Ms. Anne Hite reports
RARE ELEMENT REPORTS ADDITIONAL DRILLING RESULTS AND PROGRESS WITH PILOT PLANT TESTING
Rare Element Resources Ltd. has released rare-earth-element (REE) assay results from 10 additional drill holes completed during its 2011 core drill program at the company's 100-per-cent-owned Bear Lodge property, located in northeastern Wyoming, United States. These results include three drill holes from the Bull Hill resource area, four drill holes from the Bull Hill West target and three drill holes from the Whitetail Ridge area. These are the first results reported from the recently recognized Bull Hill West area. The company also reports on the successful pilot plant testing recently completed.
Dr. Jim Clark, vice-president of exploration, states: "The current results indicate that the Bull Hill mineralized zone may continue to the west into the Bull Hill West target area, and the next resource estimate should reflect this expansion of the Bull Hill deposit resource. Similarly, the results from Whitetail Ridge also indicate a probable significant expansion of that resource. We continue to be encouraged by the upside potential of the Bear Lodge REE district."
Highlights from the recently received drill holes include the following
intercepts:
Bull Hill and Bull Hill West
-
RES11-09 -- 71.5 feet at 2.64 per cent TREO (total rare-earth oxides);
- RES11-39 -- 172 feet at 2.77 per cent TREO,
29.5 feet at 3.89 per cent TREO,
68 feet at 2.31 per cent TREO,
72 feet at 3.71 per cent TREO,
32.5 feet at 2.99 per cent TREO and
64.5 feet at 3.71 per cent TREO;
-
RES11-42 -- 37 feet at 2.03 per cent TREO,
129.5 feet at 4.02 per cent TREO and
43.5 feet at 2.44 per cent TREO.
Whitetail Ridge
-
RES11-30 -- 18.5 feet at 2.13 per cent TREO,
25 feet at 2.44 per cent TREO and
89.5 feet at 3.64 per cent TREO;
-
RES11-45 -- 60.5 feet at 4.79 per cent TREO,
21 feet at 2.72 per cent TREO
and 24 feet at 2.22 per cent TREO.
Drilling results
Rare-earth mineralization intersected in the 10 drill holes is primarily contained within the near-surface oxidized (FMR) and oxidized but incompletely leached (oxide carbonate) equivalents of carbonatite dikes. These dikes are widespread in the district and concentrated in dike swarms and stockwork zones on Bull Hill, Bull Hill West and Whitetail Ridge. FMR refers to the major constituents of the highly oxidized, former carbonatite dikes that occur in the depth range from the surface to 300 feet to 500 feet beneath the surface. Maps for the corresponding drilling areas will be on the company's website.
Bull Hill resource area and Bull Hill West target area
The seven holes in the Bull Hill resource area were drilled along a prescribed northeast-southwest grid at an azimuth of 45 degrees. Three holes were drilled to test the eastern and southeastern limits of the main Bull Hill deposit, and four holes were drilled to expand the resource to the west across the drainage in the Bull Hill West area. Highlights from the Bull Hill area drill holes are summarized in the associated tables.
SIGNIFICANT ASSAY INTERCEPTS FROM THE BULL HILL RESOURCE AREA
Drill hole Interval Interval Intercept Est. true TREO
from to (ft) thickness (%)
(ft) (ft) (ft)
RES11-09 63 134.5 71.5 50.6 2.64
208 227 19 13.4 2.05
RES11-19 461 467 6 3.12 2.22
478 488.5 10.5 5.46 2.42
501 510 9 4.68 2.22
600 604 4 2.08 2.77
631 636 5 2.6 3.34
1,178 1,190 12 6.24 2.12
SIGNIFICANT ASSAY INTERCEPTS FROM THE BULL HILL WEST TARGET
Drill hole Interval Interval Intercept Est. true TREO
from to (ft) thickness (%)
(ft) (ft) (ft)
RES11-35 179 183 4 2.83 3.93
RES11-39 224 242.5 18.5 13.08 2.62
299 471 172 121.6 2.77
includes 11.5 12.23
629 637 8 5.66 2.26
716 745.5 29.5 20.86 3.89
762 766.5 4.5 3.18 2.83
833.5 839 5.5 3.89 2.10
861 929 68 48.08 2.31
940 1,012 72 50.9 3.71
includes 20 6.19
1,045 1,077.5 32.5 22.98 2.99
1,142.5 1,207 64.5 45.6 3.00
RES11-42 196.5 206 9.5 6.72 2.44
481 486.5 5.5 3.89 2.61
581 591 10 7.07 9.02
789 826 37 26.16 2.03
891.5 1,021 129.5 91.56 4.02
includes 17 6.19
1,038 1,081.5 43.5 30.75 2.44
1,131 1,134 3 2.12 3.28
Whitetail Ridge
Rare-earth mineralization in and adjacent to the Whitetail Ridge resource area occurs in dominantly northwest-trending dikes, veins and stockwork zones. The highlights from the Whitetail Ridge area drill holes are summarized in the associated table.
SIGNIFICANT ASSAY INTERCEPTS FROM THE WHITETAIL RIDGE
Drill hole Interval Interval Intercept Est. true TREO
from to (ft) thickness (%)
(ft) (ft) (ft)
RES11-24 172.5 181 8.5 6.01 2.90
282 285 3 2.12 7.12
307 311.5 4.5 3.18 3.42
317.5 321 3.5 2.47 2.07
RES11-30 18 36.5 18.5 13.08 2.13
66 78 12 8.48 2.07
104 116 12 8.48 2.07
268 283 15 10.61 3.68
387 412 25 17.68 2.44
443 448 5 3.54 2.10
488 494 6 4.24 2.11
527 616.5 89.5 63.28 3.64
RES11-45 25.5 35 9.5 5.42 2.10
99 103.5 4.5 2.57 3.76
281 341.5 60.5 34.49 4.79
includes 17 8.91
374 395 21 11.97 2.72
457 462 5 2.85 2.56
484 494.5 10.5 5.99 2.57
510.5 521 10.5 5.99 2.53
569.5 593.5 24 13.68 2.22
REE assay values are reported by convention as the combined oxide equivalents (rare-earth oxides) of the 15 elements in the lanthanide series plus yttrium. The Bull Hill deposits at the Bear Lodge project contain predominantly the light REE (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium), with economically important quantities of several of the heavy REE (europium, dysprosium and terbium). The Whitetail Ridge resource area and other nearby targets have more abundant HREE enrichment, with enhanced abundances of Eu, Dy, Tb and Y (see news release dated Aug. 4, 2011).
Pilot plant
In addition to the drilling results, Rare Element also reports that two pilot plant metallurgical test campaigns were completed in 2011. The pilot plant tested an economical ore processing method. The results from the test runs are being analyzed in detail and will be announced in early 2012. Additional testing is being planned and will be used to assist in the development of design criteria that can be used to scale up to commercial-scale operating levels.
Jaye Pickarts, chief operating officer, stated: "We are very pleased with the progress that we made on the pilot plant and its results to date. We have been able to run multiple tests at the pilot plant and these data will enable us to configure the optimal operating system going forward. As we analyze the data and conduct more pilot plant test runs next year, we anticipate more good news from the company on metallurgical and operational results."
The pilot plant tested a total of approximately nine tonnes of high-grade REE and four tonnes of stockwork REE. The high-grade REE-mineralized material graded between 4 per cent and 8 per cent REO while the stockwork REE-mineralized material graded between 2 per cent and 4 per cent REO. The initial results have been promising and these results will be incorporated into the prefeasibility study that is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2012.
Several hundred kilograms of rare-earth carbonate concentrate were produced through the pilot plant testing process. This concentrate material will be used in the company's marketing efforts with companies that have expressed interest in partnering with Rare Element Resources to gain access to rare-earth concentrates.
Assays, quality control and standard certification
ALS Chemex conducted the assaying for the rare-earth elements reported here in its Vancouver, B.C., assay facility. ALS Chemex Vancouver is accredited to ISO 9001 and operates according to ALS Group standards consistent with ISO 17025 methods at other laboratories. The samples were prepared and subjected to lithium metaborate fusion, followed by ICP analysis and a mass spectroscopy finish.
Analytical quality is monitored through the use of randomly inserted quality control samples, including standards, blanks and duplicates, which are blinded to the analytical laboratory. Results of the analyses at ALS Chemex are evaluated continuously by Dr. Jeffrey Jaacks, the company's quality assurance/quality control consultant, who is a qualified person according to National Instrument 43-101. The results from the current data set indicate acceptable accuracy and precision. Blank analyses also indicate no issues with carry-over contamination.
We seek Safe Harbor.
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