Nuinsco publishes first resource for Prairie Lake critical minerals in Ontario

The pit-constrained resource at Prairie Lake totalled 15.6 million tonnes in the indicated category, grading 1.67 kg/t total rare earth oxides (TREO). There is also a very large 871.8 million tonne inferred resource base averaging 2.01 kg/t TREO. The resource estimate also includes niobium and phosphate in oxides, which, along with the TREO, are expected to be key drivers of a preliminary economic assessment that is set to begin soon.

A previous study in 2018 showed that Prairie Lake hosts an exploration target totalling 515 million to 630 million tonnes, grading between 0.09% to 0.11% niobium and 3.0% to 4.0% phosphate, with additional rare earth and tantalum mineralization. This exceptional tonnage places Prairie Lake well within the ranks of the largest carbonatite-hosted niobium deposits in the world, the company said.”Although this initial MRE demonstrates the scope of the mineralization present on the project, we regard it as a starting point. The surface expression of the MRE encompasses approximately 46% of the total surface area of the Prairie Lake complex. Other work conducted by the company external to the MRE has identified extensive domains with grades similar to those of the MRE,” Paul Jones, Nuinsco’s CEO, said. “Given that more than 50% of the surface area of the project lies outside of the resource estimate and that mineralization is known to occur at surface throughout the extent of the property, expansion of the initial mineral resource is a distinct and realistic possibility.”

Further drilling to increase quantity and quality of the initial mineral resource is planned. For more information, visit www.nuinsco.ca.