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Labrador Trough, Québec, Canada | 100% Owned by MetalQuest Mining
Quick Facts
- 569 mineral claims totaling approximately 27,425 hectares (67,770 acres)
- Located approximately 165 km northwest of Schefferville, Québec, in the heart of the Labrador Trough
- 100% owned by MetalQuest Mining Inc., acquired by staking in November 2025, no underlying royalties or earn-in obligations
- Directly adjoins MQM’s flagship 100%-owned Lac Otelnuk Iron Project, one of the largest undeveloped high-purity iron deposits in North America
- Combined MQM land package: 875 claims covering 42,175 hectares positioning MQM as one of the largest junior claim holders in this region of the Labrador Trough
- High-purity iron added to both the Québec and Canada Critical & Strategic Minerals Lists in 2024, recognizing its strategic role in the green economy and energy transition
Project Overview
MetalQuest Mining Inc. (TSX: MQM) acquired a 100% interest in the Superior Iron Project in November 2025 through staking, adding 569 mineral claims and approximately 27,425 hectares to its growing Labrador Trough land package. The Superior Iron Project sits directly adjacent to MQM’s flagship Lac Otelnuk Iron Project which is one of North America’s largest undeveloped high-purity iron deposits, creating a development footprint of 875 claims covering over 42,175 hectares.
The acquisition significantly expands MQM’s presence in one of the world’s most prolific iron-producing regions. The Labrador Trough has hosted continuous iron mining operations since 1954 and is home to major producers including Rio Tinto, ArcelorMittal, and mid-tier producers like Champion Iron. The Superior Iron Project positions MetalQuest alongside these established operators while building toward the next generation of iron development in the district.
The strategic importance of this acquisition is further underscored by the critical mineral designation of high-purity iron in both Québec and Canada in 2024. As North American supply chains seek to reduce dependence on offshore sources, domestic iron projects of scale are attracting unprecedented attention from governments, financiers, and industrial partners. The Superior Iron Project, combined with Lac Otelnuk, places MetalQuest Mining at the centre of this opportunity.
Location & Access
The Superior Iron Project is located in northern Québec, approximately 165 km northwest of Schefferville and approximately 1,200 km northeast of Montréal by air. The project sits within the Labrador Trough, a well-defined, northeast-trending iron formation belt that has been the backbone of North American iron ore production for over seven decades.
The project directly adjoins MQM’s Lac Otelnuk Iron Project to the south, creating seamless geological and logistical continuity between the two properties. Schefferville serves as the primary regional hub, with air access, established services, and a long history of supporting exploration and mining activity in the area. Rail infrastructure connecting the region to port facilities at Sept-Îles on the St. Lawrence Seaway provides a viable long-term pathway for future iron ore transport and export.
Figure 1: Map of the newly acquired 100% owned Superior Iron Project (in red) in relation to MQM’s 100% owned Lac Otelnuk Iron Project
Property & Ownership
The Superior Iron Project comprises 569 mineral claims covering approximately 27,425 hectares (67,770 acres), acquired by staking and 100% owned by MetalQuest Mining Inc.
Together with the adjacent 100%-owned Lac Otelnuk Iron Project, MQM’s combined Labrador Trough land package totals 875 claims across 42,175 hectares (104,217 acres), establishing the Company as one of the most significant junior land holders in this region of northern Québec.
Figure 2: Map of the MQM’s 100% owned Lac Otelnuk Iron Project in Labrador Trough, Quebec, Canada.
Regional Geology: The Labrador Trough
The Labrador Trough is a northeast-trending Proterozoic metasedimentary and volcanic belt stretching approximately 1,000 km along the Québec-Labrador border. It is one of the world’s premier iron ore districts, hosting banded iron formations (BIF) that have been the source of North American iron ore production since commercial operations began in 1954.
MetalQuest Mining’s land position spans one of the most iron-prospective corridors in the Labrador Trough. With over $120 million invested by previous operators at Lac Otelnuk alone, including a comprehensive drill program and a historic NI 43-101 Feasibility Study completed in 2015 thus MQM enters the Superior Iron Project with a significant body of adjacent geological knowledge to draw from.
The Superior Iron Project occupies a highly prospective portion of this belt, characterized by thick sequences of Sokoman Formation iron formation, the same geological unit that hosts the majority of the Trough’s known iron resources, including those at Lac Otelnuk.
Go-Forward Plan
MetalQuest Mining’s initial work program on the Superior Iron Project will comprise systematic ground truthing, detailed geophysical surveys, and comprehensive environmental baseline studies. These programs are designed to enhance the geological model, refine the understanding of mineralized zones, and delineate high-priority drill targets to support the next stage of exploration and project development.
MQM continues to advance the adjacent Lac Otelnuk Iron Project, one of North America’s largest historic NI 43-101 iron projects, through the next phase of technical and strategic development.
Commitment to Local Communities
MetalQuest Mining’s projects in northern Québec are located on the ancestral and traditional lands of the Naskapi First Nation of Kawawachikamach. The Company places Indigenous partnership at the core of its operating philosophy and maintains a comprehensive Exploration and Pre-Development Agreement with the Naskapi Nation, formalized in November 2023.
This agreement establishes a long-term framework for collaboration, ensuring that exploration and development activities are conducted with full respect for Naskapi rights, traditional knowledge, and cultural heritage. It also provides for the sharing of social and economic benefits arising from project activities with Naskapi community members.