Potential for Rare Earths Being Investigated at Yalardy

Cyclone Metals will soon commence a rare earths gravity survey in the Yalardy region of Western Australia, where an anomaly has come to its attention and is believed by professionals to have rare earth potential.

Cyclone's detailed gravity survey program will focus on the Sebastian gravity anomaly, which is located on one of two properties in the area east of Shark Bay. Cyclone was granted an exploration license for the project in May this year.

The company believes the anomaly may represent the top of a geological intrusion, possibly associated with carbonates. The industry is sensitive to carbonatites, a type of rock that can contain high levels of rare earth elements (REEs), base metals, and minerals such as iron, titanium, and vanadium.

This mineral group is becoming increasingly important as the world moves towards a renewable future. Rare earth elements have been in the international news recently due to their importance to magnets and technologies that promise to move the world towards a greener future. As the name implies, the term refers to more than one mineral.

Rare earth elements, also known as chemical vitamins, are made up of 17 elements that can be used in small doses to produce powerful beneficial effects in the manufacture of various devices. These minerals are widely used in smartphones, batteries, turbines, lasers, electromagnetic guns, missiles, advanced weapons sensors, stealth technology, and jamming technology.

The location of Yalardy image

For example, lanthanum is used in lighting devices and camera lenses; neodymium in hybrid cars; praseodymium in aircraft engines; europium in nuclear reactors and gadolinium in MRI and X-rays. Refineries also use rare earth catalysts to process crude oil into gasoline and jet fuel.

Carbonates similar to Lynas' world-class Mt Weld rare earth deposit near Laverton are thought to have the potential for copper, gold, and rare earth elements.

Gravity surveys will provide information on the density of the rocks beneath the surface, and experts predict that the carbonates in the area may be denser than the surrounding rocks. For Cyclone, this would imply a gravity response at the surface. The results of this survey will be used to assess a suitable future drilling program in the Yalardy area.

Cyclone has announced that it is designing a comprehensive regional geochemical survey capable of covering the entire license. The primary targets of the survey are REEs, mineral sands, and gold.

A gravity survey will commence by the end of this month, while a geochemical survey is planned to commence in early November. Geochemical sampling conducted in the project area last year identified two REE anomalies at the project, including the Sebastian anomaly which will be tested soon.

Rare earth minerals are considered to be of critical and strategic importance by Australia, the US, and the EU. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, over 85% of the world's supply currently comes from China.

In this context, price forecasts look particularly strong as rare earths are an important component of the electric cars and wind turbines needed for a green future. The time is ripe for rare earths and it is a good time to explore them.

 

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