Key points
- Chatham Rock Phosphate’s wholly owned subsidiary Avenir Makatea Pty. Ltd., trading as Pacific Rare Earths, applied for exploration area EPM28606.
- EPM28606 covers 196 square kilometres in the Tambo region of Central West Queensland.
- The permit area contains outcropping beds of the seleniferous Toolebuc formation and is accessible by local paved roads near Blackall.
- Selenium is included in the Queensland government’s schedule of new economy minerals (NEM), and Pacific Rare Earths also holds selenium projects at Gunnerside (Hughenden) alongside its Korella North, Korella South and Chatham Rise rare earth projects.
Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd. selenium prospects have taken a great step forward with the grant of exploration area EPM 28606 in Queensland.
Exploration area EPM28606, with outcropping beds of the seleniferous Toolebuc formation, covers an area of 196 square kilometres in the Tambo region of Central West Queensland. The area is accessible by local paved roads and well served by local infrastructure in the town of Blackall north of the area.
Selenium minerals are rare and, although selenium-rich ores exist, few are mined exclusively for the element. Most selenium is obtained as a byproduct of copper ore processing. Selenium is occasionally found in pure form. It occurs in the rare minerals clausthalite and crooksite.
The inclusion of selenium in the Queensland government schedule of new economy minerals (NEM) recognizes the significance of the mineral to the state. Selenium is to be found in its inorganic state as in the seleniferous Toolebuc formation and in the organic state in certain plants.
The company has an interest in both forms, both inorganic and organic, since selenium has application in new technologies, as well as in fertilizers and supplements for livestock in selenium-deficient areas of Australia and New Zealand.
Pacific Rare Earths Ltd.
Chatham’s wholly owned Australian subsidiary, Avenir Makatea Pty. Ltd., trading as Pacific Rare Earths, made the application.
Pacific Rare Earths is the umbrella company for the company’s existing rare earth elements projects at Korella North and Korella South in Queensland, the Chatham Rise project offshore New Zealand, and the selenium projects at Tambo and Gunnerside (Hughenden).
