Apex Critical Metals’ Nebraska Project Reveals Deepening Rare Earths System as Drilling Advances

New drill results at Apex's Rift project reveal 137.2m at 2.01% REO, with NdPr ratios up to 50%, far exceeding Mountain Pass. Two rigs active, 12 assays pending.

The rare earths story unfolding at Apex Critical Metals’ Rift project in Nebraska is looking increasingly layered. New drill data released on May 15, 2026, point to a mineralised system that operates on two distinct horizons, with high-grade intersections emerging from both the upper Trinity Zone and the deeper Neo Zone.

At the centre of the latest results is hole RIFT26-005A, collared 180 metres west of previous drilling. It returned 137.2 metres grading 2.01% total rare earth oxides (REO), with a high-grade interval of 23.1 metres at 3.47% REO — the best single intercept of the 2026 campaign, according to the company. A second hole, RIFT26-006, intersected 43.8 metres at 2.75% REO inside a broader 210-metre mineralised envelope.

The Trinity Zone now extends roughly 300 metres along strike and about 180 metres down-dip, remaining open in all directions. Two drill rigs are turning on site, targeting both the upper horizon and the deeper Neo Zone, where Apex reported in early May that the neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) ratio ranges between 30% and 50%. For context, the Mountain Pass mine in California — the only operating rare earths facility in the United States — runs at about 16%.

Apex CEO Sean Charland said the consistency of the step-out drilling is building confidence in the geological model. The entire mineralised corridor is now mapped at 700 metres in length, and the emerging picture is one of a complex, multi-horizon deposit that could support long-term mine planning.

On the corporate front, the board has put together an equity-based compensation package for directors and consultants, granting just over one million stock options at an exercise price of C$2.18, along with 350,000 restricted share units. Separately, the company has renewed a marketing agreement with Rumble Strip Media, committing C$500,000 for digital advertising and media placement over 60 days to boost visibility among investors.

At Frankfurt, shares traded at €1.35, marginally above the 50-day moving average of €1.34. The stock has more than doubled over the past twelve months, though it remains well off its 52-week high of €3.00.

Of the 14 drill holes completed so far during the 2026 programme, assay results for 12 are still in the laboratory queue. Management expects those data points to arrive in the coming weeks, which should clarify how far the mineralisation extends beyond the currently defined boundaries.