North American Niobium Adds to Québec Niobium and Rare Earths Holdings
The Miskam Project is just west of the Sabot Project, in a similar geological environment
Vancouver, British Columbia, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --North America Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: NIOB) (FSE: IOR) (OTCQB: NIOMF) (“North American Niobium”or the“Company”) is pleased to announce that it continues to increase its exposure to alkaline intrusive settings associated with niobium and rare earth element geochemical anomalies identified by government datasets from the Government of Québec. This is in keeping with North American Niobium’s strategic focus on identifying alkaline systems capable of producing niobium-rare earth element mineralization
The Company has staked approximately 4,222 hectares consisting of 73 mineral claims 45 km northwest of La Tuque, Québec (“Miskam”). Transfers of 21 of the 73 mineral claims remain pending approval. The property is approximately 2 km west of Sabot and shares a similar geological setting. Highly anomalous bottom lake sediments and rocks samples collected by the government on Miskam align with mapped syenitic intrusions and favourable host rocks (see Figure 1), supporting a silicate-alkaline exploration model for niobium-rare earth element mineralization.
“We saw an opportunity to secure this land package based on intriguing signs in a favourable geological environment, with nearby prospects that support our targeting concept,” said Murray Nye, Chief Executive Officer. “Our technical team believes the acquisition made sense, so we moved to purchase the claims. The geological setting we’re targeting is consistent with alkaline intrusive environments that can host niobium–rare earth elements mineralization. Importantly, we expect the permitting pathway and stakeholder engagement approach for this area to be consistent with our established Québec process, which we believe will help streamline near-term planning.”
Highlights
- Acquired 73 mineral claims over 4,222 hectares in the La Tuque area, expanding the Company’s footprint within the Grenville Province
- Targeting niobium-rare earth elements potential in an alkaline system supported by Québec government data, including SIGÉOM and PRO 2009-03 (Labbé, 2009) bottom-lake sediment geochemistry
- Highly anomalous (approx. 99th percentile) niobium-lanthanum-yttrium geochemical responses in the area stand out within the referenced dataset and are considered prospective in the context of alkaline niobium-rare earth elements systems in Québec
- Mapped syenitic intrusions near potentially silica-rich metasediments (e.g., quartzites and other metasedimentary units) are consistent with an alkaline silicate niobium–rare earth elements exploration model
- Next steps include field validation and sampling to refine targets and prioritize follow-up work
Strategic Rationale and Exploration Model
The Company is focused on identifying alkaline systems capable of producing niobium-rare earth element mineralization. This concept draws on the exploration framework described by Beard et al (2022), and includes:
- A typically oval alkaline intrusive complex can provide several pathways to concentrate niobium and rare earth elements such as:
- near-surface and contact zones where alkaline melts and late-stage fluids react with silica-rich host rocks, potentially creating mineralized breccias, xenoliths and sheeted syenite bodies
- mineralization within the intrusion where the magma becomes layered and progressively more evolved
- late-stage, highly evolved intrusive phases (central/apical plugs, sheets and dikes, and related pegmatite or hydrothermal zones) where rare earths and other critical elements may be concentrated as the system cools and differentiates
- carbonatite-associated niobium-rare earth element systems.
The Company has reviewed Québec government bottom-lake sediment geochemistry available through SIGÉOM, including information reported in PRO 2009-03 (Labbé, 2009). The dataset includes 11,719 sample locations within the Company’s area of interest.
A cluster of anomalous bottom-lake sediment in niobium, lanthanum, and yttrium has been identified occurring directly over, and immediately adjacent to, a mapped alkaline intrusive oval-shaped body interpreted to be at least 7x10 km. The anomalous response appears to be strongest near the interpreted intrusion and extends outward into adjacent metasedimentary units of the Wabash Complex. Two rock samples collected by government geologists also returned elevated total rare earth element values, grading 713.9 ppm and 785.67 ppm.
Taken together, this spatial association between the bottom-lake sediment anomaly pattern, the interpreted alkaline intrusive body, and favourable host rocks makes for a compelling, early-stage niobium-rare earths target on the property.
Figure 1 below presents the Company’s current compilation, including the mapped alkaline intrusion outline and the anomalous bottom-lake sediment responses at Miskam.
Figure1: The Miskam Project shows a strongniobum, lanthanum, and yttrium anomaly up to 99th percentile. It is strongest within the intrusion and near its southern contact with the paragneiss metasediments of the Wabash Complex, which are commonly associated with silica-rich sediments such as quartzites and cherts.
Please click here to view image
Note: The technical rationale described herein is interpretive and early stage and is based primarily on public-domain government mapping and geochemical datasets and the presence of regional mineral occurrences. These indications do not confirm the presence of mineralization on the Property, and there has been insufficient exploration on the Property to define a mineral resource.
Selected references:
- Labbé, J.-Y. (2009). Nouvelles données géochimiques de sédiments de fond de lac dans la partie occidentale du Grenville québécois : secteurs de Val-d’Or, Chibougamau et La Tuque. Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune (Québec), PRO 2009-03, 8 p. (Available through SIGÉOM).
- Beard, C.D., Goodenough, K.M., Borst, A.M., Wall, F., Siegfried, P.R., Deady, E.A., Pohl, C., Hutchison, W., Finch, A.A., Walter, B.F., Elliott, H.A.L., & Brauch, K. (2022). Alkaline-silicate REE-HFSE systems. Economic Geology, 118(1), 177–208. doi:10.5382/econgeo.4956.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Clyde McMillan, P.Geo., a consultant to the Company and a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained herein.
ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN NIOBIUM AND CRITICAL MINERALS CORP.
North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: NIOB | OTCQB: NIOMF | FSE:KS82.F) is a North American mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base, and critical mineral assets. Its portfolio includes the Silver Lake property in British Columbia’s Omineca Mining Division and a recently acquired land package in Quebec’s Grenville Province. The Québec properties add exposure to rare earth elements, niobium, and nickel-copper occurrences, expanding the Company’s footprint into critical minerals that are strategically important for nergy and defense applications.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Murray Nye
Chief Executive Officer
info@northamericanniobium.com
+1 (647) 984-4204
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects, anticipates or intends to occur in the future, or that otherwise reflect management’s expectations or beliefs about future events, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “strategy,” “target,” “forecast” and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results “will,” “would,” “may,” “could,” or “should” occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: (i) statements regarding the Properties and their mineral prospectivity; (ii) the Company’s planned exploration, development and evaluation activities on the Properties; and (iii) the potential for the Grenville Province to host significant rare earth element, niobium, nickel-copper or other critical mineral deposits. Such forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current plans, intentions, expectations and beliefs and are subject to certain assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions that exploration results will continue to support the prospectivity of the Properties.
Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to: the timing and receipt of required regulatory approvals; changes in commodity prices and market conditions; the availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms; general economic, business and political conditions; risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, including operational risks, geological uncertainties, environmental risks and accidents; changes in government regulation or policy; and the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties faced by the Company is available in the Company’s public disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).
Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and undue reliance should not be placed on them. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date hereof and are based on information currently available and management’s beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions at that time. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release
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