“Continuing positive results from our technical studies suggest that our wholly-owned Wicheeda REE project has the potential to become the next producer of rare earth elements in North America accounting for a significant amount of the rare earths needed for the western world’s future magnet metal production,” said Defense Metals CEO Craig Taylor in a release.

Beginning in 2018 up to the present, Defense has spent about C$5 million on metallurgical test work and the creation of flowsheets for the Wicheeda project. Recent studies optimized the milling and hydrometallurgical processes and the response of 21 variability samples representing different rare earth element (REE) grades, lithologies and locations within the deposit.

The results of the metallurgical tests will be included in the prefeasibility study due to be completed in the second quarter of 2024, said Taylor, and then work would begin on the feasibility study.

The Wicheeda project has measured and indicated resources that total 34.2 million tonnes grading 2.02% TREO and contain 699,000 tonnes of TREO. The inferred portion is 11.1 million tonnes at 1.02% TREO and contains 113,000 tonnes.