Ann: Commencement of Regional Auger Program - Tarraji-Yampi, page-25

Not easy to get to 5YO with this topic.

Carbonatites are a specific type of unusual intrusive rocks that comprise more than 50% carbonate minerals. They share many characteristics with other types of intrusives but some are special to carbonatites. REEs are not restricted to carbonatites but locally they are probably the bearers of the highest grade REEs.

This variation extends to individual deposits where different parts of the intrusive body(s) contain very different concentrations of REE's. The latter is more the norm, from my limited research, with examples from Mt Weld and Mountain Pass. Palabora in South Africa is a large carbonatite but has been mined for copper/phosphate/vermiculite and perhaps other minerals in different zones.

Mt Weld and Cummins Range in WA have phosphate rich zones independent(?) of higher REE zones. An announcement on Cummins range today reported preliminary assays of 455m at 5% phosphate and 0.5% TREO from ~198m [Impressive but DYOR on the way the grades are averaged and what 5% P2O5 means].

Not simple language but not a simple topic with many words being tongue twisters.

DT mentions Mountain Pass in California for a target comparison such that the 160m spaced drilling currently used as a first pass for C3/4 would only rarely tag a mineral zone.
Mountain Pass is one of the better REE deposits around in terms of grade (at the moment) but the surface footprint is quite small.

C3/4 are considered separate bodies in terms of the 7 interpreted known carbonatites on DRE's ground. Magnetics seems to show closely spaced ring structures 2-5.

Went looking for something on Mountain Pass but found this run down on Carbonatites instead. Adds to the list that have been posted before - perhaps. Does get technical but has pictures and diagrams.