Appia Energy (CSE:API) reports that the Alces Lake property in northern Saskatchewan is host to some of the highest-grade rare earth element discoveries in the world, including 49.16 wt% Total Rare Earth Oxide over 3.7
The report follows the findings from a prospecting program carried out on the property, including assay results from channel and grab samples collected during the 2019 Summer exploration program.
Appia plans to partner with universities in Europe and North America to better understand the origin and source of the system
In a press release, Appia said that the prospecting program led to the discovery of eight new surface outcrop zones and showings with characteristics of the rare earth element mineralization system including visible monazite.
“The new discoveries have expanded known surface REE mineralization within an area measuring over 500 metres by 500 metres, and the Biotite Lake discovery has extended the 500 metres footprint to over 1.8 kilometres,” the media release reads.
According to the miner, the contacts of the zones and showings remain covered by overburden and therefore have not been fully exposed. Three zones, however, were sampled during the program, namely, Biotite Lake, Quartzite and Thomas, while one zone known as Cone was sampled in 2017, and four showings remained unsampled.
“The discovery of these new zones demonstrates that the system is extensive beneath the overburden. The Biotite Lake discovery shows that the REE mineralization system within the Alces Lake area is far more widespread than previously thought. These discoveries have provided us with new target areas for upcoming exploration, and the geological controls of these zones will help with our overall understanding of the system. We continue to discover more surface mineralization beneath the overburden with each work program,” James Sykes, Appia’s vice-president for exploration and development, said in the press brief.
Sykes believes that the “blind” discoveries highlight the surface and near-surface potential for additional high-grade REE zones.
“In many areas, we have observed low-grade TREO halos surrounding high-grade TREO bodies, therefore the discoveries at the Quartzite and Thomas zones could potentially lead us to nearby near-surface high-grade REE bodies,” the executive said.
