Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE: APXC) (OTCQX: APXCF) (FWB: KL9) (“Apex” or the “Company”), a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the identification and development of critical and strategic metals, is pleased to report that the Company has acquired additional rare earth exploration rights within a high-priority target area at the Elk Creek Rift Project in southeastern Nebraska, U.S.A.
The Rift Project includes exploration rights and purchase options for an increased total of approximately 3,024 acres (1,224 ha), encompassing highly prospective portions of the Elk Creek Carbonatite Complex contiguous and adjacent to NioCorp Developments Ltd. (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Apex’s Elk Creek Rift Project in Nebraska, USA, with Primary Target Area for Phase I Drilling (red ellipse)
Sean Charland, CEO of Apex Critical Metals, stated: “This acquisition consolidates a key area within our Elk Creek Rift Project, and our team is actively refining our Phase I drill plan and advancing permitting with a view towards commencing our inaugural program before the end of the year.”
The Company is in the process of modelling all historical information for targeted drilling to expand upon the historical REE findings, with an initial focus on the EC-93 and NEC11-004 area (previously reported), where high-grades of rare earth mineralization from historical drilling remain open in all directions. Other areas of the Rift Project recently identified as requiring follow up drilling include (Figure 1):
- EC-43 (1 km south of EC-93)
- 0 to 323.1 m – 134.1 m of 1.22% TREO1
- including 2 m of 3.18% TREO from 243.8 to 256 m or 27.4 m of 1.83% from 295.7 to 323.1 m
- EC-04 (West Anomaly)
- 1 to 402.3 – 185.2 m of 1.18% LREO2
- 8 to 445.0 m – 15.2 m of 1.14% TREO
- 0 to 323.1 m – 134.1 m of 1.22% TREO1
The historical drillhole EC-43 is approximately one (1) kilometre to the southeast of EC-093 represents the nearest drill hole to EC-93/NEC11-004 and is within the south-central parts of a large overall area considered a high priority for REE mineralization, as previously identified by Molycorp (1973-1986). The Company believes this demonstrates the potential scale of REE mineralization within the complex.
For additional information and disclosure regarding the Company’s Elk Creek Rift Project please visit the Company’s website at apexcriticalmetals.com and refer to Company press releases on September 3rd and October 1st, 2025.
Management cautions that discoveries on adjacent properties (e.g., NioCorp Developments Ltd.) are not necessarily indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Rift Project. Drillholes EC-43 and EC-04 were originally completed by Molycorp between 1973-1986 with reanalysis performed by Quantum Rare Earth Development Corp. in 2010. The results presented herein, with the exception of the noted interval from EC-04, are from the 2010 reanalysis.
1Total rare earth oxide, includes the sum of Ce2O3, La2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Eu2O3, Sm2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, and Y2O3
2No 2010 reanalysis data available. Original analytical results from historical drillholes completed by Molycorp were commonly limited to just the four lightest (LREO) of the REE’s (Ce, La, Nd, Pm).
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