres depth, with grades of: NdPr: 15,617 ppm; DyTb: 692 ppm; Nb₂O₅: 1,861 ppm; Sc₂O₃: 231 ppm; Ta₂O₅: 94 ppm and U₃O₈: 754 ppm.
Auger drilling continues to discover extensive, near-surface horizons of high-grade monazite sands, with grades of up to 7.9% TREO and assays of up to 11,681ppm NdPr and 580 ppm DyTb.
Pelé Target 1 discoveries extend high-grade mineralized trendline to 10 km – Pelé is confirmed as a major district-scale rare earth exploration project located ~60 km southwest of BRE’s Monte Alto project in Bahia, Brazil, and covers an exploration area over 60 times larger than Monte Alto.
Recent exploration has focused primarily on Pelé Target 1 – one of five large exploration target areas within the larger Pelé Project area – delivering new discoveries of high-grade rare earth outcrops with grades of up to 17.7% TREO and high-grade monazite sands with grades of up to 8.5%TREO.
New outcrop discoveries of high-grade REE-Nb-Sc-Ta-U mineralization significantly extend the mineralized strike at Pelé Target 1 to over 10 km.
Brazilian Rare Earths now controls three major confirmed projects – Monte Alto, Sulista and Pelé – each demonstrating significant diamond drill intersections of high-grade REE-Nb-Sc-Ta-U mineralization.