Defense Metals Intersects 6.15% TREO at Wicheeda Rare Earth Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 31, Defense Metals announced the first batch of assay results from its spring 2026 drilling program at the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project in British Columbia, Canada. The results cover 11 diamond drill holes totaling 1,633 meters, all located within the final open-pit mine footprint defined by the 2025 Pre-Feasibility Study, primarily for resource upgrade and infill drilling.

Among the results, hole WI26-96 returned a mineralized interval of 65.1 meters at 2.86% Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO), including a higher-grade zone of 20.3 meters at 6.15% TREO. Hole WI26-93 intersected 184.4 meters at 1.70% TREO, including 56.7 meters at 2.52%; hole WI26-86 returned 69.8 meters at 3.69% TREO, including 32 meters at 5.03%. The company estimates that the true thickness of the relevant rare earth mineralization is approximately 70%–100% of the drilled interval lengths.

Additionally, hole WI26-100 intersected 148.7 meters at 1.55% TREO from near-surface, including 84.6 meters at 2.40%; hole WI26-102 returned 73.4 meters at 2.62% TREO, including 34.3 meters at 3.25%. Assay results for a further 47 meters of core from the deeper portion of hole WI26-102 are still pending.

The 2026 drilling program at the Wicheeda Project has now completed 31 diamond drill holes totaling 5,345 meters, comprising 20 resource upgrade and infill holes totaling 3,136 meters, 7 open-pit slope geotechnical holes totaling 1,507 meters, and 4 waste rock geochemical holes totaling 702 meters. The objective of this round of resource infill work is to upgrade a portion of the Inferred resources within the current PFS pit shell to Indicated or higher classification.

The first batch of results covers 10 resource upgrade and infill holes and 1 slope geotechnical hole. Samples from the remaining 10 resource upgrade and infill holes are currently being analyzed at the laboratory, and Defense Metals plans to continue releasing assay results over the coming weeks. The Wicheeda Project still requires a Feasibility Study and related permitting work before a production decision can be made.