Vancouver, British Columbia — February 26, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Initial prospecting results and geological observations suggest that North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp.’s Bardy, Blanchette and Sabot projects in Québec may be comparable to the large rare-earth element (REE) deposits found in Greenland.
The company (CSE: NIOB) (OTCQB: NIOMF) (FSE: KS82.F) has begun a technical review to assess Sabot’s potential to be incorporated into near-term exploration planning alongside the priority Bardy and Blanchette projects.
Murray Nye, Chief Executive Officer of North American Niobium, said results from the recent prospecting program, together with the geological setting, appear to warrant additional work.
Nye said the technical team will review Sabot alongside the Québec portfolio to determine the most effective next steps ahead of any drilling decisions in the coming weeks.
North American Niobium’s 100% owned Sabot Project is approximately 45 kilometers northwest of the La Tuque Municipality in Québec. The company’s exploration strategy in the province has consistently focused on its Bardy, Blanchette, and Seigneurie projects, but Sabot is close to Bardy and Blanchette.
Sabot benefits from existing regional access and the company’s established stakeholder engagement efforts in the area. Sabot’s location supports a coordinated approach to target development and potential drill planning, subject to review and approvals.
A prospecting grab sample collected during Q4 2025 returned elevated rare earth element values.
A prospecting grab sample (G170073) returned 0.155% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 313.12 parts per million of magnet rare earth oxides (MREO), including 76.72 parts per million praseodymium (Pr) and 228.61 parts per million neodymium (Nd).
The company has identified a syenitic intrusion in contact with silica-rich metasediments (the Wabamask metasedimentary complex is associated with quartzites) near the Sabot Prospect area. The intrusion is interpreted as part of a regional alkaline syenitic complex (~1019-1025 Ma) and is younger than the niobium–rare earth element pegmatite occurrences observed at Bardy and Blanchette (~1060-1070 Ma).
Government geologists in the field observed the presence of sedimentary xenoliths within the syenitic intrusions, which indicates interaction between the alkaline magma and the silica-rich country host rocks. This geological setting has proven to be associated with major deposits, such as the Motzfeldt Project in Greenland.
On Sabot, the southern contact at the center of the property of the Syenite intrusion (Rheaume Intrusive Suite) is associated with bottom-lake sediment anomalies (approx. 90th percentile) in La–Nb–Y (as compiled by the Government of Québec, report PRO 2009-03).
The company’s working interpretation is that Sabot may represent an upper portion of an alkaline system and/or a silica-rich roof/contact zone, either of which can be prospective environments for REE mineralization, and other critical elements such as Niobium, in certain geological settings.
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 Québec’s Grenville Province.
The Québec properties add exposure to rare earth elements (REE), niobium (Nb), and nickel-copper (Ni-Cu) occurrences, expanding the company’s footprint into critical minerals that are strategically important for energy and defense applications.
Sabot is adjacent to the company’s priority Bardy and Blanchette properties, supporting operational and logistical efficiencies.
Geological setting at Sabot includes an alkaline intrusion in contact with metasediments. Textures observed in the intrusion suggest interaction between the alkaline magma and the metasedimentary host rocks, which may have been ideal for the formation of a rare earth element (REE) and/or other critical element deposit.
Conceptual exploration targets include potential silica-rich roof/contact zones and/or upper portions of an alkaline system that may be associated with REE mineralization and other elements such as Niobium; additional surface work is required to refine and prioritize targets.
Alkaline intrusion-related REE systems like the Motzfeldt Project can be large-tonnage. Motzfeldt has reported a large, inferred resource at the Aries deposit (JORC-compliant), cited in public disclosure as 340 million tonnes grading 0.26% TREO, 0.185% Nb205 and 0.46% ZrO2.
These three elements can be indicative of REE-bearing syenitic intrusions. The syenite and the metasediments are associated with REE anomalies. This observation is conceptual and requires follow-up work, including additional geochemical coverage and geological validation.
The company cautions that additional geochemical and geological work is required to refine these conceptual targets and to assess the extent, style, and continuity of any potential mineralization.
The company emphasizes that mineralization, resources, or deposits on other properties are not necessarily indicative of mineralization on Sabot, and such comparisons are provided for geological context only.
Source: North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp.
