Cleantech acquires Illinois fluorspar properties

Executive Summary

• Cleantech Vanadium Mining Corp. has acquired a package of mineral rights surrounding the Hicks Dome rare-earth fluorspar deposit in Illinois, effectively doubling its existing Illinois holdings.
• The acquisition adds 1,605 acres across six subdistricts in Pope and Hardin counties for a total purchase price of $68,700 USD.
• The company’s total mineral rights holdings in the Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district (IKFD) now exceed 17,550 acres, with a strategic focus on fluorspar and potential rare earth elements (REE).

Key Details

• Transaction Structure: Acquisition of mineral rights from an arm's-length third-party vendor.
• Purchase Price: $68,700 (U.S.) paid in full.
• Acquired Assets:
  • 37 mineral rights parcels.
  • Total area: 1,605 acres.
  • Locations: Empire, Interstate, Hobbs Creek, Hicks Dome, Cave-in-Rock, and Lusk Creek subdistricts in Pope and Hardin counties, Illinois.
• Impact on Holdings:
  • Doubled existing Illinois fluorspar mineral rights holdings.
  • New total Illinois holdings: 2,846 acres.
  • Total company mineral rights holdings: Over 17,550 acres (14,704 acres in Kentucky and 2,846 acres in Illinois).
• Strategic Context:
  • Properties are located within the Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district (IKFD).
  • IKFD has a production history of approximately nine million tons of fluorspar (1914–1995), accounting for 90% of U.S. production during that period.
  • Properties are positioned along major mineralized fault systems.
  • Potential for rare earth elements (REE) and trace elements like germanium, specifically heavy REEs (dysprosium, scandium, yttrium) near the Hicks Dome deposit.
• Historical Operations:
  • Acquired properties extend the historic Barnett mine area (Stewart subdistrict, Pope County).
  • Barnett mine operated 1950–1983, reaching a depth of 240 meters (787 feet).
  • Historical veins were 7–8 feet wide, containing calcite, fluorite, galena, and sphalerite.
• Technical Validation:
  • Technical content supervised by Carlos Zamora (AIPG, CPG), an independent qualified person under NI 43-101.
  • Historical data disclaimer included: Historical estimates are not current resources, lack QA/QC, and require verification (twin drilling, updated modeling) to meet CIM standards.

Notable Quotes

• John Lee, CEO: "Cleantech's mineral properties in the Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district are now larger than Manhattan in size."
• John Lee, CEO: "Fluorspar is a critical mineral and key input in nuclear enrichment, lithium batteries and semiconductor manufacturing. The United States today relies entirely on foreign fluorspar imports from China and elsewhere to power its economy. Cleantech's fluorspar projects represent more than an attractive mining investment -- they are key to America's mineral independence."