North Atlantic Titanium Corp. (CSE: NATO) has provided additional information regarding its submission for drilling permits for the Everett Titanium-Vanadium-Phosphate project near Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec, as detailed in a press release dated July 27, 2026. The company is pursuing a three-year drilling program focused on the northern portion of the Everett oxide body, comprising 25,000 meters of drilling.
A mineralogical characterization by Corem, a non-profit applied research center, analyzed a composite metallurgical sample from 57 sites across the Everett oxide body and reported that approximately 99% of oxide minerals consist of high-quality hemo-ilmenite, characterized by very low magnesium, manganese, and aluminum impurities. The composite sample graded 37.0% Fe2O3, 17.4% TiO2, 0.18% V2O5, and 2.27% P2O5. Importantly, Corem results determine that over 99% of the oxides in the composite sample are hemo-ilmenite (FeTiO3).
Rather than being a direct analogue of the nearby massive hemo-ilmenite orebody at the Lac Tio Mine, the Everett Oxide Body is being drill-tested not only for its TiO2 content but also for its low Mg/Mn/Cr hemo-ilmenite, apatite as a potential phosphate coproduct, and vanadium, with potential scandium credits. The project therefore represents a broader Fe-Ti-V-P critical-minerals opportunity than that of a conventional titanium orebody.
The company holds the 2,406-hectare Everett property under option from Romaine River Titanium Inc. Pending are a Permit for Forestry Activities (PAF) and a Permit for Work with Impact (ATI) for the drilling campaign only. The drilling plan includes 20 drill pads across the northern area, representing about 50% of the oxide body's tested surface strike length. Stage 1 under the ATI application will comprise 6,000 meters of widely spaced, west-oriented drilling between Section 9N and 19N along a swath 1,320 meters along strike and 600 meters down-dip. Stage 2 will involve success-contingent infill drilling of about 19,000 meters to define a Mineral Resource Estimate. Stage 1 drilling will commence upon acceptance of the ATI application, with Stage 2 likely beginning in late winter 2026-27.
The mineralized unit on the property is an oxide-apatite-gabbronorite (Unit 7), which is extensive, spanning more than 6 km of strike length. The main area of historical sampling and drilling within Unit 7 is outlined and named the Everett Oxide Body. The oxide body remains open along strike to the north and south, and down-dip. The Corem analysis confirms similar petrography to the Lac Tio deposit but shows a predominantly enstatite composition, yielding an oxide-apatite noritic gabbro classification. However, while Lac Tio is a massive hemo-ilmenite cumulate with higher MgO content (1.6-3.2 wt.% MgO), Everett is hosted by a layered intrusion with an uncommon jotunite affinity and significantly lower Mg, Mn, Cr, and Al. The Corem hemo-ilmenite sample has a mean MgO content of 0.38%.
Dwayne Yaretz, CEO of NATO, stated: “Metallurgical results reinforce the Company’s strategy to advance a secure, domestic critical minerals processing supply chain in Canada - supporting defense readiness and the reshoring of Western titanium metal production. Our Stage 1 Program will define our technical program and follow-up drilling for the next 18 to 24 months.”
The Everett project is located only 3 km from the Lac Tio Mine, the world's largest hard-rock ilmenite deposit, which supplies approximately 19% of global titanium dioxide feedstock demand. The company's focus on a polymetallic assemblage could position it as a key supplier of critical minerals, with implications for North American supply chain security in titanium, vanadium, and phosphate.
