Mining Intelligence and News
Canada

Tardiff (Nechalacho) Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
Study CompletedPreliminary Economic Assessment
StageRestarting
Commodities
  • REE
  • Neodymium
  • Praseodymium
  • Dysprosium
  • Terbium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotVital Metals plans to develop the Tardiff deposit of the Nechalacho Rare Earths Project.

Tardiff is one of the highest-grade rare-earth deposits in the world with one of the highest percentages of NdPr (25%), essential materials for making permanent magnets used for EVs, smart devices, wind turbines, and defense equipment.

Hard Rock Starter Open Pit planning to extract only 15% of the total Tardiff Mineral Resource Estimate with an initial 11-year Life-of-Mine.

Transport via barge across Great Slave Lake connecting to the North American Rail Network at Hay River - essential for maintaining robust returns on bulk commodity projects (due to large volumes that need to be moved efficiently).

Next Steps:
- Further MRE Update - expected delivery mid-CY2026;
- Pre-Feasibility Study - Incorporating 2026 MRE and results of project optimisation.
Latest NewsVital Metals Ltd: Tardiff Scoping Study delivers robust economics and upside potential with mixed rare earth and niobium concentrate production over 11-year mine life     July 28, 2025

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Vital Metals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Tardiff project is owned by Nechalacho Resources Corporation, a Canadian-based company in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ASXlisted Vital Metals Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Magmatic

Summary:

The Tardiff deposit of the Tardiff Project is hosted near the top of a nepheline syenite intrusion, which is part of an anorogenic alkaline intrusive complex known as the Paleoproterozoic Blatchford Lake Igneous Complex. The rare earth element (REE) mineralization is hosted in hydrothermally-altered eudialyte syenite collectively referred to as the Upper and Basal zones, and the REE’s are mainly contained in the minerals bastnaesite-(cerium [Ce]), synchysite- (Ce), parasite-(Ce), fergusonite-(yttrium [Y]), samarskite-(Y), allanite-(Ce), and monazite-(Ce). Niobium (Nb) mineralization occurs within the REE Mineral Resource and is predominantly hosted in ferrocolumbite and fergusonite-(Y).

There are multiple identified exploration zones (North T, South T, R zone, S Zone and Tardiff) within the mining leases of the Nechalacho Project. The Tardiff project currently only considers the Tardiff deposit, but it could expand to include the other geological zones with additional work. There is a defined geological subdivision between the predominantly LREO zone at the top (Tardiff, owned by Nechalacho Resources) and a mixture of light and heavy REO mineralization in the lower part (Nechalacho Basal Zone, owned by Avalon Advanced Materials). Tardiff is a polymetallic (REE, Nb, and zirconium [Zr]) deposit hosted by the Thor Lake Syenite. It is a large magmatic deposit with extensive overprinting alteration.

REO mineralisation at Tardiff is layered in separate zones of light rare earths at the top of the deposit (Upper Zone) and a mixture of light and heavy REO mineralisation in the lower part of the deposit (Basal Zone). The current Tardiff MRE reported here is hosted within the upper zone and is dominated by LREO mineralisation. There are some trends in chemical and mineralogical characteristics in the Nechalacho deposit that have both geological and metallurgical significance. These trends are most apparent in vertical zoning of the deposit with respect to the proportion of heavy rare earth elements (HREE) and light rare earth. elements (LREE). In general, the HREE relative to the LREE show a distinct vertical zonation with increasing HREE to depth.

The continuity of REE-mineralization is associated with hydrothermal alteration and mineralogical variations in precursor lithological units. Alteration assemblages of secondary potassium feldspar replacement of early syenite, the destruction of pre-existing mafic minerals and/or the pervasive replacement by magnetite+/-chlorite+/- biotite+/- zircon alteration assemblages are strong visual indicators for higher grade REE-mineralization. The Nb mineralisation broadly follows similar trends of REE mineralisation and variations in grade.

Dimensions
In plan, the Tardiff Mineral Resource extends approximately 1,900 m in the east-west direction and up to 800 m in the north – south direction. Vertically, the Mineral Resource lower limit is at the 150RL, below which Avalon has maintained ownership. The upper limit of the Mineral Resource is the contact between the Nechalacho Syenite and a layer of Glacial Till that may be up to 10 m in thickness.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

The Tardiff Scoping Study highlights production of key REEs such as Nd, Pr, Dy, and Tb, as well as Niobium. The market for Niobium reporting to the rare earth concentrate was not tested and this Study assumes 0% Nb is payable.
CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Total Rare Earth Oxides Concentrate kt 56612
Tb4O7 Oxide in concentrate kt 0.2
Nd2O3 Oxide in concentrate kt 2.932
Pr6O11 Oxide in concentrate kt 0.99.1
Dy2O3 Oxide in concentrate kt 0.6

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Stripping ratio  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2025 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Total Rare Earth Oxides USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Tb4O7 USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Dy2O3 USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Pr6O11 USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Nd2O3 USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Total Rare Earth Oxides USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2025 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 4, 2025
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Workforce

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