Aim-listed Rainbow Rare Earths has received the first batch of assay results of the auger drilling programme completed at the Phalaborwa rare earths project in South Africa, which have confirmed the high-grade nature of the mineralisation.

The results confirmed an average in situ grade of 0.50% total rare earths oxide (TREO).

There is an average in-situ combined grade of 0.15% neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) oxide, representing 29.7% of the TREO grade reported in the rare earths basket.

Rainbow notes that 29.7% NdPr represents one of the highest weightings of NdPr in a rare earths basket of any project in the world.

These initial results, received from 178 of the 708 total samples from the 1 056 m drilling programme, demonstrate the expected homogenous nature of the rare earth mineralisation in the gypsum stacks.

They are also supportive of previous indications from chemical company Sasol’s sample and testwork programme. 

Further assay results will be announced shortly, followed by the estimation and publication of a Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mineral resource estimate within the estimated 35-million-tonne gypsum stacks.

"These assay results go a long way to confirming the substantial tonnage and value of the Phalaborwa rare earths project in terms of both in-situ grade and the consistency of the high-value NdPr content in the rare earths basket.

"The results also demonstrate extremely low levels of radioactive elements present in the stacks, substantially below the low radioactive levels which we have seen to date for other rare earth projects globally. This factor simplifies the optimised processing flow sheet from Sasol's initial pilot plant flow sheet, developed to extract the rare earth mineralisation from the gypsum,” says Rainbow CEO George Bennet.

Moreover, he notes that these assays also highlight the environmentally advantageous characteristics of the Phalaborwa project, which the company believes will position Rainbow as a leading example of a 'green' rare earth company, producing the elements required for the clean energy revolution.

“These are very high grades for a low-cost project of this type, which is potentially homogenous in nature, with minimal geological uncertainty, no waste stripping requirements and where the gypsum, which is already in a 'cracked' chemical form, is ready to process.

"The results further underscore Phalaborwa's potential to drive Rainbow's strategy to become a globally-significant producer of rare earth metals,” Bennet acclaims.