Drill rigs at NioCorp Developments’ Elk Creek superalloy project in southeastern Nebraska. NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ: NB) has taken another step in its application for an $800 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of the US (EXIM) as it looks to begin an independent review of its flagship project. Multiple critical mineralsAccording to NioCorp, its project represents the highest-grade niobium resource in North America and has the second-largest indicated rare earth resource in the US. Earlier this year, EXIM selected RPMGlobal USA, which was later acquired by SLR, to conduct a technical review of the Elk Creek project as part of its due diligence process. In recent months, NioCorp secured additional funding for the Elk Creek project, including public offerings totalling $110 million in September.