THUNDER BAY – MINING NOW – While many people are talking about the chromite potential of the ‘Ring of Fire’, it could be graphite that makes the biggest impact in the region over time. This material is being found in the region in growing quanities. First Zenyatta Resources has been reporting on their graphite discovery on their Albany Project. Now, Rare Earth Metals Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RA) are announcing assay results from sampling completed during a recent due diligence prospecting program on the Manitouwadge Graphite Property.
The Manitowadge Graphite property consists of 128 staked claim units totaling 2072 hectares, located approximately 30 kilometers north of the town of Manitouwadge in northwestern Ontario. RA owns a 100% interest in the claims.
A total of six surface grab samples were taken during the prospecting program and assay values range from 0.2% to 6.17% graphite. The samples were collected from an area 900 meters by 300 meters in size and encompass the Thomas Lake Road Graphite Occurrence. Sampling at the Thomas Lake Road showing resulted in an assay of 3.62% C-Graphite and the highest value of 6.17% C-Graphite came from a possible parallel zone located 900 meters to the west. The historic Thomas Lake Road Occurrence is described as a 4 meter wide zone of flake graphite, locally up to 20% graphite and hosted by strongly metamorphosed, granulite facies sediments (ref. OGS Open File Report 5889).
The recent sampling has identified graphite mineralization along a minimum 900 meter trend coincident with two or more airborne electromagnetic (AEM) zones located within an intense magnetic low. These geophysical features were defined using information from a 1989 airborne geophysical survey completed by Dighem Surveys for Noranda Exploration Services. The new graphite showings are coincident with a 4 kilometer long AEM trend, however, the full relationship of the graphite and the airborne “conductors” remains to be ascertained. Graphite is a highly conductive mineral; however, the electromagnetic signature depends on the zones’ thickness, purity and continuity of the graphite minerals. A number of other similar AEM “conductors” in the area have also been staked and will be evaluated for their graphite potential.
Additional work will be done on the prospect samples to quantify the flake size of the higher grade samples. Rare Earth Metals is also planning an exploration program which will help determine the extent of the flake graphite mineralization. An initial grassroots program consisting of geophysics/ trenching/sampling on the Thomas Lake Road Graphitic horizon and prospecting of the AEM “conductors” will be under way by early May.
In summary, the Manitouwadge Graphite Property has a number of positive elements including:
- a known, but little worked, flake graphite horizon(s);
- three new graphite occurrences with assays up to 6.17% C-Graphite from recent due diligence prospecting;
- a number of untested AEM “conductors”, several of which are proximal to the old and newly discovered graphite showings;
- a favourable geological setting consisting of recrystallized meta-sediments which are a common host to most flake graphite deposits;
- excellent location and infrastructure.
Michael Stares, President and CEO of Rare Earth Metals states, “This initial sampling program has generated some impressive graphite grades and has identified an extensive horizon of graphite mineralization within the recently staked claims. We look forward to completing the proposed field work and begin to fully evaluate the potential of this 100% owned project.”
The surface grab samples described in this news release are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades on the property. The samples were delivered to Actlabs sample prep facility in Thunder Bay, ON., where they were prepped and analyzed for their organic carbon (graphite) content using internal lab QA/QC protocols.
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