Ann: Thick High-Grade Niobium Intercepts, page-5

Holy cow, 102m at 1.1% is sensational. Glad i bought more on Friday :)

*The grades and intercepts reported for the Gifford Creek Carbonatite project suggest significant mineralization with potential for multiple critical minerals. Here's a breakdown of the reported grades:

1. Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO):

   • CBRC115: 102m @ 1.1% TREO from 3m, including 29m @ 2.1% TREO from 76m.
     • Significance: These are strong grades for TREO, especially considering the length of the intercept. TREO grades above 1% are generally considered significant, indicating a valuable concentration of rare earth elements.

2. Niobium (Nb2O5):

   • CBRC085: 48m @ 0.8% Nb2O5 from 30m, including 36m @ 1.0% Nb2O5 from 39m.
     • Significance: Grades around 0.8% to 1.0% Nb2O5 are considered economically significant. Niobium is a valuable metal used in high-strength steel alloys, and these intercepts show potential for substantial niobium resources.

3. Phosphorus (P2O5):

   • CBRC148: 43m @ 11.9% P2O5 from 87m, including 24m @ 14.5% P2O5 from 105m to EOH.
     • Significance: These are very high grades of phosphorus, which is used primarily in fertilizers. Grades above 10% P2O5 are considered economically attractive.

4. Scandium (Sc):

   • CBRC138: 12m @ 319ppm Sc from 48m and CBRC125: 10m @ 270ppm Sc from 18m.
     • Significance: Scandium is a critical mineral used in aluminum alloys and fuel cells. Grades above 200 ppm are significant, indicating potential for scandium extraction.

5. Titanium (TiO2):

   • CBRC086: 72m @ 8.6% TiO2 from 12m, including 6m @ 12.8% TiO2 from 66m.
     • Significance: These grades are very high for titanium dioxide, which is widely used in pigments, coatings, and other applications. Grades above 5% TiO2 are considered high and economically valuable.

Overall Assessment:

• The intercepts show significant grades across multiple critical minerals, indicating that the Gifford Creek Carbonatite could be a highly valuable multi-mineral deposit.
• The combination of rare earths, niobium, phosphorus, scandium, and titanium in one deposit is particularly attractive, suggesting a project with the potential for co-production of several critical minerals, which could enhance its economic viability.
• The wide-spaced drilling covering less than 25% of the complex further suggests there may be even more potential for discovery within the remaining unexplored areas.

This deposit appears to have a high potential for growth and could be very significant in the context of global demand for critical minerals.

Question: Are these grades considered high grade?

GPT4o said:

ChatGPT

Yes, the grades reported for the Gifford Creek Carbonatite project are generally considered high grade for the minerals listed. Here's a breakdown of why each is significant:

1. Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO):

   • 1.1% to 2.1% TREO: These are considered high grades in the context of rare earth element deposits. Rare earths are usually found in lower concentrations, and grades above 1% TREO are often regarded as economically viable, especially when combined with substantial tonnage.

2. Niobium (Nb2O5):

   • 0.8% to 1.0% Nb2O5: These grades are high for niobium deposits. Niobium is typically found in grades ranging from 0.2% to 0.6% in many economic deposits, so grades approaching or exceeding 1% are considered very strong.

3. Phosphorus (P2O5):

   • 11.9% to 14.5% P2O5: These are very high grades for phosphorus, which is often mined at grades of 5% to 15% P2O5. Grades above 10% are especially attractive in the fertilizer industry.

4. Scandium (Sc):

   • 270 ppm to 319 ppm Sc: These scandium grades are considered high. Scandium is often present in trace amounts in other deposits, and grades above 200 ppm are significant for scandium production.

5. Titanium (TiO2):

   • 8.6% to 12.8% TiO2: These are high grades for titanium dioxide. Commercial titanium deposits often have grades ranging from 3% to 8% TiO2, so grades above 8% are considered very high.

Conclusion:

• TREO: High-grade
• Nb2O5: High-grade
• P2O5: High-grade
• Sc: High-grade
• TiO2: High-grade

Overall, these grades are not just economically viable but are also considered high grade in their respective categories, making the Gifford Creek Carbonatite project potentially very valuable.

*GPT4o