Wicheeda Rare Earth Ele ment Deposit Pit Slope

Figure 1. Wicheeda REE Deposit Cross Section and 2021 Drilling Results (CNW Group/Defense Metals Corp.) Figure 2. Wicheeda REE Deposit North Area Cross Section (CNW Group/Defense Metals Corp.)

Defense Metals Corp. has announced the start of diamond drilling at its Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) discovery. The Company intends to drill up to 5,000 meters of diamond drilling to further delineate existing resources, assess near-deposit exploration targets, collect geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling for optimization of open pit slope design, and generate additional REE mineralized material for metallurgical testing.

Up to 1,500 meters of pit geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling, 1,500 meters of resource delineation and near-resource exploration drilling, and up to 2,000 meters of 8.5 cm diameter PQ core for continued metallurgical testing are expected to be included in the Wicheeda REE diamond drill campaign in 2022.

The drill program for 2022 started from existing drill pads established in the northern part of the Wicheeda REE Deposit in 2021, which yielded some of the greatest grade x width intercepts of the 2021 drilling (Figure 2). Drill holes WI21-33 and WI21-40 produced 3.79 percent TREO over 150 meters, with 4.77 percent TREO over 60 meters1 extending 80 meters beyond the present mineral resource and 40 meters beyond the restricting pit shell.