Overview
The Diamond Creek project covers approximately 4,900 acres and is comprised of more than 244 unpatented lode mining claims in central Idaho. Diamond Creek is centrally located within IDR's extensive landholdings along the Idaho REE-Th Belt, just north of the town of Salmon, ID. The mineralization at Diamond Creek is found near quartz veins over a large area approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) long and 0.8 km (0.5 mi) wide. The rare earth element bearing veins of the Diamond Creek area are on the short list of the well-recognized and studied occurrences in the United States. In 1979, M.H.Staatz, of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated an overall probable resource at Diamond Creek of approximately 70,000+ tons of total rare earth oxides, using an average grade of 1.22 percent. Idaho Strategic geologists have identified mineralization extending along strike beyond the historic USGS resource estimate. Reported sample assays show total rare earth oxide contents ranging from 0.59% to 5.51%. In addition to rare earths, yttrium, niobium, and gold occur and have the potential to serve as co-products of a potential operation at Diamond Creek.
Mineralization
The Diamond Creek project spans four key prospects—Contact, Lucky Gem, Cymer, and Frank Burch—along a 2-mile section of the Diamond Creek Fault. The project features fracture-filling and replacement deposits, particularly prominent at Lucky Gem with rare earth elements and niobium mineralization hosted in clay. Recent mineralogical reports identify both monazite and xenotime as the two primary rare earth bearing minerals of interest. A compilation and analysis of grab samples, channel samples, and drill results from Diamond Creek has also revealed a relatively high concentration of heavy rare earth elements compared to total rare earths, where the heavy rare earth elements make up approximately 22% of the total rare earth oxides. Also of note, Diamond Creek exhibits a high concentration of yttrium, which accounted for approximately 10% of the total rare earth oxides identified during the project's 2022 drilling and trenching programs. Additionally, niobium occurs at the project in abundance with more than eight samples exceeding 0.5% niobium and more than 10 meters of continuous niobium mineralization grading more than 0.7% niobium encounter during drilling.
Lucky Gem Trenching
In 2022, Idaho Strategic conducted a moderate surface trenching program at Diamond Creek. The most successful trench at the Luck Gem prospect retuned a 32 meter interval that averaged 1.54% total rare earth oxides (TREO) at the surface. The TREO averaged 1.93% between 4m and 18m, with elevated values of 2.18% TREO from 5m to 12m. Also noted is the continued presence of niobium. A total of 8 samples reflected greater than 0.5% niobium, while another 4 samples demonstrated values near 0.5%.
Lucky Gem Drilling
In 2022, Idaho Strategic completed a phase 1 drilling program at the Company's Contact and Lucky Gem prospects at its Diamond Creek project. The drilling resulted in 1.49% TREO over 11.3 meters (m) from 2.9m to 14.2m - including 2.48% TREO over 2.2m from 12m to 14.2m downhole. Additionally, drilling encountered 0.7% niobium over 10.1m from 2.9m to 13m.
Idaho Rare Earth Belt
The Idaho Rare Earth Belt stretches along a northwest trending zone measuring approximately 70 miles long by 8 miles wide. This belt possesses most of the REE lode occurrences in Idaho. Along this 70-mile Belt, IDR controls the Mineral Hill Property in the northwest, the Diamond Creek Property in the middle; and its greatly expanded Lemhi Pass Property in the southeast.
2025 Exploration Plans
Additional reconnaissance and trenching is expected at Diamond Creek during 2025. The goal of the work is to extend the strike length of known rare earth mineralization along the Diamond Creek Fault. Exploration activities during 2025 are expected to largely take place at the underexplored Frank Burch and Cymer prospects, where some of the Company's highest grade TREO samples have been retrieved.
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