Perth-based explorer White Cliff Minerals is now a step closer to initiating a maiden drill program at its Hines Hill rare earths project after securing a land access agreement to launch the probe about 200km east of Perth in WA. The explorer now plans to submit a program of work to the Department of Mines ahead of a projected 100-hole, 3000m AC campaign.
The looming exploration follows an April sampling program at Hines Hill that confirmed the presence of rare earth mineralisation at the site.
White Cliff’s phase one exploration drive saw the company bag up 81 soil, rock chip and laterite samples over its 128 square kilometre tenement package in WA’s wheatbelt region. The company says 11 of the 81 specimens displayed highly anomalous concentrations that ran over 300 parts per million total rare earth oxides, or “TREO” and culminated in a peak result of 550ppm TREO.
Management believes the soil samples correlate with magnetic features that have been tentatively interpreted as carbonatite intrusives - a major global source of rare earths mineralisation.
White Cliff also appears to have its foot on two additional targets in the project’s northeast and southwest tenement areas with the April sampling program also highlighting supplementary magnetic anomalism in soil specimens from nearby zones.
The Hines Hill project occupies a single position in the company’s burgeoning new energy portfolio. West of the operation lies its wholly owned North Kellerberrin rare earths project that is considered prospective for ionic clay style mineralisation – a lucrative deposit that generally promotes low-cost drilling and high doses of TREO.
White Cliff Minerals' Technical Director, Ed Mead said:"Hines Hill, and the adjoining North Kellerberrin project, are significantlyunderexplored tenements with potential to host ionic clay style REE deposits, with Hines Hill also having the potential for primary REE’s if the tentatively interpreted carbonatite intrusives are proven in drilling. I look forward to being on the ground as maiden drilling gets underway”.
Rare earths are fast becoming key features of the low carbon energy movement following the commodities ongoing use in the production of permanent magnets - essential components in the production of electric vehicles and wind turbines. Rising demand has seen Australian-based companies such as White Cliff receive a wave of local support as the country looks to establish an alternative source that exists outside of China’s tight control of the commodity.
China is the leading producer of rare earths and is responsible for almost 80 per cent of global supply.
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By Matt Birney
