Eastern African nation Tanzania could well perhaps be the next frontier of rare earth elements as it waits on the formal announcement of a mining exploration firm currently operating on the Ngualla Rare Earth Project in the southern part of the country.

Australian miner Peak Resources had reported earlier exploration results showed the Ngualla Rare Earth Project continues to prove itself as one of the largest and better grade new rare earth discoveries made recently. The project is now at a crucial stage since the maiden JORC compliant rare earth resource has been scheduled for completion in March 2012. This means Peak Resources could announce a major discovery by the end of this year's first quarter.

The Ngualla Rare Earth Project in southern Tanzania, a virgin discovery by Peak Resources, completed its first holes completed in June 2010. Australian miner Peak Resources has rapidly advanced the project, completing on end November 2011 a 19,046 metre resource drilling programme.

"Peak Resources has received further assays from recent drilling at the Ngualla Rare Earth Project, which show broad intersections of rare earth oxides (REO) including 100 metres at 3.65 per cent from surface including 66 metres at 4.39 per cent," the company had said in a statement.

Further results continue to show that the extensive Rare Earth Oxide niobium-tantalum and phosphate from the Ngualla Project are one of the largest and better grade discoveries made recently. It was discovered its mineralization is found from the surface and extends over a large area, from north to south, giving the entire project a huge potential, as well as billions to Tanzania's coffers.

Known for its wildlife, beaches, lodges, and islands, Tanzania is recognized as one of the world's poorest economies in terms of per capita income. But because of strong gold production and tourism, its average gross domestic product (GDP) growth per year from 2000 to 2008 registered at 7 per cent, according to the factbook of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Tanzania's economy relies heavily on agriculture, comprising more than 40 per cent of GDP, provides 85 per cent of exports, and employs 80 per cent of the work force. GDP growth during 2009-10 registered at 6 per cent per annum due to high gold prices and increased production.

Peak Resources said the mineralisation at the Ngualla Rare Earth Project is similar to Lynas Corporation's Mt Weld project in Western Australia, a rare earth enrichment contained in the deeply weathered regolith profile of a large carbonatite.