Drilling starts on rare earths project

21st October 2022

Canada-based junior exploration company Noble Mineral Exploration has entered into an exploration agreement with the Constance Lake First Nation (CLFN) in relation to exploration and potential development at the company’s Nagagami project near Hearst, Ontario.

The agreement establishes a commitment by Noble to provide accommodation, to engage in ongoing consultation and establish a mutually beneficial cooperative and productive relationship with the CLFN for projects located in their traditional area.

An early exploration permit has been received from the province and helicopter supported drilling is in the process of mobilising.

Algoma Ore Properties performed the original airborne magnetic survey in the area that identified the complex. Limited drilling was aimed at the magnetic ring structure in search of iron deposits.

Despite drilling in the wrong geology for niobium and rare earths metals, one of the Algoma drill holes returned 0.3% niobium pentoxide from a grab sample of syenite taken at 230 ft downhole.

The programme will consist of three diamond drill holes for a total of 2 000 m. Additional drilling will be planned with favourable results.

Calder Township Drill Programme

The Calder Township drill programme has been completed. The targeted conductors were explained by semi massive to massive sulphides in intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks. Two holes were drilled for a total of 865 m.

Assays are pending and expected in October this year.

Boulder Project Airborne Survey (4 400 ha)

The airborne survey on the Boulder project was expected to be completed before the end of September.

In 2019, Ontario Geological Survey analysed a sample from the 140 kg boulder and determined that the boulder contained: 71.8% copper; 3.5% lead, 1.09% zinc; 252 g/t of silver, 3.79 g/t of gold; 4.43 g/t of palladium; and 2.22 g/t of platinum and consisted primarily of the mineral cuprite.

The airborne survey will be done to detect conductive and magnetic zones that could be the potential source of the boulder.