Tom Drivas: Appia Rare Earths' Brazil Growth, Alces Lake Drilling & Uranium Upside

During a recent InvestorTalk interview hosted by Darren Cudmore, Tom Drivas, CEO and Director of Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. (CSE: API | OTCQB: APAAF), provided an update on the Company’s activities in Brazil, Saskatchewan, and Ontario—three jurisdictions that collectively give Appia exposure to ionic clay rare earths, hard rock rare earths, and uranium.A major focus of the discussion was Appia’s Brazilian rare earths project, which is now being advanced through a partnership with Ultra Rare Earths.Drivas explained that Appia entered Brazil approximately three years ago after identifying the country as one of the world’s most promising regions for ionic clay rare earth exploration. The project initially delivered an NI 43-101 resource based on ionic clay mineralization, while subsequent exploration identified hard rock rare earth mineralization hosted within carbonatites beneath the ionic clay horizons.The project also benefits from excellent infrastructure, including highway access, power, and proximity to a mining community in Goiás State.Late last year, Ultra Rare Earths invested US$10 million into the project and assumed responsibility for advancing it toward pre-feasibility. More recently, Appia and its Brazilian partner converted their direct project interests into equity positions in Ultra, each retaining a 25% ownership stake.Ultra is currently advancing an aggressive drill campaign, with approximately 950 reverse-circulation drill holes planned as it works toward a resource estimate on the ionic clay portion of the project and further development of the underlying hard rock rare earth mineralization.While Brazil represents a significant growth opportunity, Saskatchewan remains Appia’s flagship rare earths jurisdiction.Located approximately 30 kilometres northeast of Uranium City, the Alces Lake project hosts exceptionally high-grade monazite mineralization. Drivas noted that some surface occurrences contain more than 80% monazite and rare earth grades exceeding 50%, making Alces Lake one of the highest-grade rare earth discoveries in North America.The Company’s 2026 drill program is expected to begin shortly. After compiling several years of drilling, geophysical surveys, and gravity data, Appia’s technical team believes mineralization may extend significantly deeper than previously recognized. Upcoming drilling will test targets between 300 and 500 metres below surface, with geological interpretations suggesting the system could continue to depths approaching 1,200 metres.Alces Lake also benefits from its location in Saskatchewan, where the Saskatchewan Research Council has invested more than $200 million in a rare earth processing facility designed to process monazite concentrates. Appia has also received Saskatchewan exploration grants for three consecutive years.Beyond rare earths, Appia continues to advance its uranium portfolio.Drivas highlighted the Company’s Otherside uranium project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, where recent geophysical work and magnetotelluric surveys have identified what management believes are highly prospective drill targets. According to Drivas, the project’s geophysical signatures compare favorably with those associated with several major uranium discoveries elsewhere in the basin.In Ontario, Appia continues to hold its Elliott Lake uranium and rare earths project. The property hosts an NI 43-101 resource of approximately 55 million pounds of uranium, along with a substantial rare earth resource. Elliott Lake remains one of Canada’s most historic uranium districts and is also the only region in the country to have produced rare earths commercially.What distinguishes Appia is the diversity of its portfolio. The Company now has exposure to ionic clay and hard rock rare earths in Brazil, high-grade monazite rare earths and uranium exploration in Saskatchewan, and uranium and rare earth resources in Ontario.