Apollo Silver Corp. (“
Apollo” or
the “
Company”) (TSX.V:APGO, OTCQB:APGOF,
Frankfurt:6ZF0) is pleased to report results for barite flotation
test work and quality analysis, completed as part of its 2022
Metallurgical Test Program (the “2022 Test Program”) for the
Waterloo silver-barite deposit. The 2022 Test Program is an initial
investigation in the metallurgical process response of
silver-barite mineralized rock at the Calico Silver Project
(“Calico” or the “Project”), located in San Bernardino County,
California.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Concentrate with up to 94.6% barite produced by flotation.
- Barite concentrate meets or exceeds the standards for chemical
and physical specifications for drilling fluids for use in the
petroleum industry as defined by the American Petroleum Institute
(“API”).
“These results confirm that barite has the
potential to make a meaningful contribution to development
potential at Calico,” commented Apollo’s President and CEO Tom
Peregoodoff. “In addition to its potential as a meaningful
by-product credit, the production of a salable barite product has
the potential to make a material reduction in the waste produced
from future silver mining operations. Barite pricing is typically
strongly impacted by transportation costs and Calico’s proximity to
the major rail transportation hub at Barstow significantly opens up
the potential market for Calico sourced barite.”
ABOUT BARITE
In the 2022 Final List of Critical Minerals,
published by the U.S. Geological Survey (“USGS”), barite was
identified as one of many minerals which “…play a significant role
in our national security, economy, renewable energy development and
infrastructure.” The list was produced as the result of a mandate
of the Energy Act of 2020, which was to identify minerals deemed
essential to the economic or national security of the U.S. and
which is vulnerable to supply chain disruption. Barite is critical
for domestic metallurgical applications in the energy industry,
with 90% of the barite sold in the U.S. used as a weighting agent
in petroleum drilling. According to the USGS 2022 Mineral Commodity
Report, the U.S. has an estimated net import reliance of more than
75% as a percentage of consumption and over half of that total is
imported from China.
BARITE QUALITY
Barite quality analysis was completed at SPL
Inc., (formerly Ana-Lab Corp.) in Kilgore, Texas, to determine if
the concentrate produced met the API chemical and physical
specifications for use as drilling fluids for the petroleum
industry. The API is responsible for setting the quality
requirements for all barite sold into the U.S. market. Results of
this analysis are shown in Table 1 and demonstrate that the
concentrate meets the API 13A (Barite 4.1) specification as defined
in 2020.
Table 1: API Specifications and Barite
Concentrate Quality Analysis Results for the Waterloo Deposit,
Calico Project.
Category |
API Specification |
Test Result |
Density |
4.1 g/ml (minimum) |
4.19 g/ml |
Water soluble alkaline earths (as calcium) |
250 mg/kg (maximum) |
125.434 mg/kg |
Residue greater than 75 microns (200 mesh) |
3% (maximum) |
0.1% |
|
|
|
BARITE FLOTATION
As part of the 2022 Test Program (see news
release February 23, 2023) several bulk flotation tests were
completed on Waterloo silver-barite mineralized material to
determine if a barite concentrate could be produced. Historical
work by American Smelting and Refining Company (“ASARCO”)
identified the potential to produce a salable barite concentrate,
so the 2022 Test Program aimed to reproduce and improve upon these
results. All barite related processing was performed at McClelland
Laboratories, Inc. (“McClelland”) of Sparks, Nevada.
Using 12 kg of composite 005, which had a
calculated initial barite content of 18% (based on X-ray
diffraction results) five tests were conducted to produce barite
concentrates via flotation using Aero 845 promoter and sodium
silicate as reagents. For the first four tests, flotation
conditions and reagent additions were based on historical
metallurgical testing reports of work done by ASARCO at Waterloo
and Superior at Langtry. Material was initially stage-ground to 80%
passing 212 microns, using a laboratory ball mill. These four tests
were conducted on 1 kg charges with a laboratory scale flotation
unit at 1,200 rpm at 33% percent solids by mass. Following these, a
fifth test using 8 kg of material was conducted using the indicated
optimum reagent additions. Rougher flotation was conducted in five
stages, with equally divided incremental additions of Aero 845 at
each stage. Rougher concentrate from the first three stages was
subjected to two stages of cleaner flotation to produce the final
concentrate. AEROFROTH 65 (polygycol) frother was used as needed
throughout each test. Flotation products were all dried and
analyzed for barium (by fused-disc X-ray fluorescence) and silver
(by four acid digestion/ICP), with barite content calculated by
McClelland based on reported barium content.
Table 2: Barite Flotation Test
Results for the Waterloo Deposit, Calico Project.
Test |
Reagent Addition, kg/t |
Recovery*, % of Total |
2nd Cl. Conc. Grade |
Head Grade% BaSO4 |
Head GradeAg g/t |
AERO 845 |
Sodium Silicate |
BaSO4 (%) |
Ag (%) |
Mass |
BaSO4 (%) |
Ag (ppm) |
Calculated |
Assayed |
Calculated |
Assayed |
F-1 |
0.225 |
1.0 |
93.0 |
47.2 |
37.8 |
86.9 |
196 |
17.6 |
15.7 |
122 |
124 |
F-2 |
0.225 |
0.0 |
92.0 |
57.4 |
39.7 |
86.7 |
489 |
18.0 |
15.7 |
150 |
124 |
F-3 |
0.075 |
1.0 |
73.9 |
38.4 |
27.2 |
94.6 |
260 |
17.9 |
15.7 |
123 |
124 |
F-4 |
0.075 |
0.0 |
83.6 |
41.0 |
30.0 |
91.9 |
278 |
17.8 |
15.7 |
126 |
124 |
F-5 |
0.075 |
1.0 |
82.5 |
31.7 |
23.8 |
81.9 |
252 |
15.6 |
15.7 |
117 |
124 |
*Recovery to combined 5-stage rougher
concentrate
Further test work has been recommended to
optimize the barite circuit and to determine the best method for
integrating with cyanidation for silver extraction. This work would
involve further flotation testing to better optimize procedures and
include evaluation of barite flotation from cyanide tails and/or
evaluation of concentrate cyanidation for silver recovery.
Additionally, testing of other technologies is warranted (gravity
concentration, attrition scrubbing) for separation of barite. A
review of the results by Apollo’s Qualified Person for the 2022
Test Program, Eric Hill P.E., PMP, recommended that a preliminary
case study be completed for the salability of a barite
concentrate.
HISTORICAL ASARCO BARITE
ESTIMATE
In 1979, ASARCO calculated an estimate of barite
in the Waterloo deposit. The estimate reported a total of 33.9
million tonnes of mineralized rock in the deposit at a grade of
13.4% barite for a total of 4.5 million tonnes of barite at a grade
of 93%. They assumed a 50% recovery and a cost of $70 per short ton
of barite concentrate. Please refer to Table 1 for these results,
which are reported here as documented in the original documents.
The reader is cautioned not to treat this historical
estimate or any part of it as a current mineral resource or
reserve. An independent Qualified Person has not completed
sufficient work to classify this as a current mineral resource or
reserve and therefore the Company is not treating the historical
estimate as a current mineral resource or mineral reserve.
Table 3: ASARCO (1979) Waterloo
historical silver and barite mineral reserve at 25 g/t silver
cut-off
Tonnage |
Average Grade |
Contained Metal |
Tons(Mst) |
Tonnes (Mt) |
Grade-Silver(g/t) |
Grade-Silver(opt) |
Grade-Barite(%) |
Barite(Mt) |
Silver(Moz) |
Silver (AgEq) (Moz) |
37.2 |
33.7 |
92.9 |
2.71 |
13.4 |
4.5 |
100.9 |
146.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reference to the historical reserves at the
Waterloo Property prepared by ASARCO refer to an internal company
document prepared by ASARCO, dated 1979 (unpublished) which the
Company is in possession of. Historical reserves are reported here
as documented in the original documents. The historical
reserves were calculated prior to the implementation of the current
Canadian Institute of Mining’s (“CIM”) standards for mineral
resource estimation (as defined by the CIM Definition Standard on
Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves dated May 10, 2014) as required
by NI 43-101 and has no comparable resource classification. The
reader is cautioned not to treat them, or any part of them, as
current mineral resources or reserves. An
independent Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to
classify these estimates as current mineral resources or reserves
and therefore the Company is not treating the historical estimate
as a current mineral resources or mineral
reserves. The reliability of the
historical estimate is considered reasonable, reliable, and
relevant to be included here in that they demonstrated simply the
barite mineral potential of the Waterloo Property. This historical
resource estimate has been superseded by the Calico Silver Project
current mineral resource estimate, announced March 6, 2023.
SAMPLING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY
CONTROL
Whole-core PQ-diameter diamond drill core used
in the 2022 Test Program was collected by Pan American in 2012 and
was drilled by Diversified Drilling, of Anaheim, CA. Core was
logged (lithology, alteration, mineralization and geotechnical),
and photographed in detail by Pan American. The drill core was
separated into 2 m intervals and crushed to -1.5 inch by
McClelland. The material has been securely stored by McClelland in
Sparks, Nevada, since that time. In 2022, each interval was
thoroughly blended and split in half. One half split of each
interval was crushed to -1.7 mm and a 250 g split was taken using a
rotary-type splitter. The 250 g splits were pulverized to better
than 90% passing 106 microns. Major elements, including BaO, were
analyzed using fused-disc X-ray fluorescence (“XRF”) (method
ME-XRF26) with analyses completed at ALS-Reno. Barite content of
composite samples prior to flotation test work was calculated by
McClelland based on XRF reported BaO content. Barite content of the
composites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis conducted by
The Mineral Lab. Silver content in the barite concentrates was
determined by McClelland using a four-acid digestion procedure with
ICP-OES finish. McClelland maintains its own comprehensive
guidelines to ensure best practices in sample preparation and is an
ISO 17025 certified facility. API testing of barite concentrate was
completed by SPL Inc. (“SPL”), of Kilgore Texas, an analytical
testing laboratory providing testing for petroleum and related
products analysis, among other services, since 1944. Results of
testing by SPL meet the requirements of the Environmental
Protection Agency’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation
Conference. All sample shipments were under strict chain of custody
documentation.
The 2022 Metallurgical Test Program was overseen
and reviewed by Jared Olsen, P.E., a professional metallurgist at
McClelland, and Eric Hill, P.E., PMP, whom was a professional
metallurgist at Samuel Engineering Inc., and was Apollo’s
Independent Qualified Person for metallurgy, in cooperation with
Derek Loveday, of Stantec Consulting Ltd., Apollo’s Independent
Qualified Person for mineral resources.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Location
The Project is located in San Bernardino County,
California and comprises the adjacent Waterloo and Langtry
properties which total 2,950 acres. The Project is 15 km (9 miles)
from the city of Barstow and has an extensive private gravel road
network spanning the property. There is commercial electric power
within 5 km (3 miles) of the Project.
Geology
and Mineralization
The Calico Project is situated in the southern
Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert, in the south-western region
of the Basin and Range tectonic province. This 15 km (9 mile) long
northwest- southeast trending mountain range is dominantly composed
of Tertiary (Miocene) volcanics, volcaniclastics, sedimentary rocks
and dacitic intrusions. Mineralization at Calico comprises
high-level low-sulfidation silver-dominant epithermal vein-type,
stockwork-type and disseminated-style associated with
northwest-trending faults and fracture zones and mid-Tertiary
(~19-17 Ma) volcanic activity. Calico represents a district-scale
mineral system endowment with approximately 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in
mineralized strike length controlled by the Company. Silver and
gold mineralization are oxidized and hosted within the sedimentary
Barstow Formation and the upper volcaniclastic units of the
Pickhandle formation along the contact between these units.
The 2023 MRE for the Calico Project comprises
110 million ounces (“Moz”) silver in 34.2 million tonnes (“Mt”) at
an average grade of 100 grams per tonne (“g/t”) silver (Measured
and Indicated categories); 0.72 Moz silver in 0.3 Mt at an average
grade of 77 g/t silver (Inferred category); and 70,000 oz gold in
4.5 Mt at an average grade of 0.5 g/t gold (Inferred category), all
on the Waterloo Property. In addition, the Langtry Property holds
50 Moz silver in 19.3 Mt at an average grade of 81 g/t silver. The
Langtry MRE remains unchanged from that defined in the 2022 MRE.
For more information, please see the news release dated March 6,
2023 and the N.I. 43-101 Technical Report titled “NI 43-101
Technical Report for the Mineral Resource Estimate of the Calico
Silver Project, San Bernardino County, California, USA,” dated
April 20, 2023 (with an effective date of February 8, 2023).
QUALIFIED PERSONS
The scientific and technical information
contained in this news release as related to the 2022 Metallurgical
Test Program was reviewed and approved by Jared Olson, P.E.,
Metallurgist and Vice President of Operations at McClelland
Laboratories, Inc., and Cathy Fitzgerald, M.Sc., P.Geo., Apollo’s
Vice President of Exploration and Resource Development for the
Company. Mr. Olson and Ms. Fitzgerald are Qualified Persons as
defined by the Canadian Securities Administrators National
Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects.
Mr. Olson is a registered Professional Engineer in Nevada. Ms.
Fitzgerald is a registered Professional Geoscientist in British
Columbia, Canada.
Please visit www.apollosilver.com for
further information.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tom Peregoodoff Chief Executive Officer
About
Apollo Silver
Corp.
Apollo Silver Corp. has assembled an experienced
and technically strong leadership team who have joined to advance
world class precious metals projects in tier-one jurisdictions. The
Company is focused on advancing its portfolio of two significant
silver exploration and resource development projects, the Calico
Project, in San Bernardino County, California and Silver District
Project in La Paz County, Arizona.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies
of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary
Statement Regarding
“Forward-Looking”
Information
This news release includes “forward-looking
statements” and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of
Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this
news release, other than statements of historical fact, are
forward-looking statements including, without limitation,
statements with respect to the potential of the Calico Project; the
potential for identification of gold and barite resources at
Calico; geological interpretations; the potential to expand the
resource estimate and upgrade its confidence level, including
prospective mineralization on strike and at depth. Forward-looking
statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are
often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as
“anticipate”, “believe”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “potential”,
“target”, “budget” and “intend” and statements that an event or
result “may”, “will”, “should”, “could” or “might” occur or be
achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives
thereof.
Forward-looking statements are based on the
reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of the
management of the Company made in light of its experience and its
perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments,
as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to
be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that
such statements are made. Forward-looking information is based on
reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the
date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may have caused actual
results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the
Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied
by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to:
risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal
and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of the
Company’s projections and estimates; realization of mineral
resource estimates, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock
price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access;
actual results of current exploration activities; government
regulation; political or economic developments; environmental
risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or
technical difficulties in connection with development activities;
personnel relations; contests over title to properties; changes in
project parameters as plans continue to be refined; and impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimate of mineral resources may be
materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title,
taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues. The
quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources in this
estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient
exploration to define these inferred mineral resources as an
indicated or measured mineral resource and it is uncertain if
further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated
or measured mineral resource category. Forward-looking statements
are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable,
including but not limited to the price of silver, gold and barite;
the demand for silver, gold and barite; the ability to carry on
exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any
required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel,
equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the
ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective matter; and
the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such
other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the
Company has attempted to identify important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in
forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause
results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can
be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be
accurate and actual results, and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly,
readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking
information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws. The forward-looking information contained herein
is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in
understanding the Company’s expected financial and operational
performance and the Company’s plans and objectives and may not be
appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to
update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with
applicable securities laws.
For further information, please contact:
Tom Peregoodoff
Chief Executive Officer
Telephone: +1 (604) 428-6128
tomp@apollosilver.com
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