TSX-V: RES
VANCOUVER, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Rare Element Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: RES) is pleased to report encouraging rare-earth-element (REE) metallurgical test results on oxide samples from the Company's 100% owned Bear Lodge property located in Wyoming, USA. These initial metallurgical tests on near-surface oxide material, which was collected from three holes of the 2008 core drilling program, consisted of crushing to -1/4-inch, simple screening, and gentle scrubbing, with the finer fractions enriched in REE. The tests at various sieve sizes resulted in a range of recoveries and concentrate grades, from 70% recovery with a grade 14.25% rare-earth oxide (-500 mesh), to 90% recovery with a concentrate grade of 9.2% REO (-100 mesh). A grade of 14.25% is better than a three-fold concentration of the rare-earth elements.
Metallurgical testwork is continuing at Mountain State Research Development International of Vail, Arizona. More work is planned to continue upgrading the concentrates by selective froth flotation and other hydrometallurgical methods. Table 1 (see http://files.newswire.ca/675/Table_1.pdf) provides the detailed sieve analyses of the various size fractions derived from an initial composite sample averaging 4.4% REO.
The three holes that provided samples for compositing and the testing were drilled to provide representative samples across the full width of the Bull Hill Southwest deposit, where an NI 43-101-compliant inferred resource has been estimated at 9.8 million tons averaging 4.07% rare-earth oxide (REO) using a 1.5% REO cutoff grade. The REE mineralization encountered in the three drill holes is primarily near-surface oxidized equivalents ('FMR') of carbonatite dikes that intrude a body of heterolithic intrusive breccia forming the Bull Hill area of the Bear Lodge alkaline-igneous complex. The oxide zone of mineralization extends from surface to depths of 300 to 500 feet, and consists of a resource of 4.5 million tons averaging 4.3% REO. Excellent exploration potential provides encouragement that the oxide zone can be expanded considerably by step-out drilling.
'We are delighted with the results of our initial metallurgical testing of the oxide material, and plan to continue to work toward a feasible method of concentrating the rare-earth-bearing minerals and recovering the rare earth metals,' states President Don Ranta. 'The oxide mineralization occurs at the surface and should be readily available by mining at relatively low cost.
