Rare Element Resources
Bear Lodge Project
Canadian NI 43-101 Technical Report
October 9
th
, 2014
10135-200-46 – Rev. 0
9-7
9.3 Rare Element’s REE Exploration Activities
Rare Element began exploration of the Bear Lodge Project properties for REE in late
2004. Paso Rico (USA), the predecessor entity to Rare Element, had conducted
limited geological and geophysical work. Exploration was focused initially in the
southwest Bull Hill area that was identified and explored by Hecla Mining Company
(Hecla) from 1987 through 1991. Most of the core drill holes targeted strike and dip
extensions of the carbonatite dike swarm at the Bull Hill SW target. The Company
conducted limited drilling programs in 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. From 2009
through 2013, Rare Element conducted aggressive core drilling campaigns in order to
expand and upgrade the deposit at Bull Hill, as well as to test additional target areas,
including Bull Hill NW, Whitetail Ridge, Bull Hill West, Carbon, and Taylor (Figures 8.1
and 9.1). In addition, geophysical surveys and geological mapping and sampling were
carried out in order to identify additional targets and improve geological
understanding of controls on mineralization. From 2010 through 2012, the Company
also drilled 92 large-diameter (PQ) core holes totaling 15,717 feet (4,792 m) that
provided bulk sample material for metallurgical testing. Rare Element’s exploration
history from 2004 to 2013 is summarized in Table 9.2.
In 2008 and early 2009, the Company engaged ORE, Datamine North America, and
GIS Technologies to advance its project development activities. A drill-hole database
was assembled with the assistance of Datamine, and GIS Technologies organized
much of the Bear Lodge data into a Geographic Information System format. ORE has
continued consultation on exploration and development drilling through the 2013 drill
campaigns and has modeled updates of the resource and reserve estimates of the
deposit. In order to address data security and growth issues, as well as merge Rare
Element and Newmont district-wide databases, the Company’s and Newmont’s data
were migrated into a unified database developed and maintained by EDM Solutions
since 2011. The system is web-based with links to modeling programs that include
Studio and Leapfrog. GIS spatial data is generated directly from the database with
automated updates.
The 2009 exploration program marked the beginning of a dramatic increase in the
total drilling compared to prior years (15,388 feet/4690m in 20 core holes), as well as
additional geological mapping and geophysical surveys in the Bull Hill and Whitetail
Ridge areas. The aggressive 2010 through 2013 exploration and drilling programs
were designed to continue expansion and upgrade of existing resources, as well as to
identify and explore new targets. Geological mapping and geophysical surveys were
directed towards improving the understanding of the surface structural signatures and
controls on mineralization within the deposits and project area. The Company
