Kaatiala Project

Western Finland
Target: Rare Earth Element (REE)-Tin-Beryllium
Location: Western Finland (35km east of Seinäjoki)
Area: 900 hectares (claim reservation)
Interest: Option to earn-in 100% from Akkerman Exploration BV
Status: Claim reservation covers the Kaatiala quarry with historical production of 18 tonnes of beryl (source for beryllium), 5 tonnes of columbite (source for tantalum and niobium); and, 190,000 tonnes of feldspar (containing Total Rare Earth Oxide)

Nortec acquired an option in October 2009 for the Kaatiala claim reservation as part of the Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") signed with Akkerman Exploration B.V. ("Akkerman") to earn 100% interest on the neighbouring Seinäjoki Project in Finland.

Akkerman was recently granted the Kaatiala reservation by the Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economy. Kaatiala totals 900 hectares and is in addition to the twelve (12) claim reservations (10,000 hectares) of the Seinäjoki Project.

The pegmatites in the Kaatiala and Seinäjoki area host tin, tantalum, beryllium, niobium, tungsten, caesium and lithium mineralization. The Kaatiala reservation covers a quarry which produced 18 tonnes of beryl, 5 tonnes of columbite and 190,000 tonnes of rare mineral calcium feldspar, according to the information obtained from the Geological Survey of Finland ("GTK").

Beryl is the source for beryllium and columbite is the source for tantalum and niobium.

Pegmatites form a very large part of the gold district known as the Pohjanmaa Gold-Antimony Belt which is dominated by metasedimentary rocks of Precambrian age. This belt is known as part of the Bothnian basin and is situated on the northern margin of a Paleo-proterozoic micro-plate. The metasedimentary rocks are intercalated with metavolcanic rocks and have locally been transformed to migmatites, quartz-mica schists and/or intruded by calc-alkaline s-type two-mica granites and the very favourable lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatites. A study on the Svecofennian granitic pegmatites and quartz monzonite intrusions in the Seinäjoki region by Hannu Makitie (Special Paper 30, GTK, 2001) shows the Kaatiala pegmatite subtype to be one of the richest in rare minerals such as columbite (tantalum and niobium), cassiterite (tin) and lepidolite (lithium). Lithium also occurs as phosphates near the walls of the pegmatite dykes.

Demand has been increasing worldwide for Rare Earth Elements and Rare Metals and already outweighs supply. China now controls greater than 90% of the global REE supply, and consumes greater than 60%. Rare Earth Elements, such as those identified in the Kaatiala reservation, can be utilized in many applications.

Initial work programs on the claim areas will include a) verification and evaluation of all data concerning previous exploration and quarry mining, b) field work, consisting of geological mapping and prospecting, to define areas for staking of claims and c) identifying targets for detailed resampling and diamond drilling to determine grades and resources.