Ann: Positive initial reconnaissance REE results for Ema, page-31

Post from @2ic the MEI thread:

Very few ionc clay deposits (as defined by loosely bound RE's leachable with 'cheap' weak salt +-/ ammonia leach solutions), but there are a few in Brazil and bound to be more on that basis (none yet found in Oz). Another is the Serra Vede deposit, been worked on for over a decade, with ~55% REO extraction from simple salt leach at natural pH and temp. Consider that this deposit has an average saprolite clay IC mineralisation thickness of 4.65m (from 2015 work)


Then consider IXR's Makuutu deposit, which has a RE-recovery sweet spot of ionic clays above the saprolite clays, with the lower saprolite clays with very poor RE-recoveries yet very high TREO. Recoveries in the lower saprolite is so poor they don't even present them in the releases, because what's the point of high TREO if it doesn;t recover to your leach solution??



https://hotcopper.com.au/threads/ann-caldeira-ree-project-maiden-mineral-resource.7358764/page-41?post_id=67540987


It was a 1Bt resource in 2015, and compares very favourably to the Chinese ICDs. It's these type of low-cost ICDs together with the better hard rock deposits will fill the West's 'critical' REO volume of supply (ie not necessarily everything) imo. At what price and profit is the $64M question ( as we used to say before fiat inflation got out of hand).