Newly Acquired Manitoba Intrusive Complex Yields High REE Values
Canadian International Minerals Inc (CIN) has been granted a 5000 hectare Mineral Exploration Licence (MEL) in the Knee Lake region in central Manitoba. The MEL covers the Cinder Lake alkaline intrusive complex (CLC) which has only recently been studied by the Manitoba Geological Survey (MGS) and the Department of Geological Sciences (DGS) of the University of Manitoba.
The south eastern part of the Cinder Lake complex hosts a wide range of rocks showing diverse textures and compositions.
High resolution aeromagnetic data of the area has outlined the possible shape and size of the CLC. In the south eastern part of the lake, linear magnetic highs coincide with exposures of syenitic pegmatite that appear to occupy the outer shell of a concentrically structured intrusive body. This oval shaped magnetic feature is approximately 10km long and 5 km wide.
The tectonic setting, petrography and size of the CLC are similar to the Maoniuping complex in China and the Mountain Pass complex in California, both commercially viable deposits of rare earth elements (A Chakhmouradian, Ph.D, DGS, CIN Advisory Board member – personal communication).
The MEL has seen no previous exploration for rare earth elements (REEs) other than work conducted by the MGS, which has comprised a field study in 2008 and regional scale multimedia geochemical and mineralogical surveys in 2000 and 2001. In 1992, Inco conducted a reconnaissance geological survey over the area, which included the MEL, for base metals. Samples from the southern tip of Wickstrom Island within the MEL returned up to 2300 ppm lanthanum, 1300 ppm neodymium, 140 ppm samarium and 44.3 ppm europium. (Inco, MGS Assessment Report 72612).
CIN participated in several research studies this summer conducted by DGS personnel. Other participants were the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada and the Province of Manitoba. Physical work included whole rock, rare earth, trace element and isotope distribution studies. Results will be released at the Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention, November 19 – 21.
