Fig. 1: Location of Venus tenements and Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) concentrations in UF soil.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nField reconnaissance sampling<\/h3>\n
The recent reconnaissance field sampling programme was completed to test and evaluate high-priority rare earth targets with an emphasis on radiometric thorium (Th) and remote-sensed data band ratio anomalies.<\/p>\n
Rare earth-enriched bedrock, associated with several Th radiometric anomalies along a seven-kilometre-long northwest trend, contains up to 2136 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO) with 232 ppm Nd2O3 in re-analysed ultrafine soil from previous sampling.<\/p>\n
A TREO anomaly located in the south of tenement E09\/2422 has a maximum of 732 ppm TREO with 130 ppm Nd2O3. Both target areas will be further explored for potential carbonatite mineralisation.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, ironstone outcrops have been identified at several targets in tenements E08\/3229 and E09\/2422. In some areas, sedimentary lithologies have been ferruginised, whereas in others, veins of ironstone breccia crosscut Pimbyana Granite, Poorannoo Metamorphics, or sedimentary rocks of the Edmund Group.<\/p>\n