Some intervals of carbonatite from CAP17-004.

Highly anomalous means highly encouraging, especially at such an early stage of exploration. That’s how Arctic Star Exploration TSXV:ADD characterized its first batch of assays from the Cap property in east-central British Columbia. The news follows last month’s announcement of an extremely rare carbonatite-syenite discovery, suggesting potential for a range of commodities. Now assays for grab samples and the first drill hole show highly anomalous niobium, rare earths and phosphate, the company stated.

Five selected grab samples assayed 0.2% niobium pentoxide, hitting a peak of 0.96% Nb₂O₅, while three grab samples brought more than 0.2% total rare earth oxides, peaking at 0.39% TREO. Three samples contained over 5% phosphorus pentoxide with a peak value of 12.62% P₂O₅.

CAP17-004, the first of four drill holes, showed: 

• - 0.35% Nb₂O₅ over 10.42 metres, starting at 85.24 metres in downhole depth
• - (including 0.63% Nb₂O₅ over 2.26 metres) 

• - 9.94% P₂O₅ over 19.63 metres, starting at 98.87 metres
• - (including 20.97% P₂O₅ over 2.55 metres) 

• - 0.81% TREO over 2.4 metres, starting at 136.1 metres

True widths weren’t provided. The last interval also showed a peak value of 69 ppb gold and over 1% TREO.

Along with sampling and drilling, the summer program included mapping and prospecting over an area of about three kilometres by one kilometre.

“The discovery of highly anomalous concentrations of niobium, phosphate and REOs at such an early stage in the exploration of the Cap project should be considered highly encouraging,” said consulting geologist Jody Dahrouge. “Future exploration at Cap will follow up on surface samples that contained highly anomalous concentrations of niobium and may be related to drill hole CAP17-004.”

Reporting from their Diagras diamond project in the Northwest Territories late last month, Arctic Starand 60% JV partner Margaret Lake Diamonds TSXV:DIA announced geophysical results that could potentially indicate “the largest kimberlite complex in the Lac de Gras field.” Further geophysics are on the 18,699-hectare property’s spring agenda, with drilling to follow.

As for Arctic Star’s recently acquired Timantti diamond project in Finland, assays released in July from historic core on the White Wolf kimberlite showed 111 microdiamonds. The company had earlier found 58 microdiamonds in an 18.9-kilogram sample taken from the same kimberlite.

Timantti covers part of the Fennoscandian Shield, host to major Russian diamond mines Lomonosov and Grib.

In July the company offered a $1.25-million private placement.

Source: http://resourceclips.com/2017/09/25/arctic-star-exploration-finds-“highly-anomalous“-niobium-rare-earths-and-phosphate-at-b-c-project/