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REE critical metals were discovered at Hecla-Kilmer in the very first reconnaissance drill program in 2020, with 24 holes completed to-date, including the three from this spring as shown inFigure 1.
Broad intersections with carbonatite dykes and vein breccia were obtained in two of the three new drill holes. The composite intersection for hole 024 is shown inTable 1, the evolving assay table for all 24 holes completed to date at Hecla-Kilmer. Most importantly, hole 024 at
Mineralogy
Drill core from the entire intersection in Hole 013 was submitted in May to the SGS Lakefield laboratory in
361 m @ 0.96 % TREO(1) of which20% are PMREO(2)within461 m @ 0.85 % TREO + 0.13% Nb2O5, starting at bedrock surface, and including:
39 m @ 2.01 % TREOwithin66.6 m @ 1.57 % TREO with 20% as PMREO.
The hole ended with2 m @ 2.84 % TREO and 1.1 g/t gold.
The new mineralogy data are from TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer (TIMA) analyses. Eight initial representative samples spanning the 361 metres of REE mineralization were crushed, sorted and analyzed with TIMA for elemental and mineral mapping of grains ahead of beneficiation studies.
Initial results indicate that 80% of the REEs are contained within the phosphate mineralapatite, with the remainder hosted inmonazite, a phosphate,andparisite-synchysite, fluorocarbonates,which themselves occur most commonly as fine grained inclusions in apatite. The results underscore the volume potential for REEs at Hecla-Kilmer based on the sheer breadth of phosphate intersections containing REE as shown on the satellite image in Figure 2.
The new REE mineralogy from the bulk sample is consistent with previous data:
Figure 3.The strong correlation between P205 and %PMREO in ICP-MS geochemical data from >1,500 geochemical samples from all 24 drill holes completed to date.
Figure 4.On-site, XRF and SWIR scanning of whole drill core in 2021 showed the correlation between TREO and P2O5 in the near-surface mineralization in Hole 004.
The new REE mineralogy from the bulk sample does not change from surface to 460m depth:
Figure 5. Drill core photo and QEMSCAN image of hydrothermal apatite-monazite-magnetite-pyrochlore with REE minerals at the top of Hole 004, near bedrock surface at
Pike Zone .Figure 6. Drill core photo and SEM backscatter image of monazite inclusions in apatite in hydrothermal magnetite-biotite-carbonate vein breccia with REE in Hole 013 some 174 m below near-surface mineralization of the same character in Hole 004.
The new REE mineralogy at
Figure 7. SEM backscatter image showing REE-bearing monazite inclusions within apatite in the South Rim zone located 2.5 km south of
Pike Zone .
SGS reports that the 5-7 weight % REE contained in apatite at H-K is unique, even amongst other igneous deposits mined for phosphate in apatite. Further, the igneous apatite at H-K is pristine compared to the apatite in the world's sedimentary deposits mined for phosphate.
OJEP Grant
The Company was informed by the
From VR’s CEO, Dr.
While we are only seeing glimpses of 1-3% TREO vein mineralization away from the 461 m continuous intersection starting from surface in Hole 13, the data from the new drill holes once again confirm the unusually high, 20% proportion of TREO as the high value PMREO (permanent magnet) REO at Hecla-Kilmer, a proportion that is maintained both across the hydrothermal system from South Rim to
The new mineralogy date are no surprise. They are entirely consistent with results obtained from each of the state-of-the-art technologies that have been utilized since 2020, the very beginning of our exploration at Hecla-Kilmer, in order to better understand the REE mineralization, including whole-core XRF scanning by GeologicAI, QEMSCAN mineralogy by SGS, ICP-MS geochemistry utilizing lithium-borate fusion for trace REE detection by ALS, and scanning electron microprobe analyses of individual mineral grains by
Finally. I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to the Ontario MNDM for the recognition and support of our Hecla-Kilmer project through the OJEP critical metals exploration grant program. The grants make a material difference to advancing this discovery.
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Technical Information
Summary technical and geological information for the Company’s various exploration properties is available at the Company’s website atwww.vrr.ca.
VR submits sawn drill core samples for geochemical assay to the
Technical information for this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101.
About the Hecla-Kilmer Property
The Hecla-Kilmer complex is located23 km northwest of the
The H-K property is large. It consists of 224 mineral claims in one contiguous block approximately 6 x 7 km in size and covering 4,617 hectares. The property is owned 100% by VR. There are no underlying, annual lease payments on the property, nor are there any joint venture or back-in interests. Hecla-Kilmer is located on provincial crown land, with mineral rights administered by the
About
VR is an established junior exploration company based in
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OFDIRECTORS:
“Michael H. Gunning”
____________________________
Dr.
President & CEO
For general information please use the following:
Website:www.vrr.ca
Email:info@vrr.ca
Phone: 778-731-9292
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates,""believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this document include statements concerningVR’sexpectations concerning theHecla-Kilmer property and all other statements that are not statements of historical fact.
Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the Covid-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company’s ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in
The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.
This news release may also contain statements and/or information with respect to mineral properties and/or deposits which are adjacent to and/or potentially similar to the Company’s mineral properties, but which the Company has no interest in nor rights to explore. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on similar properties are not necessarily indicative of mineral deposits on the Company’s properties.
Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. All of the Company’s public disclosure filings may be accessed viawww.sedarplus.caand readers are urged to review them.
Neither the
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Figure 1.Locations and key REE intersections for the 24 drill holes completed to date at Hecla-Kilmer, 2020 - 2023,plotted on a contoured RTP magnetic base map with superimposed 3D iso-shells from the MVI inversion. Drill traces are shown in yellow for the three new drill holes completed in May.
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Figure 2.Aerial extent of broad phosphate intersections with related REE mineralization at
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Figure 3. Geochemical plot of P2O5vs. PMREO (the permanent magnet REO’s) based on data from more than 1,500 samples of drill core from all 24 of the drill holes completed to date at Hecla-Kilmer. The correlation coefficient is nearly 1, and it reinforces the new mineralogy data from SGS Lakefield on the bulk sample from the 361 metre intersection in Hole 013 reported herein.
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Figure 4. Whole-core XRF and SWIR scanning on-site at the exploration drill camp at Otter Rapids in 2021, using technology by GeologicAI,
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Figure 5. Drill core photograph above QEMSCAN imagery and element data from
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Figure 6. Upper: photograph of drill core at173mdepth with2.8% TREOin drill holeHK22-013from the
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Figure 7. Backscatter electron microprobe image from 111m depth in Hole 15 at the
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