Vancouver, British Columbia, Dec. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North America Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. (CSE: NIOB) (FSE: IOR) (OTCQB: NIOMF) (“North American Niobium” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has acquired additional mineral properties in Québec. The Company has (i) extended the Seigneurie Property through the acquisition of additional claims and (ii) added a new, exploration project in the Escoumins municipality.
These acquisitions strengthen the Company’s strategic footprint in geologically prospective terrain and position North American Niobium to advance a pipeline of rare-earth element (“REE”) and critical mineral exploration targets.
Strategic Rationale for Land Expansion
The expanded land package reflects a disciplined, geology-driven approach to property consolidation in underexplored but highly prospective areas. The Escoumins project and in particular the Seigneurie Project exhibit geological characteristics commonly associated with REE and critical mineral systems, including carbonatites and potassic-felsic intrusions environments.
Management believes that early-stage land consolidation in these settings enhances potential for mineral discovery.
Seigneurie Project – Carbonatite-Hosted REE Potential
The Seigneurie Property was originally staked following documentation by Québec’s Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles (“MERN”) describing a carbonatite outcrop within the project area. Carbonatites are globally recognized as one of the most important primary hosts for REEs and related critical minerals.
Subsequent work returned anomalous rare-earth element values, validating the geological concept and supporting further land consolidation. As part of the expansion, the Company has acquired an additional 12 mineral claims (or exclusive exploration rights), extending the Seigneurie Property and increasing coverage along a greater than 27-kilometre prospective structural and magmatic trend (see PR on October 29, 2025).
Carbonatites and associated potassic-felsic intrusive rocks are common components of alkaline REE systems worldwide. The Company plans to advance the Seigneurie Property through systematic geochemical and geophysical surveys, which are expected to refine target areas, identify potential intrusive centers, and prioritize zones for follow-up exploration.
Figure 1: The Seigneurie Project was extended to the South-West where a Carbonatite outcrop was identified.
Click here to view image
Escoumins Property – Historical Drilling and Critical Mineral Upside
The newly acquired Escoumins Property, located in the Escoumins municipality, represents an additional exploration opportunity with compelling historical context. The property was drilled by SOQUEM in the 1970s, intersecting uranium - and thorium-bearing granitic pegmatites.
Importantly, these historical drill intersections were not assayed for rare-earth elements or other critical minerals, leaving the property significantly under-evaluated by modern exploration standards. Pegmatitic systems enriched in uranium and thorium can be genetically linked to REE-enriched magmatic processes.
At present, the Escoumins Property remains at a preliminary evaluation stage, with the Company compiling and reviewing historical data to determine the most effective path forward for modern exploration.
Figure 2: Escoumins Project, newly acquired claims.
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Exploration Outlook
North American Niobium intends to advance the Seigneurie Property as its near-term exploration priority, leveraging geochemistry and geophysics to delineate multiple targets along the expanded land position. The Escoumins Property will continue to undergo data compilation and early-stage technical assessment to evaluate its potential within the Company’s broader critical minerals strategy.
The Company remains focused on cost-effective land acquisition, early-stage discovery potential, and disciplined exploration execution.
ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN NIOBIUM AND CRITICAL MINERALS CORP.
North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. is a North American mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base, and critical mineral assets. Its portfolio includes the Silver Lake property in British Columbia’s Omineca Mining Division and a recently acquired land package in Quebec’s Grenville Province. The Quebec properties add exposure to rare earth elements (REE), niobium (Nb), and nickel-copper (Ni-Cu) occurrences, expanding the Company’s footprint into critical minerals that are strategically important for energy and defense applications.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Murray Nye
Chief Executive Officer
1055 West Georgia Street, Suite 1500
Vancouver, BC V6E 0B6
Canada
For further information, please contact:
Murray Nye, CEO
Email: info@northamericanniobium.com
Phone: +1 (647) 984-4204
CSE:NIOB
OTCQB: NIOMF
FSE:IOR
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects, anticipates or intends to occur in the future, or that otherwise reflect management’s expectations or beliefs about future events, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words and phrases such as “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “strategy,” “target,” “forecast” and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results “will,” “would,” “may,” “could,” or “should” occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to: (i) statements regarding the Properties and their mineral prospectivity; (ii) the Company’s planned exploration, development and evaluation activities on the Properties; (iii) the anticipated benefits of the Acquisition, including the expansion of the Company’s exploration portfolio, increased exposure to critical mineral targets, and the potential to enhance long-term shareholder value; and (iv) the potential for the Grenville Province to host significant rare earth element, niobium, nickel-copper or other critical mineral deposits. Such forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current plans, intentions, expectations and beliefs and are subject to certain assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions that required regulatory approvals will be obtained in a timely manner, that financing will be available on reasonable terms, and that exploration results will continue to support the prospectivity of the Properties.
Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to: the timing and receipt of required regulatory approvals; changes in commodity prices and market conditions; the availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms; general economic, business and political conditions; risks inherent in mineral exploration and development, including operational risks, geological uncertainties, environmental risks and accidents; changes in government regulation or policy; and the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development. Additional information regarding risks and uncertainties faced by the Company is available in the Company’s public disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca).
Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and undue reliance should not be placed on them. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made as of the date hereof and are based on information currently available and management’s beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions at that time. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Clyde McMillan, P.Geo., a consultant to the Company and a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained herein.
The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release
