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Murray Ward
Eclipse Metals has revealed an extensive rare earths system at its Grønnedal project in southwest Greenland, after all five holes from its latest drill program confirmed broad mineralisation from surface.
The impressive results validated the company’s earlier belief that it is onto a large-scale carbonatite-hosted system, with multiple high-grade zones exceeding one per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO) and a significant magnet rare earth element profile.
Eclipse’s five-hole, 705-metre diamond program tested the central and north-western parts of the current inferred mineral resource area to prove geological continuity.
Standout results included one hole featuring a blistering 195-metre intercept grading 6268 parts per million (ppm) TREO from surface. Another hole provided a similarly eye-catching 114.4-metre hit at 6883ppm TREO from surface, further underlining the system’s strength.
‘The drilling marks an important step forward for Grønnedal.’
Eclipse Metals executive chairman Carl Popal
The company says further confirmation of the system’s continuity came from another pair of intersections, landing 151m at 4507ppm TREO and 150.2m at 5762ppm TREO, also both from surface. These wide zones appear to support the width and scale of the mineralised footprint within Eclipse’s broader Ivigtût project area.
Notably, for Grønnedal, neodymium and praseodymium make up more than 30 per cent of the TREO in intervals. These elements are critical for high-performance permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines. With global supply under pressure, the project is shaping as a potential strategic alternative to Chinese supply.
The rocks at Grønnedal consist of a proterozoic carbonatite-hosted system. Mineralisation shows up in alternating zones of calcite and siderite-rich carbonatite. Bastnasite has been identified as the primary rare earths-bearing mineral. These zones were previously drill-tested, with historical grades reaching up to 2.02 per cent TREO and appear to extend towards a near-surface area.
Eclipse Metals executive chairman Carl Popal said: “The drilling marks an important step forward for Grønnedal and further supports the continuity of rare earth mineralisation within the area tested to date”
The project sits in a regionally strong area, just 5.5 kilometres from the settlements of Kangilinnguit and Grønnedal, which provide an active wharf and transport infrastructure. The grounds are also just seven kilometres east of the historic Ivigtût cryolite mine, which, in its day, produced 3.8 million tonnes of cryolite, a rare essential mineral used in aluminium smelting.
The company says the latest drilling at the Grønnedal project appears to have gone a long way towards de-risking the asset, further reinforcing its scope to grow the current inferred resource of 89 million tonnes grading 6363ppm.
Next steps for Eclipse include pushing ahead with further drilling analysis, resource upgrades and processing work, while chasing up potential partners as the global race heats up to secure rare-earth supply beyond China.
The bottom line is that the company has confirmed a continuous, deep-seated, high-grade zone, extending to the surface in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Adding an extra sweetener to Grønnedal, ultra-low uranium levels of only 4.16 ppm, well below Greenland’s statutory 100 ppm threshold, means the project may face a clear regulatory pathway forward in Greenland.
The final kicker for the company remains the project’s massive scale. With current drilling testing only an estimated 6 per cent of the known carbonatite by volume, there appears to be enormous scope for further growth. This five-from-five drilling success is a major step forward and suggests Eclipse’s Greenland rare earths story is starting to build a serious head of steam.
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