Vancouver, British Columbia — January 8, 2026 — Leads & Copy — North America Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: NIOB) (FSE: IOR) (OTCQB: NIOMF) has released an update on its Phase 1 soil-gas radon survey completed by RadonEx on the Company’s Blanchette and Bardy properties in Québec, approximately 40 km northwest of the Municipality of La Tuque. Preliminary results show multiple anomalous zones (“radon hot spots”) spatially associated with the REE mineral prospects Blanchette-1, Blanchette-2 and Bardy, suggesting additional target areas consistent with extensions of REE-bearing pegmatitic granitic dykes.
The Phase 1 soil-gas radon survey was completed by RadonEx from December 16–18, 2025, on the Company’s Blanchette and Bardy properties, comprising one 250 m x 250 m grid at Bardy with 68 sampling points (anomalous responses defined as >0.19 pCi/m²/s) and two 200 m x 200 m grids at Blanchette with 72 sampling points (anomalous responses defined as >0.15 pCi/m²/s), each based on RadonEx thresholds.
NIOB is integrating near-real-time radon targeting with a rapid follow-up backpack drilling program, enabling the Company to act quickly on newly identified anomalous areas. The Company plans a Phase 2 expansion of the radon soil gas survey in Q1 2026, increasing coverage to additional areas of the Blanchette, Bardy and Seigneurie properties. Preliminary survey observations and interpretation by NIOB indicate that several radon anomalies occur near known REE prospects on both properties, and that the distribution of these “hot spots” may suggest extensions of pegmatitic granitic dykes beyond currently mapped or prospected areas.
The identification of pegmatitic dyke extensions is significant, as these units are known to locally host or control REE and niobium mineralization on the properties. At Bardy, the Company interprets a WNW–ESE trend in the anomalous pattern consistent with regional dyke orientations reported by Québec government geologists (MRNF SIGEOM database). A broader survey footprint and expanded coverage may help resolve the trend and potential southwest extension at Bardy. The Company emphasizes that these results are preliminary and qualitative. Radon anomalies are being used as a targeting tool to help focus follow-up work, particularly in areas with overburden, and do not confirm mineralization.
To maximize its de-risking strategy, NIOB is pairing the radon survey’s rapid turnaround with the addition of an extra prospecting team to follow up anomalous zones soon after they are identified. This follow-up work will include a low impact non-hydraulic portable backpack drilling service. The method is designed to drill through 20m of overburden or more, where present, and recover approximately 2–3 m of bedrock core for geological logging and sampling. The team is expected to collect approximately 3-5 samples on average per day, depending on overburden conditions.
Samples will be reviewed by a Quebec registered P.Geo prior to selecting the most prospective pegmatite or carbonatite samples for rush analysis. NIOB believes that combining daily/near-daily radon targeting with rapid follow-up sampling can help the Company prioritize the most prospective areas for upcoming diamond drilling programs, rather than broadly sampling the entire property package.
Based on the spatial association observed between preliminary radon anomalies and known prospects, and the interpreted WNW–ESE trend at Bardy, NIOB intends to advance to a Phase 2 radon survey expansion in Q1 2026, extending coverage to additional areas on the Blanchette and Bardy properties. Final grid design, including spacing, remains under discussion.
The planned backpack drilling and sampling activity is considered low-impact and is being conducted as a prospecting activity, the equipment doesn’t involve hydraulic force, which does not require an ATI permit in Québec.
Murray Nye, Chief Executive Officer of North American Niobium, stated that by combining near-real-time radon targeting with low-impact, portable backpack drilling, the company can rapidly recover bedrock core samples directly from the strongest radon ‘hot spots,’ focusing work where anomalies occur instead of broadly sampling across the entire property. He added that similar bedrock/basal till-style approaches have been used successfully by other groups, including Kenorland, on a property-scale basis in Québec and that this is one of the best ways to de-risk an exploration project and generate quality drill targets.
North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. is focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base, and critical mineral assets. Its portfolio includes the Silver Lake property in British Columbia’s Omineca Mining Division and a recently acquired land package in Quebec’s Grenville Province, with exposure to rare earth elements (REE), niobium (Nb), and nickel-copper (Ni-Cu) occurrences.
Murray Nye, CEO, Email: info@northamericanniobium.com, Phone: +1 (647) 984-4204
Source: North American Niobium
