A development stage mining and exploration company, Solo International has announced the expansion of the Quebec REE project by 60 ha. The additional hectares lie adjacent to Solo International’s Philadelphia Prospect.
Solo International has also signed an agreement with Rare Earth Resources, a junior mining exploration company based in Canada’s Quebec province, to provide support and assistance in newly established mineral claim spanning 60 ha.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of Solo International, Michel Plante expressed delight by stating that the acquisition of the additional property marks another step in the company’s plan towards asset diversity.
The Philadelphia Prospect is situated 4 km NE of Quebec’s Notre-Dame-De-La-Salette, and does not pose any exploration restrictions. REE and Apatite, which was earlier found in Philadelphia, are associated with alkaline rocks and carbonatites. Apatite is primarily used in fertilizer manufacturing and contains traces of rare earth elements (REE).
REE’s are a group of 17 elements essential for the manufacture of motors, electronics components, glass and automobiles. REE’s have unique electrical, chemical, luminescence, magnetic and radioactive shielding properties and can alter the structural and physical characteristics of other materials.
In the United States, there are no active rare earth mines. Rare Earth Oxides has been listed by the US Geological Survey as one of 19 materials or minerals that the country is completely import-dependent upon.