Reply to Rosario,
Thanks for comments. Got me thinking along similar and different lines. Lot said before in my posts but some other angles not well considered.
MY GUT FEEL is there is a high chance of success for ENR to find more carbonatites with variable Nb REEs and Phosphate beyond the 5 prospects discovered last year.
Chance of success for what?
Already a 'technical' success with 5 carbonatite areas showing signs of Nb + others at varying levels
Better than Luni? Possible but may be low based on statistics for VMS, Ni, and other deposits that cluster with one very large deposit and a decreasing curve in size, if not grade, from there. Lies, damn lies, and statistics so possible.
Good chance of already having potential for satellite deposits to the BIG ONE (Luni already has obvious size and grade but so many factors need to align for there to become a mine.)
Additional discoveries ENR/WA1/other are
likely based on high success rate to date and presence of P2 30Kms to the west and similar geology extending some 130 Kms west from the WA/NT border and probably at least a similar distance to the east into the NT. The latter trends have been addressed by ENR and WA1 with tenement applications.
No guarantee of success but that is exploration.
Touching on some of the evidence/indications that lead to the above:
In the RIU talk WR comments on the phenomenal success rate of finding Carbonatites. So far misses only at Caird and Wild - apparently - based on holes drilled but not further comments I have registered. There will be more misses even at what appear to be good targets if general exploration statistics kick in. What they have found plus the obvious targets defined will keep them busy this year and hopefully into the future.
Obvious is Emily and probably Green area. As WR comments the Luni system is likely to pinch and swell along strike - NW to Emily and perhaps NE to Green and the arcuate geophysical feature.
EMILY - Luni type shallow high grade (local) Nb and extensive medium to low grade over significant areas hint at a NW lobe (or even a direct extension) to Luni,
however, this is close to the tenement boundary and will (likely) be a shared deposit with WA1.
[Marginal alteration of carbonatite bodies is termed Fenitisation. This can contain varying levels of mineralisation which will be known to the company but not necessarily announced in detail. It is mentioned at Emily where it appears to provide a low grade halo. I mention this as grade alone does not define the extent of carbonatites with the fenite halo potentially extending the margins of possible mineable material (or not) beyond the primary intrusive.]
GREEN and JOYCE share some subtle and not so subtle geophysical features.
Variable magnetic lows on the margin of interpreted Gravity highs, Linear features, arcuate feature at Green and subtle hint of arcuate (eye like) zone in the middle of Joyce.
North - Crean/Hurley/Hoschke
Strung out along the Elephant Island fault with only wide spaced drilling to date. Possibly differ from Luni/Emily/Green area with host being more gneissic + Lamprophyre versus Mackay Quartzite +- BIFs to the south and at P2.
Wild was off this northern trend with no carbonatite announced.
Crean; a large system with moderate grades. Better than Quebec's grade but the tyranny of distance (real and time to any production) would make it a poor competitor at present.
Hurley: wide open, moderate grades so far, perhaps a bit deeper than elsewhere which will probably impact.
Hoschke: narrow dyke, deep. Gives some lateral continuity along the Elephant I Fault. Aircore testing later this year. Copper potential with hematite alteration? Magnetic low to north.
Regional
Approx. 35kms to the west of Luni is P2 of WA1. Historically Toro energy reported REEs some 60 Kms to the SW of P2 in what may be near the western margin of the same geological domain (magnetically). ENR only have a small portion of this zone with WA1 and Tali (+-Rio) the principal holders.
This previous post goes into more detail.
(20min delay)