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Successfully identified areas where high neodymium-in-soil anomalies coincide with areas of high radiometric activity, leading to the identification of new rare earth elements prospects as well as validated the location of historically reported ones
Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: IDR) ("IDR", "Idaho Strategic" or the "Company") is pleased to release the results from its widespread soil sampling and radiometrics surveys covering key prospects within the Idaho portion of its Lemhi Pass rare earth elements project.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211939281/en/
The image above is a color relief image showing neodymium-in-soil anomalies from the Company's soil sampling geochemistry, consisting of over 2,000 individual samples taken on 100-meter centers with 50-meter infill sampling around elevated anomalies.
With respect to Idaho Strategic's Lemhi Pass project, the Company's goal during the 2025 geology field season was to build on our high-potential rare earth prospects by collecting both soil geochemistry and radiometric data to aid in advancing exploration, permitting, and drill targeting efforts. The soils geochemistry and radiometrics have defined wide elongated zones of neodymium (Nd) enrichment and radiometric highs. The next step will be boots on the ground geological mapping to refine this broad data into targets for economic evaluation, including permitting for drill targets both at Lemhi Pass and Mineral Hill.
The Company plans to expand the soils groundwork and radiometrics footprint in 2026 to evaluate additional areas of its large Lemhi Pass land package on both sides of the Idaho-Montana border. The two images included in this release are two different scales of LiDAR maps covering a portion of the Idaho side of the Company's Lemhi Pass project. The first figure shows several "bullseye" targets of Nd in soils; and the second figure shows the total thorium levels enriched along structural corridors of the Lemhi Pass and Dan Patch faults.
Prospects identified by the Company warranting follow-up exploration and potential drilling in 2026 are those where high neodymium-in-soil anomalies occur along with high ground-based radiometric signatures. The neodymium-in-soil anomalies are shown by the warm colors and range between 45 ppm to an uncapped maximum sample grade of 1,740 ppm neodymium. While Idaho Strategic has identified several promising prospects by name in the images above, the Company also plans to conduct a drone-based magnetics survey in the spring of 2026. Recent field work has shown disseminated magnetite haloing portions of REE/Th mineralization, leading the Company's geologists to believe that the planned magnetics survey will add another valuable layer of data to further prioritize 2026 permitting and drill targeting efforts.
Over the winter months, while Idaho Strategic's geologists aren't active in the field, the Company will plan its 2026 exploration programs and begin first round processing tests from a variety of samples taken across the Company's rare earth elements (REE) project portfolio, working with a well-known REE processing industry consultant and SGS Laboratory.
Idaho Strategic's President and CEO, John Swallow commented, "Our work at Lemhi Pass this year exceeded our initial expectations. With over 50% of our neodymium-in-soil sample results exceeding typical background levels, it is very encouraging to see widespread anomalies across the project. The extent of these were contained within the areas surveyed from the ground and we fully expect our number of historic and potentially new targets to grow as more data is collected across our broader Lemhi Pass project. In 2026, in addition to drill programs at both Lemhi Pass and Mineral Hill, I am looking forward to the addition of a drone-based magnetics survey on the Idaho side of the project to add another layer of data to refine our approach and begin to get a deeper look into the mineralizing system at Lemhi Pass (the Company recently completed a drone-based magnetic survey of the Montana side of the project). In the meantime, we will continue to advance our projects over the winter with permitting and initial processing tests aimed at further refining our exploration targets based not only on total rare earth grades, but also with amenability to processing in-mind."
Qualified person
IDR's Vice President of Exploration, Robert John Morgan, PG, PLS is a qualified person as such term is defined under S-K 1300 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this press release. Rare earth samples were analyzed by ACT Labs using the 8-REE Assay Package (FUS-MS). The Company's QA/QC program includes certified reference materials to ensure analytical accuracy, with results reviewed by a Qualified Person.
About Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc.
Idaho Strategic Resources (IDR) is an Idaho-based gold producer which also owns the largest rare earth elements land package in the United States. The Company's business plan was established in anticipation of today's volatile geopolitical and macroeconomic environment. IDR finds itself in a unique position as the only publicly traded company with growing gold production and significant blue-sky potential for rare earth elements exploration and development in one Company.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by forward-looking words such as "intends", "potential", "believe", "plans", "expects", "may", "goal", "assume", "estimate", "anticipate", and "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, assumptions, intentions, or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information includes, but are not limited to, Idaho Strategic Resources' potential to advance one or more prospects identified in this press release by permitting, drilling, or additional fieldwork in 2026, the Company's potential to fly drone-based magnetics over Lemhi Pass in 2026, the potential for the Company to commence processing testing and the results of the proposed processing testing over the winter months, and the possibility for any of the identified prospects to result in an economically viable rare earth project. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of Idaho Strategic Resources as of the date such information is provided and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of IDR to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Investors should note that IDR's claim as the largest rare earth elements landholder in the U.S. is based on the Company's internal review of publicly available information regarding the rare earth landholdings of select companies within the U.S., which IDR is aware of. Investors are encouraged not to rely on IDR's claim as the largest rare earth elements landholder in the U.S. while making investment decisions. The forward-looking statement information above, and those following are applicable to both this press release, as well as the links contained within this press release. With respect to the business of Idaho Strategic Resources, these risks and uncertainties include risks relating to widespread epidemics or pandemic outbreaks; interpretations or reinterpretations of geologic information; the accuracy of historic estimates; unfavorable exploration results; inability to obtain permits required for future exploration, development or production; general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; fluctuating mineral and commodity prices; the ability to obtain necessary future financing on acceptable terms; the ability to operate the Company's projects; and risks associated with the mining industry such as economic factors (including future commodity prices, and energy prices), ground conditions, failure of plant, equipment, processes and transportation services to operate as anticipated, environmental risks, government regulation, actual results of current exploration and production activities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, permitting timelines, capital and construction expenditures, reclamation activities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from this forward‐looking information is available in Idaho Strategic Resources filings with the SEC on EDGAR. IDR does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or other such factors which affect this information, except as required by law.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211939281/en/
For more information on Idaho Strategic Resources, please visit www.idahostrategic.com or call:
Travis Swallow, Investor Relations & Corporate Development
Email: tswallow@idahostrategic.com
Phone: (208) 625-9001
