A reconnaissance study of potentially important scandium deposits associated with carbonatite and alkaline igneous complexes of the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province, SW China

•The ELIP in SW China has a component of carbonatite-alkaline complexes that were not previously well known.•Pyroxenites of these complexes are composed of clinopyroxene with high Sc contents and can form low grade but high tonnage of Sc ores.•Exploration Targets for Sc in pyroxenites in three representative complexes have ∼12,000 to ∼36,000 tonnes of Sc metal at grades of ∼30 to ∼70 ppm.•Carbonatite-alkaline complexes of the ELIP may become a potentially important Sc metallogenic province and may be targets for exploration of REEs.