iTech Minerals confirms significant rare earths mineralisation at Bartels prospect

First results from drilling at the Bartels ion adsorption clay (IAC) prospect within the Eyre Peninsula kaolin-rare earth elements (REE) project in South Australia has confirmed significant intervals of mineralisation for owner iTech Minerals (ASX: ITM).

The results shows that REE intersections occur within the prospect’s clay-rich weathered horizon and have the potential to form IAC REE-style mineralisation.

Best assays were 15m at 1,594 parts per million total rare earth oxides (TREO) from 12m; 16m at 936ppm TREO from 4m; 15m at 724ppm TREO from surface; and 17m at 583ppm TREO from 13m.

iTech said metallurgical work will be required on the mineralised samples to test the extent to which the REEs are easily leachable.

Bartels is now the third IAC REE prospect for iTech, alongside the more advanced Ethiopia and Burtons discoveries located on the state’s Eyre Peninsula.

Identifying Bartels

In January, iTech announced it had identified a new zone of REE mineralisation in a weathered, clay-rich horizon at Bartels, which is located in the southernmost part of the Eyre Peninsula tenement package.

In 2012, Archer Materials (ASX: AXE) drilled three reverse circulation holes in the area to target gold mineralisation in epithermal systems.

One hole intersected significant REE in what has been described as kaolinised coarse-grained felsic, with best results of 21m at 2298ppm TREO from up to 76m, including 9m at 3,054ppm TREO from up to 64m and 7m at 2,626ppm TREO from up to 76m.

iTech’s first pass drilling identified a large area of approximately 1.3km by 1km with significant REEs close to Archer’s historical “discovery” hole.

An additional zone of mineralisation was identified in three holes approximately 2km to the north-west.

Further drilling will be needed to establish the continuity and extent of mineralisation at this location.

Promising results

iTech managing director Mike Schwarz said the discovery of new REE mineralisation is good news for the company.

“Bartels was the most early-stage target of the prospects being tested in our current drilling program , so the fact that our first pass drilling has returned thick intervals of high-grade REE from surface over a large area is very encouraging and really highlights the prospectivity our ground in the area,” he said.

Mr Schwarz said once the company has received results from drilling at Ethiopia and Burtons, it will select representative samples from all three prospects for a program of metallurgical optimisation.