New Frontier Secures 90% of Pomme REE-Nb Project with Low Upfront Cost
New Frontier Minerals has executed a binding option to acquire a 90% interest in the Pomme Rare Earth Element and Niobium project in Quebec, partnering with Metallium to leverage advanced processing technology and expand its critical minerals footprint.
- Binding option to acquire 90% of Pomme REE-Nb project from Metallium
- Project features large carbonatite-hosted rare earth mineralisation with significant drill intercepts
- Strategic partnership with Metallium includes access to proprietary Flash Joule Heating processing
- Low upfront cash and share payments with staged earn-in milestones to limit capital risk
- Project benefits from strong infrastructure, government and Cree First Nations support
Strategic Acquisition in Quebec
New Frontier Minerals Limited (ASX, NFM) has taken a decisive step to broaden its critical minerals portfolio by securing a binding option to acquire a 90% interest in the Pomme Rare Earth Element (REE) and Niobium (Nb) project located in Quebec, Canada. The project, currently owned by Metallium Limited (ASX, MTM), is a large carbonatite-hosted deposit with promising historical drilling results that confirm both scale and grade potential.
The Pomme Project covers 2,400 hectares across 43 mineral claims and lies approximately 500 kilometres northwest of Montréal, near the service town of Lebel-sur-Quévillon. It is strategically positioned just 7 kilometres from the world-class Montviel deposit, which boasts an indicated and inferred resource of 266 million tonnes grading 1.46% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 0.14% Nb2O5.
Partnership and Technology Integration
Beyond the acquisition, New Frontier has forged a strategic partnership with Metallium that extends beyond ownership. Metallium will support metallurgical test work and downstream development through its proprietary Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology. This innovative processing method has shown encouraging results in upgrading rare earth concentrates, potentially offering a lower-cost and more efficient pathway compared to conventional techniques.
This collaboration not only deepens vertical integration, linking New Frontier’s Australian Harts Range project with a complementary Canadian asset, but also positions the combined entity to serve Western and US markets, including critical sectors such as defence and advanced manufacturing.
Capital-Efficient Earn-In Structure
The earn-in agreement is structured to minimise upfront capital exposure, requiring an initial A$100,000 cash payment and A$200,000 in shares, with staged investment and technical milestones to progressively earn up to 90% ownership. This approach allows New Frontier to manage risk while unlocking value through exploration and development.
Initial activities will focus on conventional metallurgical testing and applying FJH processing to existing drill core samples. The project has seen limited, wide-spaced drilling to date, but historical intercepts reveal high-grade mineralisation over broad intervals, with some drill holes returning up to 513 metres at 0.33% TREO and 0.08% Nb2O5.
Favourable Location and Support
Accessibility is a key advantage for the Pomme Project, with established logging roads, proximity to hydro-electric power, and relatively flat topography. The project also benefits from government support and existing agreements with the local Cree First Nations community of Waswanipi, ensuring a collaborative approach to exploration and development.
New Frontier has engaged Viriathus Investor Advisory in New York to raise its profile among US investors, signalling ambitions to tap into growing demand for secure, Western-aligned rare earth supply chains.
Outlook and Potential
Chairman Gerrard Hall emphasised the strategic importance of the acquisition, highlighting the project's scale, location, and upside potential. With Metallium’s processing technology integrated early, New Frontier aims to enhance project economics and deliver meaningful shareholder value. The partnership is well placed to advance exploration, metallurgical validation, and resource definition over the coming years.
Bottom Line?
New Frontier’s Pomme acquisition marks a pivotal move in building a vertically integrated, Western rare earth supply chain; next steps will reveal how technology and exploration translate into value.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the Flash Joule Heating technology impact processing costs and concentrate quality at Pomme?
- What are the timelines and targets for upcoming drilling to expand resource definition?
- How will regulatory approvals and Cree First Nations partnerships influence project development pace?
