Roskill reports that ASX-listed Rift Valley Resources is targeting the Longonjo carbonatite in Angola for rare earth exploration, after publishing a maiden monazite (80%) and bastnaesite (20%) rare earth Inferred Resource in September 2017. The combined Inferred Resource is 44.7 Mt at 2.5% total rare-earth oxides (TREO), including a “from-surface” resource of 11.6 Mt at 4.3% TREO oxide ore (cutoff of 1.0%). The company is planning a drilling program around the inferred resource to map out the remainder of the rare earth potential of the weathered carbonatite. The Longonjo rare earth deposit falls within Rift Valley Resources’ 70%-owned Ozango Licence, which also hosts lithium, gold, copper and base metal resources.

Roskill view: “China produced 83% of the world’s rare earths in 2017, with Lynas in Australia being the only major producer outside of China, accounting for an additional 12%. Africa joined the rare earths supply chain in 2017, with high-grade rare earth concentrates (47-67% TREO) being produced from veins at Rainbow Rare Earths’ Gakara mine in Burundi. In 2017, Africa (i.e. Gakara) accounted for 0.3% of the global supply, but ongoing exploration and project advancements are expected which could see Africa’s share grow over the next few years. Rift Valley Resources falls in line with Mkango and Peak Resources, which are advancing rare earth projects in Malawi and Tanzania, respectively.”