Appia Rare Earths completes due diligence at Cachoeirinha project, Brazil
Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. [API-CSE; APAAF-OTCQX; A0I0.F, AOI.MU, AOI.BE–Germany] has completed its previously announced on-site due diligence program at the Cachoeirinha project (PCH project) located in the Tocantins structural province of the Brasilia fold belt, Goias state, Brazil.
“As part of the due diligence process, we drilled 15 auger holes twinning a representative mix of trenches, drill and auger holes across the western portion of the property which were sampled at one-half metre intervals. And assaying is now underway,” stated Stephen Burega, President of Appia. “In addition, there were two diamond drill holes originally completed by the Vendor’s team but not previously assayed. The entire lengths of the two diamond drill holes were sampled and included as part of the total sample package delivered for assaying.”
A total of 269 samples were taken and are now being processed at the SGS labs near Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Assay results are expected back mid to late May 2023.
“We had the opportunity to work directly with the Vendor’s Brazilian geology team, and to see for ourselves their excellent work first hand,” Burega continued. “We spent 4 days on the property taking samples and revewing the surface geology of many core western targets on the PCH property as well as on the more grassroots, highly prospective eastern targets.”
“As previsouly reported, the regional mineralogy has very similar lithologies to the Serra Verde project (See link to website here) demonstrating the classic model of ionic clay structures. Based on assays obtained from the vendor, grades appear to be similar to those reported at Serra Verde project,” he continued.
“Like Serra Verde, Appia’s PCH Project is an ionic-clay REEs deposit and one of the relatively few deposits of this type found outside of China. Ionic clays can be mined with low-cost open pit mining techniques and processed using simple technologies,” Burega continued. “The PCH Project is a classical, highly weathered alkaline granitic complex showing ionic clay development with elevated REE values immediately below surface and extending down to a depth of over 15 meters, and is located in close proximity to a massive ultra mafic complex currently owned by Vale.”
The PCH Project is 17,551.07 ha. in size and is a circular structure originating from significant depth and brings with it a series of REEs. Early indications are that the minerology is primarily bastnaestite and monazite with clays that are preferentially enriched in the valuable magnetic rare earth elements. Historic work by the Vendors indicates that the magnetic REEs represent +/- 25% of the total REEs found within the project area.