Nuinsco Demonstrates Potential to Increase Neodymium Grade in Concentrate at Prairie Lake Project
Nuinsco Demonstrates Potential to Increase Neodymium Grade in Concentrate at Prairie Lake Project
Toronto, May 6, 2021 – Nuinsco Resources Limited (“Nuinsco” or “the Company”) (CSE: NWI) today reported that
metallurgical testing has demonstrated the potential to significantly upgrade the neodymium grade in concentrate,
along with other rare earth elements (“REE”s), at its 100%‐owned Prairie Lake project.
N e o d y m i u m ( “ N d ” ) i s a n e l e m e n t v i t a l i n t h e g l o b a l c o n v e r s i o n to renewable energy and electric vehicle
m a n u f a c t u r e . O v e r t h e p a s t 1 2 y e a r s N d h a s r a n g e d i n p r i c e f r om a low of US15.47/kg in 2009 to a high of
US$251.74 in 2010; it currently trades at US$66.10/kg, an incre ase of US$17.06/kg over the past year¹. In addition
to numerous other high‐value REEs (see table below) as well as phosphate, these metallurgical findings increase
the Company’s optimism for the economics of Prairie Lake. The enrichment in Neodymium is significant because of
the anticipated increase in demand for this element to meet req uirements for the expanding electrification of the
world’s vehicle fleet and conversion to renewable energy sources.
New analyses were conducted on a suite of samples obtained from a historic metallurgical program conducted by
the Company using gravity pre‐concentration and flotation proce sses to evaluate the potential to produce a high‐
grade phosphate (P 2O5) concentrate from Prairie Lake raw phosrock (carbonatite ‐ see table below); as such the
tests were optimized for phosphate recovery. The tests demonstr ate the feasibility to upgrade raw Prairie Lake
phosrock from circa 3.5% P2O5 to >30% P2O5 (34.03% and 32.03% in the case of the mean grade from the two tests
reported here²). It is important to note that P 2O5 is a vital non‐renewable resource essential for sustaining the life
of plants and animals.
While the phosphate grade was clearly enhanced in the metallurg ical test by a factor of nearly 10 the REE content
was also substantially increased. Although the tests were not optimized to REE recovery the concentrates produced
still showed a substantial upgrade in REE concentration. In the case of neodymium (Nd), raw phosrock in the Prairie
Lake carbonatite contains an ave rage of 350 ppm Nd, while the a verage grade of the concentrates reported here
are 1745 ppm Nd and 1659 ppm Nd – a concentration factor of app roximately 4.5. Similar concentration factors
are observed for other rare earth elements.
“The Prairie Lake project has the potential to create products that span a range of markets,” said Paul Jones, CEO.
“The ability to produce a high‐grade P2O5 concentrate from the Prairie Lake phosrock is a significant project
milestone in itself; the added presence of by‐product or co‐pro duct REEs cannot be overstated. The metallurgical
results from Prairie Lake, coupled with the large scope of the project (refer to the technical report dated November
30, 2018 and filed on SEDAR), the excellent logistics, increased market demand for REEs, and supply chain and
jurisdictional security make the project a very desirable asset. Additional sampling of Prairie Lake drill core will be
conducted to continue to add detail to our understanding of the mineralization at the project.”
Amongst the REEs, Nd is particularly valued because of the critical importance of Nd‐based permanent magnets in
t h e m a n u f a c t u r e o f a r a n g e o f n ew technological products including the high‐performance electric motors and
generators used in, for example, hybrid‐electric vehicles and m egawatt‐scale wind turbines. However Nd is but
one of the high‐value minerals at Prairie Lake. Demand for REEs , as well as niobium, tantalum and phosphate, is
projected to continue to rise as their use in a host of applications in the automotive, high‐tech, clean‐energy,
telecommunication and global agriculture industries expands.
Prairie Lake consists of forty‐six mineral claims covering an a rea of 630 ha which are superbly located, with ready
access to power, road, rail and shipping infrastructure; it is easily accessed by an all‐weather road from the
TransCanada Highway, 28 kilometres to the south. The mineraliza tion identified is entirely contained within the
Prairie Lake carbonatite complex.
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¹Source: www.statista.com
² The rare earth elements, niobium, tantalum and P2O5 determinations reported here are from two metallurgical tests conducted by COREM in Quebec City,
Quebec from a series of tests constituting a metallurgical program conducted on Prairie Lake carbonatite between 2009 and 2012. The results were produced
from a metallurgical program designed to optimize P2O5 recovery using gravity pre‐concentration followed by flotation; the tabulated results show recovery
at six grind‐size distributions for each metallurgical test. The mean grades reported for each test are the average grade of the analytical results for each of
the six separate grind sizes. Sample 655280 is the raw, unprocessed, carbonatite phosrock. The analyses were generated by Activation Laboratories,
Ancaster, Ontario using the analytical methods identified in the table and submitted to the laboratory under the 8REE analysis code with XRF option for Nb
and Ta. Elements analyzed are La – Lanthanum, Ce – Cesium, Pr – Praesodymium. Nd – Neodymium, Sm – Samarium, Eu – Europium, Gd – Gadolinium, Tb
– Terbium, Dy – Dysprosium, Ho – Holmium, Er ‐ Erbium, Tm – Thulium, Yb – Ytterbium, Lu – Lutetium, Hf – Hafnium, Y – Yttrium, Nb – Niobium, Ta –
Tantalum. P2O5 is the oxide of phosphorus.
L.A. Giroux, P.Geo., is a qualified person as defined by NI 43‐ 101 and has reviewed and approved the technical
contents of this press release regarding the Prairie Lake project.
About Nuinsco Resources Limited
Nuinsco Resources has over 50 years of exploration success and is a growth oriented, multi‐commodity mineral
exploration and development company focused on prospective oppo rtunities in Canada and internationally.
Currently the Company has two properties in Ontario – the high‐ grade Sunbeam gold prospect near Atikokan and
the large, multi‐commodity (rare‐earths, niobium, tantalum, phosphorus) Prairie Lake project near Terrace Bay. In
addition, Nuinsco has completed an agreement for gold exploitat ion at the El Sid project in the Eastern Desert of
Egypt and has completed a metallurgical sampling and testing program on the project (August 12, 2020 Press
Release).
Forward‐Looking Statements
This news release contains certain "forward‐looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historic fact, that address activities, events or
developments that Nuinsco believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward‐looking statements. For ward‐looking statements are
often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as " seek," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate, “expect," an d "intend" and statements that an
event or result "may," "will," "can," "should," "could," or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. These forward‐looking statements reflect
the current expectations or beliefs of Nuinsco based on information currently available to Nuinsco. Forward‐looking statements are subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of Nuinsco to differ materially from those discussed in the forward‐lookin g statements, and even if such
actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on Nuinsco. Factors
that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, failure to successfully complete financings,
capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, production rates varying from estimates, changes in world commodities markets, changes in equity
markets, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, imprecision
in resource estimates, success of future development initiative s, competition, operating performance of facilities, environmen tal and safety risks, delays in
obtaining or failure to obtain tenure to properties and/or nece ssary permits and approvals, and other development and operatin g risks. Any forward‐looking
statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Nuinsco disclaims any intent or obligation
to update any forward‐looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Althou gh Nuinsco believes that the
assumptions inherent in the forward‐looking statements are reasonable, forward‐looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly
undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
Element La Ce Pr Nd Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu Hf Y Nb Ta P2O5
Units ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm %
Detection Limit 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.05 0.1 0.04 0.2 2 1 0.1 0.01
FUS‐MSFUS ‐MSFUS‐MSFUS‐MSFUS ‐MSFUS‐MSFUS ‐MSFUS‐MSFUS‐MSFUS ‐MSFUS‐MSFUS ‐MSFUS‐MSFUS‐MSFUS ‐MSFUS‐ICPFUS‐MSFUS‐MSFUS‐ICP
655274 943 2140 272 1100 190 51.1 121.0 14.6 66.1 9.6 19.4 2.0 9.8 1.25 3.3 219 471 10.7 17.88
655275 1210 2870 369 1510 258 69.1 162.0 19.3 87.7 12.2 24.7 2.5 12.1 1.45 4.1 298 746 14.2 28.88
655276 1470 3540 456 1830 317 84.4 201.0 23.7 106.0 14.8 30.3 3.0 13.4 1.71 2.4 359 326 6.6 37.62
655277 1610 3840 496 2050 347 91.5 217.0 25.6 115.0 16.0 32.2 3.3 15.0 1.75 1.7 373 226 3.0 40.35
655278 1510 3730 487 1950 337 88.6 214.0 25.0 109.0 15.4 30.8 3.1 13.7 1.64 1.4 370 204 2.8 41.26
655279 1550 3830 500 2030 351 90.9 216.0 25.1 111.0 15.3 30.1 3.1 13.5 1.66 1.6 352 216 3.6 38.18
Mean 1382 3325 430 1745 300 79.3 188.5 22.2 99.1 13.9 27.9 2.8 12.9 1.58 2.4 329 365 6.8 34.03
655281 697 1580 202 796 137 37.2 88.7 10.8 48.7 7.1 14.9 1.6 7.7 0.99 3.1 183 412 9.1 13.77
655282 1080 2570 331 1330 225 60.4 143.0 17.2 77.9 11.1 23.0 2.3 10.9 1.33 2.9 271 452 9.9 25.07
655283 1430 3390 444 1790 305 81.4 194.0 22.7 104.0 14.5 29.0 3.0 13.5 1.66 2.1 352 269 5.0 36.17
655284 1600 3840 503 2050 351 93.1 220.0 25.9 115.0 16.3 32.7 3.4 15.0 1.84 1.8 374 214 2.6 39.92
655285 1560 3770 488 2030 350 91.0 214.0 24.9 112.0 15.6 32.0 3.1 14.2 1.75 1.8 367 228 3.8 39.27
655286 1530 3690 487 1960 339 89.1 209.0 24.5 110.0 15.5 30.7 3.1 14.0 1.67 1.9 361 220 4.3 37.95
Mean 1316 3140 409 1659 285 75.4 178.1 21.0 94.6 13.4 27.1 2.7 12.6 1.54 2.3 318 299 5.8 32.03
655280 438 885 101 391 67.5 19.5 46.1 5.8 27.8 4.3 9.6 1.04 5.8 0.73 0.2 109 68 2.3 3.51
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To learn more, please contact:
Paul Jones, CEO Sean Stokes, Executive VP Cathy Hume, Consultant Website:
www.nuinsco.ca
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Twitter:
@NWIResources
416 868‐1079 x 231