Search Minerals Receives Newfoundland Grant to Boost Rare Earth Exploration in Labrador
Search Minerals has secured a $91,000 grant from Newfoundland and Labrador to advance rare earth exploration in the Port Hope Simpson–St. Lewis district, supporting North American supply chain development.
Search Minerals Inc. (TSX.V: SMY) (OTC: SHCMF) has been awarded a $91,000 grant from the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador under the Mineral Incentive Program’s Junior Exploration Assistance Program. The funding will support the company’s 2025 exploration activities in the Port Hope Simpson–St. Lewis critical rare earth element district in southeastern Labrador, a region emerging as a key source of critical minerals for North America.
The grant will aid programs such as the Fox Run 2025 channel sampling initiative, which aims to further define high-grade mineralization across the 63-kilometer belt. The company is advancing key targets including Deep Fox and Foxtrot toward potential production, as it works to support the development of a North American rare earth supply chain. This is significant given the growing demand for rare earth elements used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and defense technologies, and the current heavy reliance on foreign sources.
Search Minerals controls a belt 64 km long and 2 km wide in the region, which is road accessible, on tidewater, and located near three local communities. The company has completed a preliminary economic assessment report with resource estimates for Foxtrot and Deep Fox, and is also working on four exploration prospects along the belt: Fox Meadow, Silver Fox, Fox Run, and Awesome Fox. Additionally, Search has continued to optimize its patented Direct Extraction Process technology with support from the Department of Energy and Mines, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency. The company has completed two pilot plant operations and produced highly purified mixed rare earth carbonate concentrate and mixed REO concentrate for separation and refining.
The grant underscores the provincial government’s commitment to fostering mineral exploration and development, particularly for critical minerals. For Search Minerals, this funding helps de-risk exploration activities and accelerates the path toward potential production. The company’s progress is closely watched by investors and industry stakeholders, as a domestic rare earth supply chain could reduce strategic vulnerabilities for the United States and Canada. The full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/ssljX.
Search Minerals is led by a proven management team and board of directors, focusing on finding and developing Critical Rare Earth Elements (CREE), Zirconium (Zr), and Hafnium (Hf) resources. The company’s activities are part of a broader trend of increased investment in critical mineral projects in North America, driven by policy support and supply chain security concerns. The latest news and updates relating to SHCMF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SHCMF.