Province to conduct rare earth minerals survey

The provincial government is investing in a new geophysical survey of natural resources in southwest Saskatchewan, furthering a provincial strategy on critical mineral exploration.

The provincial government has announced a $500,000 investment to conduct an airborne survey in the Swift Current region, identified due to a lack of recent geophysical survey data available.

Done in partnership with Natural Resources Canada (NRC), data collected by the survey will be similar to work conducted previously in northern Saskatchewan to inform potential future development interests.

Preliminary understandings indicate lithium-in-brine, helium and petroleum resources may exist in the area, prompting interest in further exploration.

“This survey work will support Saskatchewan's Critical Minerals Strategy,” Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter said in a news release Tuesday.

“The data we collect will be made publicly available so that it can be used to inform investment decisions on new and existing exploration projects.”

Previous surveys have identified mineral potential, resulting in the staking of new mineral sites of copper, zinc and gold. Data has also provided technical data to support exploration companies' work in such areas.

Saskatchewan recently outlined expanded targets for the provincial Critical Mineral Strategy in 2023, seeking to nearly double the province's stake in Canada's critical minerals sector from 8.5 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030.

The province also intends to increase mining exploration, exports and oil production to 600,000 barrels per day as part of a provincial growth plan in the same time frame.

Twenty-three of the 31 critical minerals on Canada's national list have been found in Saskatchewan. Provincial ministers have expressed interest in capitalizing on that presence to make Saskatchewan a hub for rare earth metals and critical mineral exploration.

Many are used in the production of electric vehicle batteries, computers and other crucial products that align with national clean energy strategies, like wind turbines.

The survey announcement follows a $5-million federal investment also through NRC to further localize separation of rare earth minerals mined in Saskatchewan, provided to the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC).

SRC operates the province's sole rare earth minerals processing facility in Saskatoon, currently able to separate neodymium and praseodymium in preparation to be processed into rare earth metals.

Funds will be used to develop the technology to separate dysprosium and terbium, producing an anticipated 25 tonnes of dysprosium oxide and five tonnes of terbium oxide annually.

Expanding processing allows Saskatchewan to keep a valued step in the supply chain in-province and meet demand in the global market for such materials, said SRC CEO Mike Crabtree.

SRC is Canada's second largest research and technology organization, according to the release. It has 1,600 clients in 22 countries, nearly 350 employees and $232 million in annual revenue.