ENR intersects fresh REE fluorocarbonates at Green; new Juan prospect returns near-surface anomalism (West Arunta) - Carbonatite Provincial Potential?
- Noel Ong
- 39 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Announcement
Encounter Resources Limited (ASX: ENR) has reported multiple intersections of rare earth element (REE) fluorocarbonate minerals (including bastnaesite, synchysite, and parasite) from untargeted diamond drilling at the Green carbonatite, alongside a new near-surface REE hit at the Juan prospect, ~10 km from existing niobium-REE deposits in the West Arunta. The results add further evidence that Aileron hosts district-scale niobium–REE potential across several large carbonatite systems (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Aileron Project: REE trends (1VD Magnetic). (source: ENR)
Highlights - Carbonatites Province?
(Figure 1)
REE fluorocarbonates intersected in fresh rock at Green during a diamond hole (EAL1370) originally drilled for metallurgical samples. Multiple primary REE intervals were logged across the interpreted basal contact.
Photo 1 – EAL1370 – 266.25m – 266.52m – coarse red REE fluorocarbonate minerals in drillcore (1.1% TREO)
New prospect “Juan”: first-pass, wide-spaced aircore returned 6 m @ 0.86–0.90% TREO from 48 m (to end-of-hole), with additional anomalism (>0.1% TREO) along line.
District scale: REE mineralisation now intersected in multiple carbonatite complexes >40 km apart (Crean, Green, Emily, Hurley).
Prior Aileron intercepts (selected):
Crean: 7 m @ 6.3% TREO within 49.3 m @ 1.5% TREO from 90.7 m to EOH; 16 m @ 3.3% TREO from 81 m within 52 m @ 1.7% TREO; 4 m @ 3.9% TREO from 67 m within 32 m @ 1.8% TREO to EOH; 4 m @ 2.1% TREO from 98 m within 46 m @ 1.2% TREO from 81 m.
Green: 19 m @ 1.7% TREO from 46 m; 5 m @ 2.7% TREO within 13 m @ 1.4% TREO from 46 m; 8 m @ 1.3% TREO within 32 m @ 0.7% TREO. Additional outside-MRE hits include 18 m @ 1.6% TREO from 64 m and 2 m @ 2.1% TREO from 41 m.
Emily: 12 m @ 2.1% TREO from 48 m; 6 m @ 1.2% TREO from 40 m. Hurley: 6 m @ 1.2% TREO from 64 m.
Aileron MRE (includes REE content): 19.2 Mt @ 0.65% TREO, incl. 3.5 Mt @ 1.05% TREO at Crean; Dy/Tb concentrations compare favourably with leading Australian REE projects (per ENR).
Ongoing programs: REE exploration runs in parallel with infill and extensional niobium drilling; metallurgical testwork on EAL1370 composites to commence in Q4 2025; follow-up drilling at Juan planned for 2026.
Figure 2: Green Deposit: REE trends (1VD Magnetic). (source: ENR)
Executive Chairman, Will Robinson, commented:
“REE mineralisation is consistently being intersected in untargeted drilling within the large carbonatite complexes of the West Arunta.
Zones of high-grade rare earth and niobium mineralisation are often found proximal to one another within mineralised carbonatite complexes. This is true at the world’s largest niobium deposit at Araxá in Brazil and at the Mt Weld rare earth deposit in Australia that has a niobium deposit proximal to its high-grade rare earth mine. Given the frequency of REE intersections in untargeted drilling in the West Arunta, focussed exploration has a high probability of identifying high-grade REE zones.
Accordingly, there’s probably no better place in Australia right now to be exploring for rare earths than the large, recently discovered carbonatites of the West Arunta”.
West Arunta: Niobium–REE system emerging
ENR notes that many large global carbonatites host both niobium and REE, often spatially adjacent (e.g., Araxá, Brazil; Mt Weld, Australia). In Aileron, carbonatite complexes containing both commodities have now been identified over >40 km. The latest observations at Green point to geological processes that form high-grade, primary REE mineralisation in fresh rock, complementing prior niobium-rich zones.
Green: Fresh rock REE fluorocarbonates confirmed
Diamond hole EAL1370 (421 m) intersected multiple intervals of REE-rich fluorocarbonates (bastnaesite, parasite, synchysite) within dolomitic/calcitic carbonatite and fenite-altered rocks toward the southern basal margin of the complex. Independent micro-analytical methods (ECORE LIBS, TORNADO Micro-XRF, TIMA) confirmed mineralogy and coarse grain size (>100 μm in ~80% of grains; ~50% >250 μm), considered positive for processing. Reported spot intervals include:
1.19 m @ 1.22% TREO from 260 m
0.34 m @ 1.77% TREO from 299.75 m
0.27 m @ 1.41% TREO from 317 m
0.45 m @ 1.67% TREO from 321.22 m
(plus multiple 0.5–1.1% TREO hits nearby)
ENR emphasises the carbonatite–fenite contact as a key control (analogous to Mountain Pass, USA), noting that these REE-fertile contacts at Green extend beyond the currently drilled niobium-dominant zones and remain largely untested. With >3 km strike at Green, this creates a large search space for high-grade REE.
Photo 2 – EAL1370 – 266.25m – 266.52m - ECORE LIBS Analysis (1.1% TREO) completed by AXT PTY LTD, Perth.
Photo 3 – EAL1370 – 266.25m – 266.52m - TORNADO Micro-XRF (1.1% TREO) completed by Portable Spectral Services, Perth.
Juan prospect: New near-surface REE hit
A reconnaissance aircore line across an interpreted structure at Juan delivered 6 m @ ~0.86–0.90% TREO from 48 m (EOH at 58 m) in hole EAL1108, with multiple adjacent holes returning anomalous REE (>0.1% TREO). This supports the targeting model and opens a new zone of near-surface mineralisation ~10 km from existing niobium-REE deposits.
Heavy REE character and context
Prior shallow drilling across Crean, Green, and Emily shows elevated Dy/Tb proportions relative to several major Australian REE projects (per ENR comparisons). The cause of this relatively higher heavy-REE ratio is under mineralogical investigation.
Resource and technical notes (Aileron & Tyrell)
Aileron Inferred MRE (niobium with REE content reported by ENR): resource constrained by pit shells; reported above 0.25% Nb₂O₅ cut-off, with a subset above 1% Nb₂O₅; figures rounded.
Tyrell Copper Oxide MRE (for context): pit-constrained, reported >0.25% Cu cut-off; figures rounded.
JORC Table 1 details sampling, QA/QC, assay methods (e.g., ALS ME-MS81hD fusion ICP-MS; over-limits by ME-XRF30), drilling methods, recoveries, and data handling. No metal equivalents reported. Reported intervals are length-weighted with 0.5% TREO lower limit and up to 4 m internal dilution. True widths not yet known.
Next steps
Metallurgy: testwork on EAL1370 composites to begin Q4 2025.
Exploration: focused REE targeting at Green (particularly along carbonatite–fenite contacts) and follow-up drilling at Juan in 2026, alongside ongoing infill/extensional niobium drilling across Aileron.
About Encounter
Encounter Resources (ASX: ENR) is focused on discovering major copper and niobium/REE deposits in Tier-1 jurisdictions. Aileron (West Arunta) remains a core asset within a broader critical-minerals portfolio.
Samso Concluding Comments
Potential investors can take heart in understanding that it is not just that REE minerals are present, but that they are in the geological structures and in the "Province". Coarse fluorocarbonates along a defined contact are features that can translate into cleaner metallurgy and clearer targeting. A fresh near-surface mineralisation at a new prospect, and the geological vector is showing multiple targets across a broad system.
There are still obvious risks. Carbonatites are heterogeneous; grade can flicker, and continuity needs to be earned with metres, not memes. Market sentiment around REE and niobium can also swing, so timelines and funding discipline matter. The counterbalance is that district-scale footprints give you optionality—more places to find thickness, grade, and geometry that work.
Some important steps for investors to keep an eye on: (1) follow-up drilling defining strike and thickness along the carbonatite–fenite contact at Green, (2) step-outs at the new prospect to see if near-surface mineralisation persists, and (3) first metallurgy from the diamond composites. These are simple steps that even ChatGPT will list, but the most important thought is that time will test the extent and the viability of an economical definition.
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Always go back to the tables, assay methods, and JORC notes before drawing conclusions.
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