Highlights:
- 5% P2O5 cut-off grade results in 74% higher phosphate (“P2O5“) grade and corresponding increase in grade of high-value neodymium and praseodymium rare earth elements (“REE”) than previously reported.
- Continued study identifies 65 million tonne zone of high-grade mineralization within the centrally located Main Domain as a potential starter pit.
Toronto, September 11, 2024 – Nuinsco Resources Limited (“Nuinsco” or the “Company”) (CSE: NWI, FRA: NJX) today announced that sensitivity analysis of P2O5 and REE mineralization at the Prairie Lake Critical Minerals Project (“Prairie Lake” or the “Project”) indicates the potential for a starter pit resource near the centre of the Prairie Lake Complex (the “Main Domain”) with substantially higher P2O5 and REE grades than previously reported, which may have great significance to the development of the Project.
Using a 5% P2O5 cut-off grade, as reported August 13, 2024, has led to the identification of a domain that comprises a 65 million tonne Inferred Mineral Resource sensitivity grading 5.9% P2O5 and a 1.2 million tonne Indicated Mineral Resource sensitivity grading 5.8% P2O5, within the existing, nearly 900 million tonne mineral resource estimate (“MRE”). The presence of such a domain of higher-grade critical mineral endowment with a multitude of favourable characteristics – technical, logistical, geographical, as well as strategic necessity – is an immense, unrecognized, asset to the Company.
“Nuinsco’s ongoing evaluation of the Prairie Lake MRE, and the vitally important Critical Minerals contained therein, continues to provide great encouragement to the Company. The mineralization, located at surface as a semi-continuous unit within the Main Domain, is ideal for study as a starter pit in a development scenario,” said Paul Jones, Nuinsco’s CEO.
Initial identification of high-grade apatite/phosphate mineralization in diamond drill holes (news release - June 25, 2024), with intersections tens of metres wide in a mineralized domain at least 1,200m long, followed by sensitivity analysis to P
2O
5 grade of the MRE (see news release – August 13, 2024) has resulted in a near 74% increase in P
2O
5 grade, 41% increase in neodymium grade and a 6% increase in Praseodymium grade over the 2022 MRE, all other parameters remaining equal. This will allow greater leeway in planning and development – for instance development of a starter pit. The higher-grade MRE sensitivity is defined by existing drill hole configuration and, while already large, the Company is confident that additional work can expand the size of the MRE further.
Prairie Lake is a significant Critical Minerals asset located in the heart of North America. It is a very substantial Mineral Resource of phosphate mineralization, has amongst the world’s highest known light rare earth element content in apatite and contains a host of other REE bearing minerals, as well as niobium-bearing pyrochlore. Metallurgical studies to date demonstrate that a clean phosphate concentrate, grading 26% P
2O
5 at 76% process recovery with ample room for improvement, and with valuable rare earth element co-concentrate, can be reliably produced from Prairie Lake feed.
The elements found at Prairie Lake are essential for applications in transportation, power distribution, green technologies and agriculture, to name a few. The Project is of immense value to a secure Critical Minerals supply chain, and presents substantial logistical benefits, including easy access to:
- The Towns of Marathon, Terrace Bay and other affected communities - all able to supply a local, skilled workforce.
- All weather forest access road crossing the project and deposit.
- Paved Highways 17 and 11 to the south and north.
- Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway networks.
- High capacity (230kV) electrical power transmission line.
- 50km from the Marathon deep water port project. Deep-water ports are also located at Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, able to handle ocean going ships.
- The Marathon airport.
Laura Giroux, P.Geo, Chief Geologist, acts as Nuinsco's Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Ms. Giroux has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release