NioCorp To Accelerate Pre-Construction Activities at its Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project
NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) announced plans to accelerate pre-construction activities at its Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project following successful fundraising of $60.7 million from institutional investors over the past three months. The company completed two public equity offerings: $18.9 million in April 2025 and $41.8 million in July 2024.
The funding will enable NioCorp to launch multiple pre-construction initiatives, including land acquisition, geomechanical and hydrogeological field work, detailed engineering, site preparation, infrastructure development, and operational permitting. CEO Mark A. Smith emphasized the project's importance in supporting the administration's critical minerals initiatives and national defense imperatives.
NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) ha annunciato l'intenzione di accelerare le attività di pre-costruzione presso il suo Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project, grazie al successo nella raccolta fondi di 60,7 milioni di dollari da investitori istituzionali negli ultimi tre mesi. La società ha completato due offerte pubbliche di azioni: 18,9 milioni di dollari nell'aprile 2025 e 41,8 milioni di dollari nel luglio 2024.
Questi fondi permetteranno a NioCorp di avviare diverse iniziative di pre-costruzione, tra cui acquisizione di terreni, lavori sul campo geomeccanici e idrogeologici, ingegneria dettagliata, preparazione del sito, sviluppo delle infrastrutture e ottenimento delle autorizzazioni operative. Il CEO Mark A. Smith ha sottolineato l'importanza del progetto nel supportare le iniziative governative sui minerali critici e le esigenze della difesa nazionale.
NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) anunció planes para acelerar las actividades previas a la construcción en su proyecto Elk Creek Critical Minerals tras recaudar con éxito 60,7 millones de dólares de inversores institucionales en los últimos tres meses. La compañía completó dos ofertas públicas de acciones: 18,9 millones de dólares en abril de 2025 y 41,8 millones de dólares en julio de 2024.
Los fondos permitirán a NioCorp iniciar múltiples iniciativas previas a la construcción, incluyendo adquisición de terrenos, trabajos de campo geomecánicos e hidrogeológicos, ingeniería detallada, preparación del sitio, desarrollo de infraestructura y permisos operativos. El CEO Mark A. Smith destacó la importancia del proyecto para apoyar las iniciativas gubernamentales sobre minerales críticos y las prioridades de defensa nacional.
NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB)는 최근 3개월간 기관 투자자로부터 6,070만 달러의 성공적인 자금 조달을 바탕으로 Elk Creek Critical Minerals 프로젝트의 건설 전 활동을 가속화할 계획을 발표했습니다. 회사는 2025년 4월에 1,890만 달러, 2024년 7월에 4,180만 달러의 두 차례 공개 주식 발행을 완료했습니다.
이번 자금은 NioCorp가 토지 취득, 지반역학 및 수리지질 현장 조사, 상세 설계, 부지 준비, 인프라 개발, 운영 허가 등 다양한 건설 전 활동을 시작할 수 있게 합니다. CEO Mark A. Smith는 이 프로젝트가 정부의 핵심 광물 이니셔티브와 국가 방위 임무를 지원하는 데 중요하다고 강조했습니다.
NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) a annoncé son intention d'accélérer les activités de pré-construction de son projet Elk Creek Critical Minerals après avoir levé avec succès 60,7 millions de dollars auprès d'investisseurs institutionnels au cours des trois derniers mois. La société a réalisé deux offres publiques d'actions : 18,9 millions de dollars en avril 2025 et 41,8 millions de dollars en juillet 2024.
Ce financement permettra à NioCorp de lancer plusieurs initiatives de pré-construction, notamment l'acquisition de terrains, des travaux géomécaniques et hydrogéologiques sur le terrain, l'ingénierie détaillée, la préparation du site, le développement des infrastructures et l'obtention des permis d'exploitation. Le PDG Mark A. Smith a souligné l'importance du projet pour soutenir les initiatives gouvernementales sur les minéraux critiques et les impératifs de défense nationale.
NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB) kündigte Pläne an, die Vorbereitungsarbeiten für das Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project nach erfolgreicher Kapitalbeschaffung von 60,7 Millionen US-Dollar durch institutionelle Investoren in den letzten drei Monaten zu beschleunigen. Das Unternehmen schloss zwei öffentliche Aktienangebote ab: 18,9 Millionen US-Dollar im April 2025 und 41,8 Millionen US-Dollar im Juli 2024.
Die Finanzierung ermöglicht NioCorp die Einleitung mehrerer Vorbereitungsmaßnahmen, darunter Landankauf, geomechanische und hydrogeologische Feldarbeiten, Detailplanung, Standortvorbereitung, Infrastrukturentwicklung und Betriebsgenehmigungen. CEO Mark A. Smith betonte die Bedeutung des Projekts zur Unterstützung der Initiativen der Regierung für kritische Mineralien und der nationalen Verteidigungsprioritäten.
- Successfully raised $60.7 million from institutional investors through two equity offerings
- Funding enables acceleration of multiple pre-construction work streams
- Progress supports ongoing engagement with U.S. Export-Import Bank and other debt finance providers
- Project aligns with government initiatives for critical minerals development
- Full project financing still needs to be obtained
- Equity offerings may result in shareholder dilution
Insights
NioCorp's $60.7M fundraising accelerates Elk Creek Project timeline, strengthening position in strategic minerals market amid favorable government policies.
NioCorp's successful raising of
The fundraising, split between
The company's strategic timing aligns perfectly with the renewed focus on domestic critical minerals production under the current administration. NioCorp's Elk Creek deposit contains niobium, scandium, and rare earth elements (including neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium) – all materials designated as critical for both economic and national security purposes.
The announced pre-construction initiatives are substantive and include crucial technical work (geomechanical and hydrogeological studies), practical site development (land acquisition, infrastructure development), and administrative preparations (operational permitting, team expansion). These represent genuine project de-risking activities rather than merely preliminary studies.
Perhaps most significant is management's statement regarding ongoing engagement with the U.S. Export-Import Bank, suggesting NioCorp is pursuing a project finance package with potential government backing. This financing strategy, combining private institutional equity with government-supported debt, mirrors successful approaches used by other critical mineral developers globally and could substantially reduce overall capital costs.
The Company's Recent Success Over the Past Three Months in Raising Approximately
"We Feel a Responsibility to Move Faster in Order to Support the Trump Administration's Historic Critical Minerals Initiatives," CEO Says
CENTENNIAL, CO / ACCESS Newswire / July 22, 2025 / NioCorp Developments Ltd. ("NioCorp" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:NB) plans to ramp up pre-construction activities at its Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project (the "Elk Creek Project") as a result of the Company's success over the past three months in raising approximately
NioCorp successfully raised net proceeds of approximately
"NioCorp is now empowered to accelerate field activities and other pre-construction work streams so that the Elk Creek Project can get out of the blocks that much faster once full project financing is obtained," said Mark A. Smith, NioCorp CEO and Executive Chairman. "Early capital helps us get a jump in many different areas that in turn should help us accelerate bringing our products to market that much sooner. There is both an economic and a national defense imperative to getting strategic U.S. resources like the Elk Creek Project online as rapidly as possible."
"Our success in raising equity capital also provides important support and momentum to our ongoing engagement with the U.S. Export-Import Bank and other debt finance providers as we continue to assemble our project financing," he said.
Mr. Smith added: "With the intensive new focus and additional government funding by the Trump Administration to accelerate critical minerals mining, processing and supply chain development in the U.S., we feel a responsibility to accelerate our efforts to deliver multiple critical mineral products to market."
Among the initiatives that NioCorp intends to launch as it continues to advance the Project are these:
Additional land acquisition
Geomechanical field work
Hydrogeological field work;
Detailed engineering
Early works / site preparation
Infrastructure development
Utility hookups
Operational permitting
Continuing build-out of the owner's team
Other project advancement efforts
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jim Sims, Corporate Communications Officer, NioCorp Developments Ltd., (720) 334-7066, jim.sims@niocorp.com
@NioCorp $NB #Niobium #Scandium #rareearth #neodymium #dysprosium #terbium #ElkCreek
ABOUT NIOCORP
NioCorp is developing the Elk Creek Project that is expected to produce niobium, scandium, and titanium. The Company also is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earths from the Elk Creek Project. Niobium is used to produce specialty alloys as well as High Strength, Low Alloy steel, which is a lighter, stronger steel used in automotive, structural, and pipeline applications. Scandium is a specialty metal that can be combined with aluminum to make alloys with increased strength and improved corrosion resistance. Scandium is also a critical component of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. Titanium is used in various lightweight alloys and is a key component of pigments used in paper, paint and plastics and is also used for aerospace applications, armor, and medical implants. Magnetic rare earths, such as neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium are critical to the making of neodymium-iron-boron magnets, which are used across a wide variety of defense and civilian applications.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the acceleration of the Company's effortsto deliver niobium, scandium, and titanium products to market and progress our ongoing work regarding the potential to produce rare earths; the various initiatives that NioCorp plans to pursue as it continues to advance the Elk Creek Project; NioCorp's expectation of producing niobium, scandium, and titanium, and the potential of producing rare earths, at the Elk Creek Project; and NioCorp's ability to secure sufficient project financing to complete construction of the Elk Creek Project and move it to commercial operation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "plan," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "outlook," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "continue," "could," "may," "might," "possible," "potential," "predict," "should," "would" and other similar words and expressions, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
The forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the management of NioCorp and are inherently subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances and their potential effects and speak only as of the date of such statement. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. Forward-looking statements reflect material expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, expectations and assumptions relating to: NioCorp's ability to receive sufficient project financing for the construction of the Elk Creek Project on acceptable terms or at all; the future price of metals; the stability of the financial and capital markets; NioCorp's ability to service future debt, if any, and meet the payment obligations thereunder and current estimates and assumptions regarding the business combination with GX Acquisition Corp. II (the "Business Combination") and the standby equity purchase agreement (the "Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement" and, together with the Business Combination, the "Transactions") with YA II PN, Ltd., an investment fund managed by Yorkville Advisors Global, LP, and their benefits. Such expectations and assumptions are inherently subject to uncertainties and contingencies regarding future events and, as such, are subject to change. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed and identified in public filings made by NioCorp with the SEC and with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the following: NioCorp's ability to operate as a going concern; NioCorp's requirement of significant additional capital; NioCorp's ability to receive sufficient project financing for the construction of the Elk Creek Project on acceptable terms or at all; NioCorp's ability to receive a final commitment of financing from the Export-Import Bank of the United States, a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense or a debt guarantee from UK Export Finance on acceptable timelines, on acceptable terms, or at all; NioCorp's ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Transactions, including NioCorp's ability to access the full amount of the expected net proceeds under the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement; NioCorp's ability to continue to meet the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC; risks relating to NioCorp's common shares, including price volatility, lack of dividend payments and dilution or the perception of the likelihood of any of the foregoing; the extent to which NioCorp's level of indebtedness and/or the terms contained in agreements governing NioCorp's indebtedness, if any, or the Yorkville Equity Facility Financing Agreement may impair NioCorp's ability to obtain additional financing, on acceptable terms, or at all; covenants contained in agreements with NioCorp's secured creditors that may affect its assets; NioCorp's limited operating history; NioCorp's history of losses; the material weaknesses in NioCorp's internal control over financial reporting, NioCorp's efforts to remediate such material weaknesses and the timing of remediation; the possibility that NioCorp may qualify as a passive foreign investment company under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"); the potential that the Transactions could result in NioCorp becoming subject to materially adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences as a result of the application of Section 7874 and related sections of the Code; cost increases for NioCorp's exploration and, if warranted, development projects; a disruption in, or failure of, NioCorp's information technology systems, including those related to cybersecurity; equipment and supply shortages; variations in the market demand for, and prices of, niobium, scandium, titanium and rare earth products; current and future offtake agreements, joint ventures, and partnerships; NioCorp's ability to attract qualified management; estimates of mineral resources and reserves; mineral exploration and production activities; feasibility study results; the results of metallurgical testing; the results of technological research; changes in demand for and price of commodities (such as fuel and electricity) and currencies; competition in the mining industry; changes or disruptions in the securities markets; legislative, political or economic developments, including changes in federal and/or state laws that may significantly affect the mining industry; trade policies and tensions, including tariffs; inflationary pressures; the impacts of climate change, as well as actions taken or required by governments related to strengthening resilience in the face of potential impacts from climate change; the need to obtain permits and comply with laws and regulations and other regulatory requirements; the timing and reliability of sampling and assay data; the possibility that actual results of work may differ from projections/expectations or may not realize the perceived potential of NioCorp's projects; risks of accidents, equipment breakdowns, and labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in development programs; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, mining, or development activities; management of the water balance at the Elk Creek Project site; land reclamation requirements related to the Elk Creek Project; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves and resources; claims on the title to NioCorp's properties; potential future litigation; and NioCorp's lack of insurance covering all of NioCorp's operations.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should any of the assumptions made by the management of NioCorp prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.
All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the matters addressed herein and attributable to NioCorp or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, NioCorp undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
SOURCE: NioCorp Developments Ltd.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
FAQ
How much funding did NioCorp (NASDAQ:NB) raise in recent equity offerings?
What will NioCorp use the $60.7 million funding for?
Is the Elk Creek Project fully funded for construction?
What critical minerals will NioCorp's Elk Creek Project produce?
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