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Rare earth elements Opportunities in New South Wales, Australia DEC 2016 QUEENSLAND LISMORE Lightning Ridge Tibooburra SOUTH Thomson Orogen Curnamona Craton AU S T R A L I A To Adelaide Moree Dumboy-Gragin Granite Walgett Bourke Yamba Inverell Grafton Gilgai Granite Narrabri Delamerian Orogen New England Orogen Armidale Gunnedah Coonamble Broken Hill Kempsey TAMWORTH Cobar Nyngan Lachlan Orogen PORT MACQUARIE Taree DUBBO Muswellbrook Mudgee Parkes Murray Basin Ginkgo Snapper NEWCASTLE ORANGE BATHURST Balranald NOWRA Deniliquin N 200 km CANBERRA Snapper A.C.T. Jindera Granite VICTORIA ALBURY Batemans Bay Cooma Whipstick Granite proved & probable 35.93 Mt @ 1.93% ZrO2, 0.04% HfO2, 0.14% Y2O3, 0.46% Nb2O5, 0.03% Ta2O5, 0.74% other rare earth oxides measured & inferred 73.2 Mt @ 1.95% ZrO2, 0.04% HfO2, 0.14% Y2O3, 0.46% Nb2O5, 0.03% Ta2O5, 0.75% other rare earth oxides inferred 73.2 Mt @ 1250 ppm ZrO2, 327 ppm REO, 146 g/t Y2O3, 126 g/t Nb2O5, 45 g/t HfO2, 61 g/t ThO2, 54 g/t Ga2O3, 118 g/t Li2O WOLLONGONG Goulburn WAGGA WAGGA Dubbo Zirconia Project SYDNEY Narraburra Granite Griffith COFFS HARBOUR Narraburra Cowra Wentworth Ballina Mole Granite Narooma Bega Eden Narraburra REFERENCE Operating Heavy Mineral Sands mine REE deposit Granite Export port Railway Major road, sealed Major road, unsealed Gas pipeline Overview bb New South Wales (NSW) offers a range of opportunities for discoveries of rare earth elements. bb The potential for rare earth elements in NSW is largely untested. bb Rocks known to contain elevated concentrations of rare earth elements in NSW include: bb Rare earth elements comprise a series of 15 natural metallic elements ranging in atomic number from 57 (lanthanum) to 71 (lutetium). Also generally included for geological purposes are yttrium (which behaves as a rare earth element), scandium and thorium. Compounds of rare earth elements have numerous uses, such as in the production of automotive catalytic converters, optical lenses, lighting and powerful magnets. • Trachytes such as those that host the Dubbo Zirconia Project (Toongi) • Nephelinite and carbonatite magmatic rocks • Highly fractionated granitoids and pegmatites • Pliocene heavy mineral sands deposits that contain monazite (for example the Snapper and Ginkgo mines). www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au Geological setting Prospective rocks for rare earth elements include: • Potassic rocks, carbonatite and nephelinite rocks • Highly fractionated, metaluminous and peralkaline I-type granites that can be enriched in incompatible elements. Hydrothermal activity, commonly involving chlorine and fluorine associated with the intrusions, can concentrate rare earth elements Periodic table 1 H 4.003 3 Li Lithium 19 K Potassium 39.10 37 Rb Rubidium 85.47 55 Ca 20 Calcium Boron Aluminium Sr Strontium 87.62 Ba 223 REE Rare Earth Elements Ra Radium 226 39 Y Yttrium 57-71 Lanthanide series 89-103 ** Actinide series * La 57 89 Actinium 58 Cerium 92.91 73 Ta Thorium 232.0 Cr Chromium 51.9961 263 Pa 74 106 Seaborgium Nd 60 Neodymium 144.2 Protactinium 231.0 98.0 W Sg 91 54.938044 Technetium 262 Pr Manganese Molybdenum Db 59 Mn 43 183.84 Dubnium 25 42 Mo Tc Tungsten 105 140.9 90 24 95.96 Praseodymium 140.1 Th Niobium 180.94788 104 Ce 41 Nb Tantalum 178.5 261 138.9 227 72 Hafnium Rf V 50.94 40 Hf 23 Vanadium 47.867 Rutherfordium Lanthanum ** Ac Titanium 91.224 * 88 Ti Zr Zirconium 88.91 56 137.327 Francium Sc 44.96 38 Barium 87 26.9815385 22 U Uranium 238.0 92 75 Re Rhenium Fe Iron Ruthenium 101.07 76 Os Bohrium Hs 102.9 Mt 145 Np 93 Neptunium 237 Samarium 150.4 Pu 94 Plutonium 244 106.42 78 63 Europium 152.0 Ds 110 Darmstadtium 269 Gd Silver 64 157.3 Tb 243 Curium 247 Cn 65 81 Tl Thalium 62.5 Berkelium Cf 98 Californium 252 33 As Arsenic 121.760 82 Pb 83 Bi Bismuth Fl Ho Holmium 164.9 Es 99 Einsteinium 252 Er Erbium 52 Te Tellurium 127.6 84 Po Br 83.80 53 Iodine Xe 54 Xenon 126.9 131.3 85 Astatine Rn 86 Radon 210 222 116 292 69 70 Tm Yb 168.9 100 101 Ytterbium 173.1 102 Lu 175.0 No Lr 257 259 262 Mendelevium 258 Nobelium 71 Lutetium Fm Md Fermium Kr 36 Krypton 79.90 At 18 39.95 Bromine I Ar Argon 35 Livermorium Thulium 167.3 Se Lv 289 68 20.18 35.44 34 Ne 10 Neon 17 Cl Chlorine 32.06 209 Flerovium 67 Sulfur Polonium 208.98 114 F 19.00 78.96 51 Sb 9 Fluorine 16 S Selenium 74.92 Antimony 207.2 Copernicium Dy 50 Sn Lead 204.3 Dysprosium 97 Ge O 16.00 30.97 32 8 Oxygen 15 P Phosphorus 28.08 118.710 112 66 Silicon Tin 114.818 N 14.00 69.723 Indium 7 Nitrogen 14 Si Germanium 49 In 277 158.9 247 80 200.6 Terbium 96 Hg Ga 69.723 Mercury 111 Roentgenium Am Cm Bk Americium 79 196.966569 31 Gallium 48 112.4 Gold Rg Cd Cadmium 107.8682 Au Zn 65.38 47 272 Gadolinium 95 Ag 30 Zinc 63.546 Palladium Pt Cu 29 Copper 46 195.084 266 62 Pd Platinum 109 Meitnerium Pm Sm Eu Promethium 77 192.2 265 61 Rhodium Ir Ni 58.6934 45 Iridium 108 Hassium 262 Rh 28 Nickel 58.933194 44 Ru 190.2 107 Co 27 Cobalt 55.85 Osmium 186.2 Bh 26 C 12.00 13 Al 21 6 Carbon 10.80 Scandium 40.08 5 B 12 24.3 132.9 Bastnaesite is the most important mineral as a source of rare earth elements. Other important source or tracer minerals include parisite, monazite and xenotime. Mg Magnesium 22.99 Fr Be 9.0121831 11 Sodium Cs 4 Beryllium 6.94 Na 2 Helium 1.007 Caesium • Surficial clays and laterite with elevated concentrations of rare earth elements. He Hydrogen 103 Lawrencium Project highlights Dubbo Zirconia Project (Toongi), about 275 km northwest of Sydney, is a world-class resource containing zirconium (ZrO2), hafnium (HfO2), niobium (Nb2O5), tantalum (Ta2O5), yttrium (Y2O3) and rare earth elements. Toongi is currently in construction, with production anticipated to commence in 2018. The deposit is associated with a hydrothermally altered pipe-like alkaline (trachyte) intrusion of Jurassic age. Narraburra, 375 km west of Sydney, contains zirconium oxide, yttrium oxide, rare earth oxides, niobium oxide, and thorium oxide, hosted by deeply weathered and fresh leucogranite. Exploration targets The Lachlan Orogen, recognised as a world-class mineral province for metalliferous deposits, also hosts important rare earth element deposits. Exploration opportunities for rare earth elements include highly fractionated metaluminous and peralkaline I-type granitoids and associated skarns (e.g. at Narraburra, Jindera and Whipstick). Pegmatite, Triple Chance mine. Rare earth elements uses (2013) by value 65% Catalysts Latite–trachyte intrusions, mainly of Jurassic age, are scattered widely across NSW. These intrusions have potential for Toongi-style deposits. Laterites associated with the intrusions have potential to host elevated concentrations of rare earth elements. 19% Metallurgical alloys The New England Orogen hosts highly fractionated, relatively oxidised and metaluminous I-type granitoids of Permian to Early Triassic age. The Mole Granite, north east of Inverell, is associated with many polymetallic mineral occurrences, some of which contain monazite with elevated rare earth elements and thorium. Other prospective rocks in the area include the Dumboy-Gragin and Gilgai granitoids. In the Proterozoic Curnamona Craton, highly anomalous concentrations of rare earth elements occur in sulfide-bearing deposits including the famous Broken Hill base metal deposit. Granitoids (e.g. Mundi Mundi-type) and fluorine-rich pegmatites can also be anomalous in rare earth elements. The Delamerian Orogen is a greenfields terrain that offers many opportunities for rare earth elements including oxidised mafic carbonatite and nepheline syenite. The Murray Basin in the southwest of the state is a globally significant heavy mineral sands province, with extensive Pliocene beach placer deposits that contain rare earth element-bearing monazite. The economic potential for monazite associated with heavy mineral sands extraction has not been fully established. 9% Magnets 6% Polishing, glazes 1% Other Source: USGS 2015 Further information The Advanced Projects & Exploration Highlights in NSW Map summarises recent exploration activities and ore reserve/ resource announcements. This map is updated every six months and is available at www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au. Contact: [email protected] | +61 2 4931 6689 Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at time of writing (December 2016). Because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date. The information contained in this publication may not be or may no longer be aligned with government policy nor does the publication indicate or imply government policy. No warranty about the accuracy, currency or completeness of any information contained in this document is inferred (including, without limitation, any information in the document provided by third parties). While all reasonable care has been taken in the compilation, to the extent permitted by law, the State of New South Wales exclude all liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information, or for any injury, loss, or damage whatsoever (including without limitation liability for negligence and consequential losses) suffered by any person acting, or purporting to act, in reliance upon anything contained herein. Users should rely upon their own advice, skills, interpretation and experience in applying information contained in this publication. 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