Vital Meals has expanded its Nechalacho rare earths project in the Northwest Territories, Canada, with the acquisition of three new mineral claims immediately north of the existing project area. The additional 25 km² of ground brings Vital’s total project footprint to 75 km², reinforcing the company’s position in one of the world’s largest hard rock rare earth deposits.
The newly acquired claims, M11875 to M11877, cover areas of 11.50 km², 7.61 km², and 5.95 km², and are 100% owned by Vital’s Canadian subsidiary, Cheetah Resources. These claims add to the existing 50 km² of mineral claims at Nechalacho, which Vital holds mineral rights to, specifically for resources located above a depth of 150 meters above sea level.
The Nechalacho project is home to the Tardiff deposit, which is among the biggest rare earths deposits in the world. The Upper Tardiff deposit has a current mineral resource estimate of 212.7-million tonnes at 1.2% total rare earth oxides, with an estimated 623 000 t of neodymium and praseodymium.
Vital is expecting an updated mineral resource estimate by the end of 2024, incorporating drilling results from the 2023 exploration campaign.
The company is on track to complete a scoping study by year-end 2024.