Defense Metals starts Pilot Flotation Test Program for the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project, British Columbia
Defense Metals Corp. [TSXV: DEFN; OTCQB: DFMTF; FSE:35D], a company focused on the development of its wholly owned Wicheeda Rare Earth Project, located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, reported the start of a confirmatory pilot flotation plant test program for its Wicheeda Project. The program will be conducted at the SGS Canada Inc. metallurgical facility in Lakefield, Ontario.
Defense Metals has engaged SGS Canada Inc. (SGS) to undertake the pilot flotation program, which is designed to confirm the results of the 2021 pilot plant, further advance metallurgical development, generate flotation concentrate for hydrometallurgical pilot plant work, and support future engineering studies for the Wicheeda Project. The program will utilize approximately 30 tonnes of drill core material from the Wicheeda deposit in two sub-samples representing planned production from years one through five and year six onwards of the PFS mine plan.
The primary objective of the pilot flotation campaign is to generate a representative rare earth flotation concentrate grading approximately 50% total rare earth oxides (TREO). The concentrate produced during the pilot program will be used in a planned downstream hydrometallurgical pilot plant aimed at confirming and optimising the general process conditions of the PFS with the representative concentrate generated from this pilot flotation program.
In addition to concentrate production, the continuous pilot-scale operation will generate representative process tailings for downstream testing and characterization. The pilot plant will also confirm metallurgical performance under continuous operating conditions while providing valuable engineering and process design data for future project development activities.
To further support engineering design, Defense Metals has engaged Jenike & Johanson to conduct bulk solids handling test work on various production plant process streams using samples generated during the pilot plant operation. The testing is expected to provide important design criteria related to material handling for process plant design.
SGS has completed pre-pilot characterization work, including head assays, grindability testing, laboratory-scale flotation testing, and pilot plant setup activities. Pilot plant operations are scheduled to start May 12, 2026, and are expected to continue for approximately five weeks.
“We are very pleased to commence this important pilot flotation campaign with SGS Lakefield, which marks another major step in advancing the Wicheeda Project toward development,” said Mark Tory, CEO of Defense Metals. “The generation of a representative high-grade rare earth concentrate for downstream hydrometallurgical testing is a critical component in further de-risking the project and refining our process flowsheet. The pilot program will also provide valuable engineering and operational data needed to continue progressing Wicheeda as a potential North American source of rare earth materials.”
Management believes the pilot flotation program represents another significant milestone in advancing the Wicheeda Rare Earth Project toward the next stage of technical and economic development.
The company also announced that Michelle Tanguay has been appointed Vice President of Environment and Social Performance.
Defense Metals Corp. is an advanced rare earth elements (REE) development company focused on delivering strategically critical metals to the western world defence, high-technology, and clean energy supply chains. The company’s primary asset is its 100%-owned Wicheeda REE deposit.
The Wicheeda Project is one of the most advanced, undeveloped REE deposits in North America or Europe, featuring a robust mineral resource and mining reserve, as detailed in the company’s 2025 Pre Feasibility Study (PFS), prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 standards.
Defense Metals is committed to advancing the Wicheeda Project through the Feasibility Study stage, permitting, and ultimately into production, positioning the company to become a reliable supplier of critical REEs.
The PFS for the Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Project is preliminary in nature and includes numerous assumptions regarding metallurgy, capital and operating costs, and market conditions.