Defense Metals Corp. has intersected significant rare earth element mineralization in its initial eleven core drill holes from the spring campaign at the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project near Prince George, British Columbia.

The spring drill program comprised 31 core holes totaling 5,345 metres, split across 20 resource upgrade and infill holes, seven pit slope geotechnical holes, and four waste rock geochemical holes. The resource infill drilling was designed to upgrade inferred resources constrained within the ultimate open-pit design from the project's April 2025 preliminary feasibility study.

Resource infill hole WI26-96 intersected rare earth-mineralized mixed xenolithic dolomite carbonatite, returning an assay of 2.86% Total Rare Earth Oxide over 65.1 metres from a downhole depth of 60.9 metres. This intercept included a higher-grade interval averaging 6.15% TREO over 20.3 metres.

Collared from the same setup, drill hole WI26-93 cut obliquely across the southern margin of the deposit, yielding 1.70% TREO over 184.4 metres, which included 2.52% TREO over 56.7 metres.

Two additional holes, WI26-100 and WI26-102, were collared 100 metres northwest of WI26-93 and drilled outward from inside the deposit. Drill hole WI26-100 averaged 1.55% TREO over 148.7 metres from surface, including 2.40% TREO over 84.6 metres. Drill hole WI26-102 yielded 2.62% TREO over 73.4 metres, including 3.25% TREO over 34.3 metres, with assays for the remaining 47 metres pending.

The true width of rare earth mineralization is estimated at 70% to 100% of the drilled intervals.

“We're exceptionally pleased that all eleven drill holes reported in today's news release intersected significant widths of high to moderate grade Rare Earth Element mineralization within the pit confines defined by the 2025 Preliminary Feasibility Study and are expected to contribute positively to a resource classification uplift.”

— Robin Jones, Defense Metals VP Projects

Assay analysis for the remaining 10 resource upgrade and infill drill holes is underway at ALS Canada Ltd. laboratories in Vancouver, with results expected in the coming weeks.

The Wicheeda Project serves as the company's 100%-owned primary asset, featuring an open-pit rare earth operation outlined in the April 2025 preliminary feasibility study. Alongside its technical drilling work, Defense Metals was invited by Natural Resources Canada to submit a full project proposal seeking up to C$32 million in funding for its rare earth concentrator and hydrometallurgical feasibility program.

Read the full announcement: Defense Metals Resource Upgrade Drilling Intersects 2.86% TREO over 65 Metres; Including 6.15% TREO over 20 Metres at the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project