Noble Mineral Exploration Launches Summer Drilling on Quebec Critical Minerals Projects
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. begins Phase 2 surface exploration on rare earth properties in Labrador and Quebec, targeting high-grade REE mineralization critical for clean energy technologies.
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V:NOB, FRANKFURT: NB7, OTCQB:NLPXF) has announced the next phase of its 2026 summer exploration season, with surface exploration programs planned on its Chapiteau Rare Earth Property in Labrador and the Mehmet Rare Earth Property in Quebec. The programs, requiring helicopter support, are scheduled for the last week of June and the first week of July, with Canadian Helicopters out of Goose Bay, Labrador providing support.
The Chapiteau Rare Earth Property, acquired in late 2025, consists of 43 map-staked units in western Labrador, covering part of a large REE-enriched alkaline intrusive system. Historical exploration by Midland Exploration during 2010-2011 identified numerous REE targets through airborne surveys and regional sampling. Grab samples from the area returned up to 8.34% Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO), with heavy rare earth enrichment ranging from 2.29% to 12.85% HREO. Within the ground now held by Noble, six grab samples exceeded 0.5% TREO, ranging from 1.4% to 3.02% TREO. The property is located about 100 km south of the Strange Lake REE deposits and 38 km northeast of the Crater Lake Scandium-REE resource, placing it in one of Canada's most prospective rare earth districts.
Only one known drill hole, Y3-11-04, was completed on the property, intersecting coarse-grained alkaline granite with anomalous REE values averaging approximately 0.14% TREO + Y2O3 over the entire hole. Intervals included 0.13% TREO + Y2O3 over 7.5 m, 0.14% over 12.0 m, and 0.16% over 7.5 m. The company notes that Chapiteau combines high-grade surface geochemistry with favorable alkaline intrusive geology and proximity to established critical-mineral projects.
The Mehmet Rare Earth Property in northeastern Quebec is classified as a hyperalkaline rare-metals showing, according to Quebec's SIGÉOM database. One sample contained 2157.1 ppm rare earth elements, including 550 ppm neodymium, 623 ppm lanthanum, and 1027.3 ppm cerium. These systems are attractive for their potential to host large-tonnage critical mineral deposits essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, permanent magnets, and advanced defense technologies.
H. Vance White, President and CEO of Noble, stated, "we are pleased to get this program underway in order to determine the expected follow up programs later this summer and early fall." The company plans to use the results to guide subsequent exploration activities.
The exploration programs underscore the growing demand for rare earth elements, which are critical for clean energy and high-tech applications. As global supply chains seek to diversify away from dominant producers, projects like Chapiteau and Mehmet could play a significant role in securing North American supplies of these strategic minerals.