Critical Elements Confirms Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-PGE Potential on the Nemaska Belt Properties, with Results up to 2% Cu, 0.76% Ni, 0.07% Co, 3.38 g/t Pt and 0.62 g/t Pd

Rhea-AI Summary

Critical Elements Lithium (OTCQX:CRECF) has announced significant findings from its 2025 summer exploration program at the Nemaska Belt properties in Québec. The program revealed notable mineralization with samples containing up to 2% copper, 0.76% nickel, 0.07% cobalt, 3.38 g/t platinum, and 0.62 g/t palladium.

The exploration campaign collected 1,091 rock samples and 73 till samples, with 452 rock sample assays still pending. Key findings include 25 grab samples above 0.1% nickel, 17 samples above 0.1% copper, and multiple samples with significant platinum, palladium, cobalt, and silver content.

The company's Nemaska Belt properties span 540 km² across 1,052 Exclusive Exploration Rights. Critical Elements plans to incorporate these results into its 2026 winter drill program, which will target high-grade nickel-copper-PGE and lithium-bearing spodumene deposits.

Positive

• High-grade mineral discoveries with up to 2% copper, 0.76% nickel, and significant PGE content
• Extensive property portfolio covering 540 km² with 1,052 Exclusive Exploration Rights
• Strategic 20% non-dilutive interest retained in the Nisk property
• Holds over 10 million shares in Power Metallic Mines
• Secured $20M conditional funding from Natural Resources Canada
• Received support letter for up to US$115M project debt financing

Negative

• 452 rock sample assays (41% of total) still pending analysis
• Grab samples may not represent average grades or true mineralization
• Final investment decision for Rose project still pending

MONTREAL, QC / ACCESS Newswire / September 11, 2025 / Critical Elements Lithium Corporation (TSXV:CRE)(OTCQX:CRECF)(FSE:F12) ("Critical Elements" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce initial results from the 2025 summer exploration program completed on Critical Elements' 100%-owned Nemaska Belt properties group, in the Eeyou Istchee region of Québec (Figure 1).

An important helicopter-borne electromagnetic VTEM plus time-domain system ("VTEM") survey covering the Nemaska Belt properties was designed to provide data incremental to the high-resolution magnetic survey completed in 2021. These datasets aided the exploration team's surface program targeting potentially economic mineralization, including high-grade nickel-copper-PGE and lithium-bearing spodumene.

Interest in high-grade nickel-copper-PGE mineralization in the region has increased with the exploration success of Power Metallic Mines Inc. ("Power Metallic"), formerly Chilean Metals Inc. Critical Elements optioned the Nisk property to Power Metallic in 2020 (press release). Following the exercise of the option agreement by Power Metallic on the property hosting the Ni-Cu-EGP Nisk deposit and the new polymetallic Lion discovery, Critical Elements retains a non-dilutive interest of 20% until a definitive feasibility study regarding extraction and production activities is completed on the Nisk property. Critical Elements also held just over 10 million shares of Power Metallic as of May 31, 2025 (Condensed Interim Financial Statements for the nine-month period ending May 31, 2025).

Mineralized Zones

During the 2025 summer exploration program, multiple mineralized zones were identified through rock sampling in areas coinciding with electromagnetic anomalies (VTEM conductors). The mineralization is dominated by pyrrhotite and pyrite (iron sulfide) with trace to 3-5% chalcopyrite (copper sulfide) and/or pentlandite (iron-nickel sulfide). Surface exploration confirmed historical showings and identified newly prospective areas.

In total, 1,091 rock samples and 73 till samples (0.5kg C-horizon) were collected during the summer campaign, of which 452 rock samples assays are still pending. The exploration program was designed to maximize geochemical coverage and assist in defining targets for future drill testing (Figures 1 and 2). Of these samples:

• 25 grab samples grading above 0.1% nickel, with values up to 0.76% nickel.

• 17 grab samples grading above 0.1% copper, with values up to 2.00% copper

• 9 grab samples grading 0.1 g/t or above palladium, with values up to 0.62 g/t palladium

• 1 grab sample assaying 3.38 g/t platinum

• 6 grab samples grading over 0.025% cobalt, with values up to 0.07% cobalt

• 35 grab samples grading above 1.0 g/t silver, with values up to 13.6 g/t silver

• 2 grab samples assaying 0.32% and 0.22% molybdenum

*Grab samples are selective by nature, unlikely to represent average grades, and may not represent true underlying mineralization.

Figure 1: Map showing the best Cu-Ni-Co-Pt-Pd results

Critical Elements' 100%-owned Nemaska Belt properties consist of 1,052 Exclusive Exploration Right across ten different property blocks, covering a total of 540 km². The portfolio spans over 100 km of the Nisk structure and its associated volcano-sedimentary belt. This east-northeast-oriented belt features recognized potential for lithium-associated pegmatite dykes and copper, nickel, and PGE mineralization associated with ultramafic rocks.

The Corporation expects to receive final assay results from the 2025 summer exploration program over the next few weeks. All the results from this surface program and previous geophysical surveys will be incorporated to refine its planned 2026 winter drill program. This drill program will test the newly generated high-grade nickel-copper-PGE and lithium-bearing spodumene drill targets. The program will also seek to expand the mineralized footprint of the Rose West Discovery. Rose West lies within the 395 km² Rose Lithium-Tantalum and Rose South property blocks and is located less than 10 km west of the Corporation's flagship Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project (see press release dated April 22, 2024). As a reminder, the Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project Feasibility Study published in August 2023 (see press release dated August 29, 2023) returned an after-tax NPV_8% of US$2.2 billion and an after-tax IRR of 65.7%.

Management continues to be engaged in assembling the funding required to make a final investment decision on the Rose project. These efforts build on the $20 million conditional funding from Natural Resources Canada's Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (see press release dated February 6, 2025) and the support letter from a leading Canadian financial institution stating its interest in providing long term debt financing of up to US$115 million (approximately C$150 million) of project debt (see press release dated February 10, 2025).

Figure 2: Map showing the best silver results

Detailed map and data are available on Critical Elements' website at https://www.cecorp.ca/en/nemaska-belt-vtem-best-grab-results/.

Quality assurance/quality control

Quality assurance and quality control procedures have been implemented to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of the samples. Standards and blanks were regularly inserted into the sample stream. The samples were delivered in secure, tagged bags to the ALS Minerals laboratory facility in Val-d'Or, Quebec. The samples are weighed and identified prior to sample preparation. Till samples were dried, sieved to 63 μm and analyzed using four-acid digestion (ME-MS61L). Rock samples were crushed to 70% minus 2 mm, then separated and pulverized to 85% passing 75 μm. Samples were assayed for a 33-elements suite using a four-acid digestion method (ME ICP 61) with re-assay of values over 10,000 ppm for copper using a four-acid digestion and ICP finish (Cu-OG62). Gold, platinum and palladium were analyzed by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish (PGM-ICP-27). Gold was analyzed using fire assay only, when PGE mineralization was not suspected (Au-AA23).

Qualified Person

François Gagnon, P. Geo, Operations Director - Québec for Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the data and technical content of this press release on behalf of the Corporation.

About Critical Elements Lithium Corporation

Critical Elements aspires to become a large, responsible supplier of lithium to the flourishing electric vehicle and energy storage system industries. To this end, Critical Elements is advancing the wholly-owned, high-purity Rose Lithium-Tantalum project in Québec, the Corporation's first lithium project to be advanced within a land portfolio of over 1,050 km². On August 29, 2023, the Corporation announced results of a new Feasibility Study on Rose for the production of spodumene concentrate. The after-tax internal rate of return for the Project is estimated at 65.7%, with an estimated after-tax net present value of US$2.2B at an 8% discount rate. In the Corporation's view, Québec is strategically well-positioned for US and EU markets and boasts good infrastructure including a low-cost, low-carbon power grid featuring 94% hydroelectricity. The project has received approval from the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the recommendation of the Joint Assessment Committee, comprised of representatives from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Cree Nation Government, received the Certificate of Authorization under the Environment Quality Act from the Québec Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and the project mining lease from the Québec Minister of Natural Resources and Forests under the Québec Mining Act.

For further information, please contact:

Jean-Sébastien Lavallée, P. Géo.
Chief Executive Officer
819-354-5146
jslavallee@cecorp.ca
www.cecorp.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is described in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary statement concerning forward-looking statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian Securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "scheduled", "anticipates", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "scheduled", "targeted", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information contained herein include, without limitation, statements relating to the anticipated receipt of the final assay results from the 2025 summer exploration program on the Corporation's Nemaska Belt properties, the results and completion of the 2025 exploration program and its related objectives. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Although Critical Elements 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. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: delays in obtaining final assay results from the laboratory facility, the final and complete results of the Corporation's 2025 exploration program on the Corporation's Nemaska Belt properties not delivering the anticipated results and the effects on the Corporation's stated objectives, as well as those risk factors set out in the Corporation's Management Discussion and Analysis for its most recent quarter ended May 31, 2025 and other disclosure documents available under the Corporation's SEDAR+ profile. Forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and Critical Elements disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Critical Elements Lithium Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What were the highest mineral grades discovered in Critical Elements' 2025 Nemaska Belt exploration program?

The exploration program revealed samples containing up to 2% copper, 0.76% nickel, 0.07% cobalt, 3.38 g/t platinum, and 0.62 g/t palladium.

How many samples did CRECF collect during the 2025 summer exploration program?

Critical Elements collected 1,091 rock samples and 73 till samples, with 452 rock sample assays still pending analysis.

What is the size of Critical Elements' Nemaska Belt properties?

The Nemaska Belt properties consist of 1,052 Exclusive Exploration Rights across ten property blocks, covering 540 km².

What financing has Critical Elements secured for its projects?

The company has secured $20 million conditional funding from Natural Resources Canada's Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund and received a support letter for up to US$115 million in project debt financing from a leading Canadian financial institution.

What is Critical Elements' ownership stake in the Nisk property?

Critical Elements retains a 20% non-dilutive interest in the Nisk property until a definitive feasibility study regarding extraction and production activities is completed.