Primary Hydrogen Corp. has provided an update on the 2026 exploration program at the Wicheeda North rare earth project in British Columbia. The program, which was announced on August 10, 2026, will result in Wicheeda North First Drilling on October 1. The company said every part of the program is now either formally contracted or in progress in the field.
Soil sampling in two phases
The company reports that the first phase of geochemical soil sampling is finished, with samples sent to a laboratory and assay outcomes to be reported when obtained and analyzed. A second phase is underway with three more grids chosen based on the company’s standard compilation of historical data, one of which extends beyond the phase 1 grid.
Primary Hydrogen is expected to wrap up this second phase by September 23, 2026. The two campaigns combined are designed to infill and extend prevailing soil coverage to determine the scale of the anomalies detected in 2025 and if they extend well beyond the current grids, the company said.
Precision GeoSurveys receives an airborne radiometric survey
The company has appointed Precision GeoSurveys Inc., of Langley, British Columbia, to undertake an airborne radiometric survey totalling 738 line kilometers at a line spacing of 50 meters and a nominal flight height of 50 meters. The flight is expected to be completed by September 20, 2026, and initial findings are expected by late September.
It is worth noting that the survey quantifies natural gamma radiation from potassium, uranium, and thorium, the latter often associated with rare earth elements within the carbonatite rocks.
Primary Hydrogen has earlier determined the property to have a deeper level of overburden compared to the adjacent Wicheeda rare earth deposit, which is owned by Defence Metals Corp., in which the company possesses no interest. Drilling and exploration results on adjacent properties are not necessarily proof of mineralization on Wicheeda North. The company notes that the survey aims to help fine-tune the total target set, not to define drill locations by itself.
Radius Drilling Corp. to launch maiden drill program
Interestingly, Primary Hydrogen has hired Radius Drilling Corp., of Prince George, British Columbia, to undertake the inaugural drill program of roughly 1,500 meters. The Wicheeda North First Drilling is proposed to start on October 1, 2026, and be completed by November 1, 2026. Targets will be prioritized based on phase 1 soil sampling outcomes, preliminary radiometric outcomes, and information from the 2025 airborne survey and soil program combined with regional LiDAR coverage as well as historical geophysical data.
Mr. David Jackson, the Primary Hydrogen Chief Executive Officer, said the decision to start on October 1, 2026, was because the company knew outcomes from the second soil campaign would not be available before the rig arrived. He added that the first grid, the airborne survey, and the 2025 data will provide what is necessary to site the opening holes, while phase 2 outcomes will be in hand for guiding future holes as drilling progresses.