Canada's Spark Discovers 1.54% Rare Earth Oxide Sample at Brazil Rare Earth Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 23, Canadian mining company Spark Energy Minerals announced the latest surface sampling results from its Arapaima project in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A soil sample from the Boa Vista exploration target returned total rare earth oxide content of 15,434 ppm, approximately 1.54%, including 5,171 ppm neodymium-praseodymium oxide, with magnetic rare earth oxides accounting for 35.3% of total rare earth oxides. Another target, Encachoeirado, reported rare earth and gallium surface anomalies for the first time, providing a new target area for follow-up exploration.

The Boa Vista target reported rare earth assay results for 81 soil samples, of which 40 returned total rare earth oxide content exceeding 500 ppm. The highest value came from sample ARA-SL-219, collected from strongly kaolinized granite saprolite; another sample, ARA-SL-080, returned total rare earth oxide content of 3,047 ppm, with magnetic rare earth oxides accounting for 29.3%. These surface samples are located in the same exploration area as the rare earth mineralized zone previously identified by drilling.

The company previously completed five reverse circulation drill holes at Boa Vista, all of which intersected gallium anomalies near surface and rare earth mineralized zones at depths of 20 to 32 meters, with composite samples from some holes returning total rare earth oxide content of 1,188 to 1,565 ppm. The latest surface sampling further documents rare earth enrichment in the slope saprolite, and the company will investigate the distribution and continuity of mineralized layers at different locations through follow-up sampling and drilling.

Encachoeirado is another exploration target within the Arapaima project. Of the 65 stream sediment samples assayed, six returned total rare earth oxide content exceeding 500 ppm, with a maximum of 1,621 ppm. One pegmatite-biotite rock sample assayed 2,428 ppm total rare earth oxides, 637 ppm lithium oxide and 137.1 g/t gallium oxide; of 13 soil samples, five returned gallium oxide content exceeding 50 g/t. No drilling has yet been carried out at this target, and the company will plan the next phase of exploration based on the surface assay results.