Resources

The Cummins Range Rare Earth Project has an independently estimated Inferred Resource of 4.17Mt at an average grade of 1.72% TREO (total rare earth oxide) for 71,700 tonnes TREO, 11.0% P₂O₅ and 187ppm U₃O₈. 

These resources are based on the results of 93 RC drill holes for a total of 9,293m completed in 2007.  The holes cover an area of approximately 500m (north-south) by 400m (east-west).  The Cummins Range diatreme has a total area of approximately 190 hectares (~1,500m x ~1,200m) and thus there is good potential to extend the known resources depending on the proportion of carbonatite within the overall diatreme.

The REO-uranium-phosphate mineralisation at Cummins Range is up to 50m in thickness and occurs in a sub-horizontal geometry within a deeply weathered regolith which is developed over carbonatite and pyroxenite rocks.  The deposit is comparable in style to the Mt Weld deposit near Laverton, WA, and contains a similar mix of light rare earths and low thorium levels.  The low thorium levels and overall general low background radiation levels at Cummins Range have positive implications regarding any transport of concentrate and later processing.

A northwesterly trend to higher grade mineralisation has been observed within the main zone of mineralisation and this trend remains open to the northwest within the diatreme and is an obvious area to test for extensions to the existing resource.