Id Idaho Strategic Resources announced the results of its 2023 Mineral Hill exploration program, which included mapping, sampling and evaluation for development. These efforts resulted in the discovery of a new pink carbonatite, which yielded 34.1% total rare earth oxides (TREO). Bulk sampling along both the known and newly discovered carbonatite trends may contain some of the highest grade REE values ever identified in the Mineral Hill District.

The Upper Roberts' carbonatite trend is made up of multiple-colored, multi-grade carbonatites. New outcrops of carbonatite were also found during mapping efforts. These mapped outcrops, show additional trends broken by faulting and intruded by additional igneous activity.

Geochemical analysis for these additional carbonatite exposures is pending, but these assay results may point the way to the heart of the carbonatite system. Additional field work on the Mineral Hill project included the collection of large bulk metallurgy samples for mineral processing and concentrate development evaluations. These samples were gathered along strike of the main carbonatite trend beginning at the 28.2% TREO exposure and continued 25 ft uphill towards the recently mapped 34.1% TREO outcrop.

The bulk samples included both pink and pale-yellow carbonatite units, since they are contiguous. The results of the bulk samples (#98370-#98376) range from 20.8% to 28.6% TREO. The company is planning to develop drill targets that will further define Upper Roberts' REE potential.

The next step will be cross-section interpretations to aid in planning for drill testing and permitting. Future work in this area will include the continuation of mapping efforts over the remaining 1,800 acres in order to locate new carbonatite occurrences. Mapping efforts identified other potential carbonatite deposits and furthered the extents of the main known carbonatite mineralization to over 1/2-mile along a continuous trend of carbonatite - referred to as Upper Roberts.