Mineralogical and lithological controls on REE distribution in the Argyle diamond deposit

Summary

The aim of the project was to identify, investigate and characterize the abundance of REE minerals in the samples acquired from the Argyle Diamond Mine. The work done using the Mineral Liberation Analyser (MLA), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and SEM showed the presence of REE, mainly Cerium, in monazite and thorium-rich monazite.

The project identified the presence of REE, of which Cerium was most abundant, associated with monazite and thorium-rich monazite (up to 220ppm). Other REE were noted but in extremely low quantities. This study is very preliminary and further work is required to substantiate the findings.

Keywords: REE, Argyle Diamond Deposit, MLA, LA-ICP-MS, Kimberley