VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HUDSON RESOURCES INC. (“ Hudson ” or the “ Company ”) (TSX Venture Exchange “HUD”; OTC “HUDRF”) is pleased to announce that it has received the assays from its niobium and tantalum exploration project (the “Project”) located in its wholly owned Sarfartoq exploration license in southwestern Greenland. The niobium project is called Nukittooq which means “strong man” in Greenlandic to reflect the key characteristic of niobium as a strengthener of steel.
Hudson collected 38 samples from outcrop on the Project area (NR2020-13) which sits on the southern margin of the large Sarfartoq Carbonatite Complex which also hosts the Company’s ST1 Rare Earth Element (“REE”) deposit (https://hudsonresourcesinc.com/projects/sarfartoq-rare-earth-element-project/).
A total of 35 grab rock samples were taken from the outcrop approximately every three meters along the 112 meters of the roughly east-west trending structure that is coincident with an elevated radiometric anomaly. Three additional samples were also collected for mineralogical work along the same outcrop. Assay results for the key elements of niobium, tantalum and uranium are shown below in Table 1.
Highlights of the sampling program include:
- 35 grab samples reported an average grade of 19.35% Nb 2 O 5 , 0.27% Ta 2 O 5 , 0.38% U 3 O 8
- Including a 30-meter section with 12 grab samples with an average grade of 32.35% Nb 2 O 5
- The highest-grade grab sample reported a value of 48.50% Nb 2 O 5 , 1.21% Ta 2 O 5 , 1.08% U 3 O 8
The mineral of economic interest in the Project area is pyrochlore (Na, Ca)2Nb2O6(OH,F), a sodium - calcium niobate with common but minor substitution by tantalum, titanium, and uranium. The Nukittooq project is one of several niobium targets within a one square kilometer area that the Company is evaluating. The targets have similar geology supported by historical high-grade niobium assays.
Pyrochlore mineralization at Nukittooq occurs as massive replacement, thin veins and disseminations within dilational zones of shear/breccia structures that cut Precambrian granite gneiss and diabase dikes. The pyrochlore is co-crystalline with aegirine, alkali feldspar, and ferric-biotite formed during metasomatism and mineralization by ultra-alkaline (fenite) solutions and coeval with dolomitic carbonatite stringers and veinlets. Some of the pyrochlore has undergone remobilization during later hydrothermal activity as evidenced by alteration overprinting.
Niobium and tantalum are vital to a wide range of products in the energy, infrastructure, transportation, medical and defense sectors. The EU and the United States have designated niobium and tantalum as critical to their security and wellbeing. There are only three primary producers of niobium in the world with typical mine grades ranging from 0.56% Nb 2 O 5 to 2.5% Nb 2 O 5 .
The niobium price has averaged US$42/kg over the past five years with expected demand growth of 8%/annum. Tantalum currently trades at US$150/kg.
The grab samples were analysed by SGS Lakefield, Canada, and the laboratory has commenced mineralogical work, including QEMSCAN and microprobe analysis, which will assist to drive a metallurgical testwork program.
Jim Cambon, President commented: “These results are exceptional and confirm our belief that our Sarfartoq license hosts some of the highest-grade niobium mineralization reported by a public company. Mineralogical work has commenced which will allow us to rapidly move towards a metallurgical testwork program. We will be exploring similar targets in the near vicinity with an objective to commence a drill program in the first half of 2021. We are excited to be advancing this project which is an important part of our portfolio of critical and strategic minerals in Greenland.”
Table 1. Assay Result for the 35 grab samples
| Tag # | Nb 2 O 5 % | Ta 2 O5 % | U 3 O 8 % | | Tag # | Nb 2 O 5 % | Ta 2 O 5 % | U 3 O 8 % | | Tag # | Nb 2 O 5 % | Ta 2 O 5 % | U 3 O 8 % |
| 1 | 0.02 | < 0.01 | 0.0 | | 13 | 14.50 | 0.07 | 0.22 | | 25 | 0.55 | < 0.01 | 0.01 |
| 2 | 4.76 | 0.02 | 0.09 | | 14 | 47.10 | 0.77 | 1.06 | | 26 | 18.50 | 0.41 | 0.52 |
| 3 | 4.87 | 0.03 | 0.10 | | 15 | 36.00 | 0.53 | 0.68 | | 27 | 42.40 | 0.54 | 0.81 |
| 4 | 28.50 | 0.12 | 0.58 | | 16 | 4.54 | 0.03 | 0.09 | | 28 | 41.60 | 0.54 | 0.83 |
| 5 | 46.70 | 0.21 | 0.53 | | 17 | 7.87 | 0.05 | 0.15 | | 29 | 29.10 | 0.18 | 0.28 |
| 6 | 5.11 | 0.02 | 0.09 | | 18 | 26.10 | 0.40 | 0.46 | | 30 | 4.06 | 0.03 | 0.09 |
| 7 | 1.48 | 0.02 | 0.03 | | 19 | 43.00 | 0.80 | 1.02 | | 31 | 6.99 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| 8 | 16.20 | 0.05 | 0.24 | | 20 | 36.80 | 0.67 | 1.05 | | 32 | 3.75 | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| 9 | 7.63 | 0.04 | 0.14 | | 21 | 48.50 | 1.21 | 1.08 | | 33 | 13.20 | 0.08 | 0.18 |
| 10 | 4.33 | 0.02 | 0.06 | | 22 | 40.80 | 0.92 | 1.05 | | 34 | 9.11 | 0.07 | 0.20 |
| 11 | 2.69 | 0.02 | 0.04 | | 23 | 32.30 | 0.38 | 0.52 | | 35 | 6.50 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
| 12 | 13.20 | 0.07 | 0.19 | | 24 | 28.60 | 0.38 | 0.58 | | | | | |
A map showing locations of the samples can be found on the company website at: https://hudsonresourcesinc.com/projects/niobium-and-tantalum/.
Hudson owns 100% of the Sarfartoq exploration license which hosts the Sarfartoq Carbonatite Complex, this includes the Company’s advanced Sarfartoq ST1 Rare Earth Element project which hosts 24 million kg of neodymium oxide and 8 million kg of praseodymium oxide which are key components in permanent magnets. Hudson also holds a 31.1% interest in Hudson Greenland A/S which owns the White Mountain Anorthosite mine in Greenland, where the Company provides operational, marketing and sales support.
Dr. Michael Druecker is a Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and reviewed the preparation of the geological and technical information in this press release.