NioCorp says critical minerals receive higher urgency status for U.S. government

The U.S. Government has named three minerals contained in the mineral resource of NioCorp (NB) Developments’ proposed Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project as among the most vital to U.S. national and economic security of all 54 critical minerals. All of the major minerals in NioCorp’s resource at the proposed Elk Creek Project are designated critical minerals. As a result, NioCorp believes its Project is one of the most strategic pure-play critical minerals projects in the U.S. that is fully permitted for construction, has an estimated mineral resource supported by a Regulation S-K 1300-compliant Technical Report Summary filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and has completed Feasibility Study-level metallurgy for its potential products. In its recently issued report, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Geological Survey found that three minerals in NioCorp’s mineral resource, niobium, dysprosium, and terbium, were named among the top 10 most critical minerals to the U.S. “As a pure-play critical minerals project with all of our minerals designated as vital to the U.S., we are proud to represent what we believe is one of the most strategic polymetallic critical minerals projects in America,” said CEO Mark Smith. “Moreover, the government now says that three of our minerals are among the most critical of all critical minerals. This further demonstrates the urgency of getting the Elk Creek Project into construction and commercial operation as rapidly as possible.”