Atlantico Identifies Rare Earth and Gallium Targets at Novo Cruzeiro Project

Atlantico Energy Metals Corp. has identified 12 rare earth-led target areas, alongside gallium and lithium opportunities, at its flagship Novo Cruzeiro project in Brazil. The company’s exploration review, conducted in March 2026, combined geochemical results, reconnaissance mapping, satellite imagery, and regional geophysics to focus exploration across the 243 square kilometre property.

The eastern Novo Cruzeiro targets are supported by neodymium and praseodymium anomalies, alongside dysprosium and terbium indicators. These rare earths are critical for powerful permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators, industrial robots, and aerospace and defence systems. In the northeast, stream-sediment sample NCZ-SS-0147 returned 1,427.05 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO), including 284.40 ppm magnet rare earth oxides (MREO), providing a specific drainage catchment for follow-up exploration.

The magnet rare earth results extend beyond the eastern targets. In the predominantly western follow-up program, 96 of 114 surface samples contained calculated MREO representing at least 15% of TREO. Near the western boundary, five sand- and silt-rich samples (NCZ-CR-0080 through NCZ-CR-0084) each exceeded 500 ppm TREO across sample locations spanning approximately 100 metres.

At Rio Bravo, all 114 follow-up surface samples returned 16 to 72 ppm gallium, with the highest result equivalent to 96.8 grams per tonne (g/t) gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃). The samples covered varied materials, including soils, weathered granite, and pegmatites. The March review linked elevated gallium mainly to saprolite, material formed as granite breaks down through weathering. This geological setting lies near boundaries with schist, a layered rock formed by heat and pressure, belonging to the Ribeirão da Folha Formation. This pattern provides a focus for targeted mapping and sampling to test whether elevated gallium continues through the weathered material into the rock below, and to identify the minerals that carry it.

China's grip on gallium and magnet rare earths highlights the strategic importance of diversifying supply chains. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's February 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries, China accounted for approximately 99% of worldwide primary low-purity gallium production in 2025. This concentration underscores the need for alternative sources.

The southern lithium target at Novo Cruzeiro has a prominent geophysical clue: an approximately five-kilometre magnetic feature that the March report describes as coincident with a lithium-anomalous zone. The ioGAS review identifies moderate lithium relationships with caesium and rubidium and potassium-to-rubidium patterns interpreted to reflect more evolved granitic material. A southern first-pass sample, NCZ-CR-0016, was described as a pegmatite vein with biotite in pink saprolite and returned 108 ppm lithium, 12.4 ppm caesium, and 249 ppm rubidium. The broader 114-sample follow-up dataset, concentrated in western Novo Cruzeiro, also returned modest lithium results: 77 were below the 10 ppm reporting limit, and the maximum was 71 ppm in NCZ-CR-0068.

Atlantico Energy Metals Corp. recommends detailed geological mapping, infill sampling, source-rock and weathering studies, and field geophysics to test the targets and guide further exploration. The company’s March 2026 report identified 12 rare earth-led target areas, alongside gallium and lithium opportunities, at its flagship Novo Cruzeiro project, providing several compelling avenues to pursue in the critical minerals sector.