Eclipse Metals completes maiden drilling and sampling at Ivigtût and Grønnedal targets

Eclipse Metals (ASX: EPM) has completed a maiden percussion drilling and trench sampling program across the Ivigtût and Grønnedal targets at its southwest Greenland multi-commodity project.

Drill and trench samples have been booked for shipment to a laboratory in Australia for comprehensive analysis.

The company said x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of composite samples recorded at the Greenland sample preparation facility before shipment returned “encouraging values” for praseodymium and neodymium ratios.

Readings taken on five 1.5 metre composite samples returned an intersection average of 7.5m at 0.8% 4REO (praseodymium, lanthanum, neodymium and cerium), as well as 0.49% zinc-lead-nickel.

Although preliminary, the results indicate that the Grønnedal carbonatite complex could be significant on a global basis with respect to these elements.

Eclipse said the commercially-more-valuable elements praseodymium and neodymium were “significantly enriched” in one of the drill holes relative to lower values of lanthanum and cerium.

This observation is believed to be consistent with earlier academic studies and laboratory results.

Mineralised waste dumps

Eclipse bulk sampled five mineralised waste dumps from the Ivigtût historical cryolite mine to assess mineral and chemical content.

The dumps are believed to contain a substantial volume of mineralised material which may be suitable for processing to recover saleable products.

Previous laboratory assessments have indicated the polymetallic nature of mineralisation in the pit which produced the mineralised waste.

Surface sample from waste dumps provided results of 165 grams per tonne silver, 0.15% copper, 3.83% lead and 0.37% zinc.

Laboratory results from the mineralised waste dumps returned relatively low TREO (total rare earth oxide) values ranging from 2.26 parts per million to 161.44ppm, however the ratio of high-demand heavy-to-light rare earth elements was considered to be “very encouraging”.

Chemical and petrological assessment of the bulk samples in Australia will provide Eclipse with data to estimate commercial potential in the waste dumps.

Eclipse said it was also considering a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey for the Ivigtût precinct to assist with an assessment of the potential volume of mineralised waste material.