Looking for Rare Earths

In 2023, interest in finding and mining rare earths is intensifying.  However, important considerations need to be taken into account when exploring for rare earth elements (REE)..  Geochemical assaying of samples requires specific processing to identify the 17 elements.  This has often been prohibitive to many potential explorers in the past, at a time when demand for rare earths was not as high as it is today..  

The good news is that 15 years ago, AngloGold commenced a massive auger drilling campaign over a vast region that stretched roughly between Esperance to east of Kalgoorlie.  They were looking for gold, but they also sampled for 15 REEs.  In their tenements, over a period of several years, AngloGold meticulously collected auger soil samples in a regular grid array  - in rows one kilometer apart with holes 100 meters apart.  All of this data is accessible from WAMEX.

This historical data is immensely valuable.  It can help explorers determine potential REE targets.  This was the case last year for two exploration companies (see here and here for press releases).  AngloGold data obtained from WAMEX does not contain the actual Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) value.  This is derived by calculating the oxide value for every element (each has its own formula) and then adding them together.  WAMmaps produces a TREO geochem map which utilizes this processed data - also supplied as part of the total WAMmaps package for further analysis.

There are nearly 200 current tenements in WA which have had previous AngloGold exploration conducted on some or all of their present leases.  If you have not examined this rich dataset previously, WAMmaps may be able to assist you in your endeavors.  Learn from the past in order to prepare for the future.