Heavy Rare Earths (ASX:HRE) has highlighted the Radium Hill Project’s potential for rare earths and scandium, after conducting a reconnaissance sampling program.
Assay results of uranium mineralisation from the project, which is located in South Australia, returned highly elevated rare earths up to 3.6% total rare earth oxide and up to 1,081 parts per million scandium oxide.
The company says the samples were analysed to test the potential for rare earths and scandium in uraniferous Radium Hill lode-style mineralisation. These lodes are known to extend from the historic Radium Hill Mine for at least 7km in a northeast direction to Bonython Hill.
Mining first began at the historic Radium Hill Mine in 1908, with the main phase of mining occurring between 1954 and 1961. Although the main focus was on uranium production, the presence of rare earths has been known since the earliest stages.
During the main mining phase, 2.6 million pounds of triuranium octoxide was mined and there was no attempt to extract rare earths or other metals until the last stages of the operation between 1960 and 1962.
Heavy Rare Earths says the plant produced mainly scandium with some yttrium oxide and other rare earths oxides, although production figures are unclear and assays are unavailable.
The company collected five samples from historic dumps within the mine site, which is excluded from the company’s Radium Hill Project and from lode extensions in the project area.
Of the five samples in the current program, three were collected from ore dumps adjacent to the historic processing plant, one from a dump adjacent to a historic shaft at Radium Hill North, and the other from a stockpile at Bristowe’s prospect.
The sampling program was designed to confirm historic reports of rare earths, scandium, and other elements in Radium Hill-style uraniferous lode mineralisation.
Heavy Rare Earths is a uranium and rare earths-focused explorer and developer. The company’s key project is a clay-hosted rare earths asset dubbed Cowalinya, which is located in Western Australia.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Frans de Wit, Flickr
