Exploration Orbite VSPA has discovered the presence of high-value byproducts such as scandium, gallium and other important rare earth elements in its Grande-Vallée deposit in the Gaspé region of Quebec, all of which offer strong economic potential for the company and for Canada, the company belieives. Orbite has also filed a provisional US patent application that extends protection for its existing patented technology to the extraction of scandium, gallium and other rare earth elements from aluminous clay.

Recent findings showing the presence of elements such as scandium, gallium and other rare earth elements in the aluminous clay deposit emerged from a geochemical survey on the property performed by the Institut National de Recherche de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) and, more specifically, analyses by Chemex and SGS of ten characteristic samples extracted from the pilot plant bulk sample originating from the property’s Marin sector. These elements have a high degree of affinity to alumina, the main constituent of interest to Orbite in the deposit.

The above analysis confirmed an average grade of 18-19 g/t of scandium in the bulk sample as well as the existence of a high degree of correlation between the scandium element with the aluminum in the deposit exceeding 78%. The assay results also confirmed the presence of 32-44 g/t of gallium in the same bulk sample. In addition to these two elements, other rare earth elements were also detected such as (but not limited to) yttrium 43-53 g/t, dysprosium at around 10 g/t, neodymium at 65-70 g/t, praseodymium at 18-19 g/t and lanthanum at about 75-77 g/t. Rare earths including scandium totalled 400 to 500 g/t. As a high value add-on, scandium transforms aluminum into a differentiated product that commands a significantly higher price on the market and is of decisive significance to the aerospace industry.