Ngualla REE

  • The carbonatite is broadly of three types:An outer sovite that is banded and magnetite free. In this zone apatite, biotite, muscovite, quarts and chlorite are accessories.

  • An intermediate zone consisting of well banded sovite and contains euhedral megnetite and commonly dolomite.

  • A central zone comprising poorly banded sovite containing fluorite, biotite, amphibole, pargasite and rarely pargasite .

Dolomitic and ankeritic veins are widespread throughout the complex as are calcite-quartz veins with minor galena, baryte and chalcopyrite.The Ngualla carbonatite complex in southwest Tanzania comprises a central plug of “ferrocarbonatite” (actually magnesiocarbonatite) within an annular calcite carbonatite. Apatite and monazite are present in the calcite carbonatite and apatite is locally enriched where the carbonatite magma mingled and mixed with mica-rich (glimmerites) magmas. Weathering of calcite carbonatite has further concentrated apatite as a residual mineral following dissolution of CaCO3. Rare earth elements (REE) are concentrated in the “ferrocarbonatite” as synchesite and bastnaesite where it occurs in miarolitic domains interstitial to ferroan dolomite. Weathering

  1. of the “ferrocarbonatite” in structurally-controlled zones has upgraded the REE concentration by dissolution of MgCO3 and CaCO3, leaving a porous goethite- and barite-rich rock without significant modification of the REE mineralogy. The Southern Rare Earth and Southwest Alluvials Zones contain a Mineral Resource of 40 Million tonnes at 4.07% TREO with low Th and U that are amenable to further concentration through acid leaching and solvent extraction processes.54% of REE market demand (by value) comprises two metals – neodymium and praseodymium – which also happen to be the project’s two key focus elements. The area is also prospective for phosphate, tantalum and niobium which have also been found in commercial quantities, the area currently contains a JORC compliant resource of 1.6 million tonnes (using a 3% lower-cut grade) of rare earths.Referenceshttps://live.osgeo.org/en/quickstart/geoserver_quickstart.html

  2. http://investingnews.com/tag/asx-pek/

  3. http://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/critical-metals-investing/rare-earth-investing/peak-resources-successfully-separates-lanthanum-oxide/

  4. http://investorintel.com/tag/ngualla-project/

  5. http://www.miningreview.com/magazine_articles/peak-resources-ngualla-rare-earths-project/

  6. http://e-sga.org/shop/product-details/?categories_id[0]=31&categories_id[1]=46&products_id=2905&tx_multishop_pi1[page_section]=products_detail

  7. https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2012AM/webprogram/Paper211623.html

  8. http://www.monteromining.com/tanzania.html

  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngualla

  10. http://investorintel.com/technology-metals-intel/peak-resources-rightsizing-prelude-project-liftoff/?print=print

@ Ph.D. Natalia Petrovskaya

June, 2016

nataliapetrovsky@gmail.com