Quantum Critical Metals has discovered substantial intervals of critical metals in its Quebec-based Discovery Project, revealing potentially strategic resources for advanced technologies and emerging industries. The company's drill core analysis from 2018 and 2022 programs returned impressive concentrations of gallium, rubidium, niobium, cesium, and tantalum across multiple drill holes.
The most notable intersection included 38 grams per tonne gallium, 694 grams per tonne rubidium, 72 grams per tonne niobium, 8 grams per tonne cesium, and 9 grams per tonne tantalum over a 150-meter interval. These results are particularly significant given the current global supply chain challenges for critical metals, primarily dominated by China.
The Discovery Project, spanning 6,082 hectares in the Frotet-Evans Greenstone belt, was originally targeted for gold exploration. However, the recent reassessment revealed substantial critical metal potential, predominantly hosted in pegmatite dykes. The findings represent the company's second gallium-rubidium-cesium discovery, strengthening its portfolio of critical metal assets.
Beyond the critical metals, the project also shows promising indicators of a potential VMS (volcanogenic massive sulfide) system, with anomalous lead-copper-zinc values suggesting broader mineral potential. The strategic importance of these metals cannot be overstated, with gallium playing crucial roles in semiconductors, telecommunications, and renewable energy technologies.
The discovery comes at a critical time when countries like the United States and Canada are seeking to develop domestic sources of strategic minerals to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. With global high-purity gallium production estimated at 320 tonnes in 2023 and growing demand across multiple high-tech sectors, Quantum's findings represent a potentially significant contribution to North American critical metals security.
