Nio Strategic Metals Unveils Results of Oka Carbonatite Survey

Nio Strategic Metals Inc. has unveiled the results of a high-resolution heliborne magnetic and radiometric survey over its 100%-owned Oka property in Quebec. The survey, conducted in 2023 by Prospectair, covered the entire property, including the North and South Rings of the carbonatite and their Grenvillian host rocks. The survey spanned 921 line-kilometres on 25-metre line spacing, with a magnetometer at a mean height of 33 metres and a gamma-ray spectrometer (potassium, uranium, thorium) at 52 metres.

The survey revealed a highly variable total magnetic intensity (TMI) with strong magnetic anomalies forming triangular and crescent-shaped bodies, indicative of dyke-type intrusives. The Grenvillian host rocks, to the north and east, showed lower magnetic background values and reduced variability, typical of areas dominated by metasedimentary rocks (paragneiss) or felsic to intermediate intrusive rocks (orthogneiss).

Structural interpretation of the magnetic lineaments highlighted several key structures, including ductile structures within the Grenvillian rocks, shear zones (C1, C2, C3), and regional brittle structures. These lineaments, identified through various processing steps, allowed the technical team to propose a structural scheme for the North Ring of the carbonatite and its Grenvillian host. The scheme identified three major shear zones: a shear corridor in the extreme northwest (C1), a shear zone bounding the northeastern flank of the carbonatite (C2), and a sinistral strike-slip shear separating the North Ring from the South Ring of the intrusion (C3).

The survey also identified several dykes, including the Husereau Hill, which corresponds to one of the largest dykes located at the northern end of the carbonatite. The magnetic susceptibility contrast of the dykes revealed a fish-shaped lateral closure, and the large arcuate, crescent-shaped magnetic structure of the Bond Zone was traced to a major dyke.

Within the North Ring, five major magmatic structures were defined, organized broadly along the NW-SE elongation axis of the carbonatite. These dykes are strongly magnetic due to the presence of altered ultra-alkaline rocks (okaite and ijolite-urtite) and their biotite- and magnetite-bearing carbonatite host. The magnetic inversion sections clearly individualized the different dykes observed at surface, establishing their overall dip and suggesting a possible connection between all of these dykes at depth.

The survey results have contributed to a geometric and structural understanding of the intrusion, providing a detailed image of the magmatic structures and strategic tools for identifying zones favorable to rare earth element (REE) concentration. The technical team has recommended a nine-hole reconnaissance diamond drilling program totaling approximately 4,460 metres in the North Ring, with the primary objective of intersecting significant REE concentrations and, secondarily, niobium.

Bruno Dumais, President and Chief Operating Officer of Nio Strategic Metals Inc., commented, "For seventy years, Oka was drilled for niobium without anyone being able to see the whole system at once. This survey gives us that picture. The dykes that carry the niobium are the same structures the historical work tells us carry the rare earths, and we can now follow them at depth. This survey, together with the IGS metallurgical study and ongoing test work, will help better understand the REE potential of the property and develop safer processes regarding the local environment."

The Corporation's next steps include working with local stakeholders towards obtaining an authorization for impact-causing exploration work within the framework and guidelines established by the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests. Nio Strategic Metals Inc. is committed to developing its deposits in an environmentally responsible manner, supplying strategic materials the world needs while driving innovation, creating high-quality jobs, and strengthening the local economy.