12 May 2021
In a May 12 release, Vital Metals Limited (ASX: VML) announced that mining contractors have completed the first blast at its Nechalacho rare earths project in Northwest Territories, Canada.
Vital Metals expects to commence production of rare earth oxide in the June 2021 quarter following the commencement of a mining campaign in March 2021. Once in production, Vital Metals will be the first rare earths producer in Canada and only the second in North America.
Vital Metals Managing Director Geoff Atkins said, “This is another exciting milestone for Vital as we move closer to rare earths production at Nechalacho this quarter. Plans are progressing to schedule, with all equipment now delivered to site and we look forward to achieving production status in the coming weeks.”
The Nechalacho Rare Earth Project is a high grade, light rare earth (bastnaesite) project located at Nechalacho in the Northwest Territories of Canada and has potential for a start-up operation exploiting high-grade, easily accessible near surface mineralisation. The Nechalacho Rare Earth Project hosts within the Upper Zone, a measured, indicated and inferred JORC Resource of 94MT at 1.46% TREO.
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