- Junior explorer Eclipse Metals (EPM) unveils “highly anomalous” rare earth and other metal results from its mining prospects in Greenland
- The company collected nine grab samples from the Ivittuut (Ivigtût) and Grønnedal-lka prospects and now confirms evidence of heavy and light rare earth elements
- Alongside anomalous total rare earth oxides, the analyses of the samples also show niobium, tungsten, lead, zinc and silver concentrations
- Eclispe will re-analyse some samples with more accurate methods before planning a targeted exploration program to advance its Greenland projects
- Shares in Eclipse Metals were green in morning trade but retreated to the grey line by midday AEDT
Junior explorer Eclipse Metals (EPM) has unveiled “highly anomalous” rare earth and other metal results from its mining prospects in Greenland.
The company collected nine grab samples from the Ivittuut (Ivigtût) and Grønnedal-lka prospects, and an analysis showed anomalous total rare earth oxide (TREO) alongside niobium, tungsten, lead, zinc and silver concentrations.
From the historic Ivittuut mine dumps, Eclipse reported on results from two fluorite samples. These include 22.2 per cent fluorine, 8.6 grams per tonne (g/t) silver) and 0.12 per cent copper. Results from a cryolite-fluorite-siderite sample showed 26 per cent fluorine, 165 g/t silver, 0.14 per cent copper, 3.83 per cent lead, and 0.37 per cent zinc.
Meanwhile, magnetite-limonite-bearing ferro-carbonatite grab samples returned results including 0.32 per cent lanthanum, 0.83 per cent cerium, less than 10 per cent praseodymium, 0.43 per cent neodymium, 0.07 per cent samarium, 0.05 per cent gadolinium, and 0.06 per cent yttrium.
Essentially, the results further confirm the polymetallic nature of Eclipse’s Greenland project, according to the company.
Eclipse Chairman Carl Popal said the sample results confirm the evidence of both heavy and light rare earth element (REE) mineralisation in the area.
However, he said Eclipse was re-analysing some of the results with more accurate measures because many over-limit values were returned from the first analytical run.
“Some initial results exceed testing limits for the analytical method used and these samples are being further analysed,” Mr Popal said.
“When final results are received and analysed, a targeted exploration program will be designed in time to take advantage of the northern summer season to further advance the evaluation of our projects in Greenland.”
Eclipse said while the overall REE values of the samples were relatively low in TREO values, the ratio of high-demand heavy REE to light REE was “very encouraging”.
The company explained that while previous explorers in the area were primarily focused on the Ivittuut cryolite deposit, Eclipse is the first company to test the REE and multi-element potential of both Ivittuut and Grønnedal-Ika.
The company said the various styles of REE mineralisation uncovered so far, along with their respective geological host environments, were a testament to the “completed intrusive history and multiple episodes of REE enrichment” in the Greenland area.
Shares in Eclipse Metals were green in morning trade but had retreated back to the grey line by midday. At 1:11 pm AEDT, Eclipse shares were trading at 3.2 cents.