Anomalous concentrations of scandium and samarium in the lateritic nickel deposit Cajálbana

To increase the geological knowledge of the weathering crust of the Cajálbana nickel lateritic deposit, its mineralogical and geochemical characterization was performed, with the purpose of determining the presence of rare earth elements and other metals of interest, not contemplated in the preliminary studies. Composite samples were taken from six mineralogical wells drilled in the research area. The samples were analyzed using X-ray diffractometry and chemical analysis of basic elements and by ICP-MS, for 26 chemical elements. Anomalous concentrations of scandium and samarium were revealed, which exceed four times the clarke value of the first and ten times that of the second. The existence of anomalous contents of scandium of 104,32 ppm and samarium of 82,18 ppm in the limonite horizon, with a total concentration of ETR in this horizon of 191,25 ppm, increases the potential value of the lateritic resources of the deposit Cajálbana.