Neotech hits more encouraging drill intercepts at Timmins area Hecla-Kilmer property
Neotech Metals Corp. has announced additional geochemical assay results from its exploratory diamond drilling program of the Niobium and Rare Earth Element ("REE") carbonatites located at the Hecla-Kilmer ("H/K") Project near to Otter Rapids in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern, Ontario.
Neotech is reporting assay results from two holes, HK24-033 and HK24-031, at the Hecla-Kilmer Project. This drill hole is part of a 12-hole program totaling 5,047 meters completed as part of the exploration program during the Fall of 2024. This specific drill hole intersected a mineralized interval on a gravity and magnetic anomaly within proximity to the Pike Zone Prospect. The historical gravity and magnetic survey data was made available from work done by VR Resources ("VR") in previous exploration campaigns in 2020. The 2024 program drillholes (see Map in Figure 1) were designed to test for intervals of Total Rare Earth Oxide ("TREO") and Niobium Oxide ("Nb2O5") within the alkaline intrusive carbonatite complex.
The 2024 exploration drill program was designed to confirm and validate the previous geophysical surveys that were conducted at Hecla Kilmer in 2020 as well as to identify the structures and mineralized zones present as a preliminary assessment of the site. The results are currently being evaluated to identify potential next phases of development for Hecla Kilmer. Technical studies will continue in order to advance metallurgical testing and other project assessments for the site.
Future exploration programs will be guided by the ongoing incorporation and compilation of field exploration data to refine geological, geochemical and structural models to help identify and prioritize additional targets for evaluation.
Sample analysis and data compilation remains ongoing, and any additional mineralized intervals identified in the remaining drill holes will be reported in subsequent news releases.
"The additional broad zones of mineralization starting from bedrock surface represent a significant economic opportunity for the Hecla-Kilmer Project," stated CEO Reagan Glazier. "These consistent mineralized zones at surface provide clear targets to guide future drill programs. Furthermore, the system remains wide open in several directions, including at depth, warranting further exploration and deeper drill testing to fully assess its scale."
Map Figure 1 - Drill Map of Hecla-Kilmer's Pike Zone from 2024 Drill Season
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Methodology and Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC")
Drillholes were drilled at various inclined angles with the assay intervals as total core widths. The material produced from the diamond drillholes was sampled at two metre intervals with the core split in half, resulting in average sample sizes of 2-4 kg. Half of the core is sent to the analytical laboratory, and the other half is kept in storage as required by industry standards and by Ontario provincial regulations. The original core was logged, photographed, and sampled on location by Neotech personnel.
The bagged and catalogued samples were delivered to Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs") in Timmins, Ontario, for initial preparation and final analysis. All sample preparation and analytical work referenced in this report were conducted by Actlabs, an independent geoanalytical laboratory accredited to ISO-IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015 standards. In addition to Actlabs' internal QA/QC protocols, Neotech Metals incorporated its own control samples in each batch submitted for analysis.
Quality control samples, including blanks, duplicates, and standards (Certified Reference Materials) were inserted into the sample series at set intervals. For all analysis methods, the minimum number of QA/QC samples was two CRM standards per hole, oneduplicate and/or one blank for every 10 samples taken, for a total of 10% QA/QC samples for the entire dataset. The procedures were implemented during the sample collection, preparation and analytical stages to ensure the robustness and reliability of the analytical results. QA/QC data was also verified by an independent third party to ensure the validity of the datasets.
All analytical results reported herein have passed internal QA/QC review and compilation. All assay results of drill core samples were provided by Actlabs, a Certified Laboratory, which performed their measure of the concentration of rare earth elements (REE) with the analytical method that uses lithium borate fusion prior to the second stage sodium peroxide fusion and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Major Element Oxides were done using the lithium borate analytical method and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES).
Upcoming 2025 Exploration Season
Neotech is currently developing plans for an expansion/resource-definition drilling program and preliminary mineralogical-metallurgical test work on the diamond drill core from this program. Ongoing geological modelling and targeting will continue as the Company receives additional assays.
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