Ucore Uranium Inc. is pleased to provide an update on detailed mineralogical studies on surface and drill core samples from its Bokan Mountain rare earth element (REE) project.

The work is being led by Dr. A.N. Mariano, a renowned expert on REE minerals. Analyses are being made by traditional and state-of-the-art methods including standard petrography, cathodoluminescence, scanning electron microscope/backscattered electron imaging with energy dispersive X-ray analyses, X-ray energy mapping, and ultraviolet fluorescence.

To date, a wide variety of REE-bearing minerals have been identified, including apatite, iimoriite, kainosite, gadolinite, allanite, bastnaesite, parisite, brannerite, thalenite, xenotime, fergusonite, synchysite (Y), and monazite. Significantly, concentrates of iimoriite ((Y, REE)2(SiO4)(CO3)) were made using simple heavy media separation techniques, with grain sizes up to 2 mm.

"Characterizing the mineralogy is an important aspect of evaluating any REE deposit," said Jim McKenzie, Ucore's President & CEO. "Many REE minerals have similar physical and chemical characteristics. Separating the complex REE minerals from the waste rock can be a challenge at any REE deposit. We are encouraged by the coarse grain size and liberation of iimoriite, a key REE mineral that has high concentrations of the more valuable heavy rare earths and has relatively simple refining properties. We already have previous metallurgical test reports by the US Bureau of Mines that indicate recoveries of more than 95% yttrium, and results of our new mineralogical studies will be used to develop bench-scale metallurgical investigations to determine the potential recovery of the full suite of light and heavy rare earth minerals and elements."

Preliminary results of the mineralogical studies will be presented at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this week by Ucore's Harmen Keyser and Dr. Mariano. The SME has recognized the increasing demand for, and a potential shortage of, rare earths to supply the US industrial and military complex with a special dedicated session.

The Bokan-Dotson Ridge project, located on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska, is 100% owned by Ucore with purchasable NSR's ranging from 2 to 4% on 84 of 512 claims. Additional properties continue to be held in Nunavut, Ontario, Labrador, and Newfoundland.