Summit Minerals Limited (ASX: SUM) (“Summit” or the “Company”) is excited to announce that it has signed binding agreements (“Agreements”) to acquire tenement packages highly prospective for rare earth elements (REE), niobium, and lithium. Term sheets were signed with vendors RTB Geologia & Mineracao Ltda (RTB), Sandro Arruda Silva Ltda. (SAS), and Mineracao Paranal Ltda (MPL) to acquire legal ownership and title over certain Exploration Permits and Applications for Exploration covering an area of 29,267 hectares in Minas Gerais and Paraiba States, Brazil (Figure 1; Table 2).
HIGHLIGHTS
- Summit has entered into a binding purchase agreement to acquire 100% of JUAZEIRINHO (Nb, REE), EQUADOR (Nb, REE), ARATAPIRA (REE), SANTA SOUSA (REE), T1/T2 (REE) & HERCULES NORTH & SOUTH (Li) Projects situated in the mining friendly and commodity-rich states of Minas Gerais & Paraiba.
NIOBIUM AND REE PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS
- The Niobium and REE tenement package consists of Juazeirinho, Equador, Aratapira, Santa Sousa and T1/T2 Projects, covering a combined strategic area of 10,747.36 Hectares (107.47 km2) across 11 granted tenements.
- Exceptional grades in Niobium Pentoxide (Nb2O5) and partial rare earth oxide (PREO) were produced in panned concentrates from pegmatite and sediment samples at Juazeirinho and Equador (Paraiba State).1:
JUAZEIRINHO ASSAYS (Niobium & REE)
- 355,400ppm or 35.54% (Nb2O5) + 14,080ppm PREO or 1.408% PREO (SID 099/24)
- 107,010ppm or 10.7% (Nb2O5) + 142,080ppm PREO or 14.208% PREO (SID 098/24)
EQUADOR ASSAYS (Niobium + REE)
- 303,400ppm or 30.34% (Nb2O5) + 15,130ppm PREO or 1.513% PREO. (SID 100/24)
- Nine of 17 rare earth elements were analysed by the previous owner and used in PREO calculations, implying higher TREO (total rare earth oxide) values are probable.
- Numerous LCT-pegmatite bodies were observed at Equador and Juazeirinho, indicating good potential for columbite/tantalite, lithium, with significant concentrations of niobium across these projects.
LITHIUM PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS
- The lithium tenement package consists of the Hercules North and the Hercules South projects, covering 18,519.44 hectares (185.19 km2) across 14 licenses (granted and applications) situated in the prolific Jequitinhonha or Lithium Valley (Minas Gerais), where 85% of Brazil’s lithium resources are located.
- Numerous artisanal mines exist within & near the tenement boundaries, where large LCT pegmatites have been identified that produced beryl, aquamarine, and spodumene in economic quantities, as evidenced by local stockpiles from garimperios production.
- Artisanal surface mining has been prominent across all projects, providing priority drill targets for deeper-level pegmatite-related mineralisation.
- Summit has established an in-country exploration team ready to conduct an aggressive exploration program on all tenements concurrently.
- Summit has a strong balance street, having ~A2.2m AUD in the treasure as of the last quarterly cash report2.
Summit Managing Director, Gower He, commented:
“We are extremely pleased to acquire these highly prospective projects. We anticipate acquiring these niobium, REE and lithium projects will enhance our company’s status as a critical mineral explorer and developer.
Over the last few months, we have assessed many options for project acquisition and have chosen these highly prospective and large-scale projects within the established mining-friendly jurisdiction of Brazil. Additionally, Brazil, being a relatively geopolitically neutral jurisdiction, should provide us with unrestricted access to global off-take and funding options, giving our projects the best chance of success within the macro environment.
In addition to some of the strong historical grades, we received great observational reports from our recently completed on-site DD, from which we await rock chip and soil assay results. Expansive exploration programs are already being planned as we look to rapidly develop our projects, giving ourselves the highest chance of success.
I would like to personally thank all our loyal shareholders for their ongoing support. We look forward to regularly informing the market of our progress.”
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