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Eclipse Metals Ltd advances development plan for the world’s largest cryolite mine with rare earth potential

Source: Proactive Investors | November 2nd, 2021 | By Tharun George, CFA
Location: Greenland
Industry type: Mining Industry

Eclipse has identified the potential for untapped rare earth, high-grade quartz, cryolite, siderite, sphalerite and carbonate material at the company’s Ivittuut Project in Greenland.

Eclipse Metals Ltd -

Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) is advancing the historical Ivittuut Cryolite Mine and undeveloped mineral resources including a large REE (rare earth elements)-bearing carbonatite deposit in Greenland.

Over 120 years between 1865 and 1985, the Ivittuut mine produced 3.8 million tonnes of high-grade cryolite for use in the aluminium industry, from the world’s largest known minable resource of naturally occurring cryolite.

During and after the September 2021 quarter, Eclipse has continued to make progress in understanding the Ivittuut’s quartz, cryolite and siderite mineralisation and potential for the Gronnedal-Ika carbonatite complex to host REE.

Eclipse has received an initial batch of samples from historical drill-core from Ivittuut and Gronnedal-Ika and submitted these to Perth-based laboratories for comprehensive chemical analysis.

Historical drill core from Ivittuut and Gronnedal-lka had been stored in a Greenland Government facility in Kangerlussuaq about 320 kilometres north from the capital Nuuk.

Drill core located in Greenland Government facility in Kangerlussuaq.

Eclipse collected samples for preliminary testing and in due course plans to cut and assay all the core utilising appropriate QA/QC protocols.

This initial assessment of the core provides a greater understanding of quartz, cryolite and siderite mineralisation within the pit environ and a preliminary understanding of the Gronnedal-Ika carbonatite complex.

Gronnedal-Ika geology map showing carbonatite and intrusive dykes.

A further surface sampling program has been conducted and additional samples are expected to be despatched in November 2021.

Eclipse has plotted the drill core samples received recently in the 3D resource model of the pit precinct.

The quartz zone forms a flat, roughly circular intrusive body 220 metres in diameter with a thickness of about 90 metres.

Drill core sample ID’s plotted within pit environ received from Greenland.

The modelled domain represents in-situ mineralisation that could be accessed 5 metres to 10 metres below the central cryolite-fluorite zone.

Immediately below the open pit, the quartz domain bulges out to the east and west.

Of particular interest to Eclipse is the carbonatite intrusive where historical exploration has identified anomalous rare earth element content in dolerite dykes intruding the carbonatite.

Results will be announced in due course, however, due to high demand from mineral exploration in Australia, it is unclear when they will be available.

Sample IVT-21-6 of cryolite from 20.15 metres.

Dispatch of the samples to Perth for testing follows preliminary examination of the historical drill core by Eclipse Metals Greenland office administrator and a consulting geologist.

The core was in good condition and well catalogued, enabling Eclipse personnel to readily identify the drill holes of initial interest and collect samples from selected sections for analysis in Perth.

Six diamond holes with a combined length of 750 metres were drilled over 50 years ago within Gronnedal-lka carbonatite intrusive and much of the core remains uncut and untested.

The company has identified the potential for untapped rare earth, high-grade quartz, cryolite, siderite, sphalerite and carbonate material at Ivittuut Project.

This area has not been systematically explored for other commodities, including REE mineralisation of the carbonatite complex, which has been well noted in academia.