Ann: Carbonatites Deliver Thick, Near Surface REE Results, page-107

I have always had problem with weathering and its nomenclature among other things. Fascinating beasts these carbs and fe stones so much to learn.....

The EIS report for the co-funded drilling of the deep hole at Mt Weld is a good read for geologically minded folk. Open file Report A129908 available from Wamex/Geoview but too large to load here.

An extract from the section on the zones above fresh carbonatite.

REE Mineralisation within the Mt Weld lateriteLithologyA complex regolith of variably oxidised carbonatite, residual mineral concentrations, paleosols and locally transported alluvial sediments varying from a few metres to more than 60 m has developed over the MWC (Mount Weld Carbonatite).
The regolith units developed at some time between the Permian glaciation at approximately 280 Ma (Million years ago) and deposition of the Eocene lacustrine clays at 40 Ma. Identified REO (Rare Earth Oxide), rare metal oxide, and phosphate Mineral Resources of the MWC (Figure 3) are concentrated within three, sub-horizontal regolith units. The layers are:

• An iron oxide and monazite rich saprolite layer, containing limonite, goethite, hematite, and silica nodules known as the LI zone•
• A saprolite layer termed CZ containing monazite and goethite, which occasionally has elevated manganese oxide content at the base of CZ zone
• At the base of the regolith is a variably oxidised, apatite-rich residual REO mineralised layer termed AP zone.

Geological excerpt from the open file. Rough direct copy.
Geology Mt Weld a129908 excerpt only.pdf

The environment of weathering and laterisation in the MWC have some broad similarities to C1-5. Both subjected to the same weathering but the hosts and geomorphology are different (major?: Lake Margin MWC vs river(?) at Mangaroon).

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A quick look at Mountain Pass showed it is a very different deposit. Basically no weathering with fresh mineralisation (Bastnasite dominant) and grades consistently high to the depth of the proposed 2012 pit. 2012 Molycorp NI43-101 report available on Sedar.



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Can see shallow flow in the Lyon and Edmund Rivers through breaks in cloud on some Satellite imagery.
Only new activity I noted was site preparation at the south end of Yin. Nothing at C3 other than previous drilling seemed to be much weaker suggesting there may have been some rain.



False colour. River flow greenish? 4 new sites prepared as per the proposal at southern Yin Main. Remainder probably done but not easy to spot.