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Highlights
- Successful Ingot Production: First metallic antimony ingots produced from material sourced from Pit 1 (Lirios 1) and East Pit (Lirios 2).
- Proof of Concept: Validates the suitability of Los Lirios material for end-product production via simple, low-cost smelting.
- North American Supply Strategy: Simplified production route advances EVR's strategy to address the significant antimony deficit in the US market.
- Metallurgical Testing: Comprehensive purity analysis is underway to confirm suitability for strategic and defence applications.
- Drilling Update: Phase 1 diamond drilling is progressing as planned at the Lirios 1 zone, targeting depth extensions of structures and CRD style formations seen in open pit walls.
- Analytical Optimisation: Specialised XRF methodology tests currently being undertaken to refine whole-rock antimony content accuracy for rock chip sampling.
The production of these ingots represents a critical de-risking milestone for the Los Lirios project, moving the Company closer to its goal of becoming a near-term primary North American antimony producer.
EV Resources CEO, Mike Brown, commented: "Producing our first antimony ingots is another transformative moment for EV Resources towards our pathway to a north American antimony producer. This isn't just a lab result; it is tangible proof that Los Lirios can deliver a finished metal product using straightforward metallurgical processes. By validating material from both Lirios 1 and Lirios 2, we have confirmed the potential simplified pathway for two different styles of material observed across the project area. As global antimony supply remains under significant pressure, proving a fast-track, mine-to-metal pathway in Mexico positions us as a key future supplier to the North American market."
Proof of Concept Advanced
EVR utilised stockpiles of material from the Lirios 1 and Lirios 2 East open pits to conduct preliminary direct-to-smelter testing. These tests were undertaken at an independent third-party metallurgical facility in Guadalajara, experimenting with varying flux compositions and melting temperatures to test the conversion of raw mineralisation into metal. Several ingot products were successfully produced from this process (see Figures 1 and 2).
Additionally, the Company will now conduct more detailed metallurgical testing on both the feedstock and the final ingot products to enable further refinement of this potential process route.
Once verified these will be updated by the Company.
By successfully converting raw mineralisation from two distinct zones - Lirios 1 (Pit 1) and Lirios 2 (East Pit) - directly into metal, EVR has demonstrated that a clear, vertically integrated pathway to market could be feasible for Los Lirios material represented in this testing.
Although in its preliminary testing stages, the process confirms that the high-grade stibnite and oxide mineralisation historically mined at Los Lirios is amenable to simple smelting techniques.
This "small-scale to large-scale" strategy allows the Company to leverage immediate high-grade surface material to provide proof of concept while concurrently advancing drilling to potentially define a JORC-compliant resource.
Exploration Update
The Company's maiden diamond drilling program at the Los Lirios project is currently focused on the Lirios 1 zone, specifically the Lirios Fault Zone (LFZ). Drilling aims to identify high-grade feeder structures beneath the historical artisanal workings. Drilling is planned to test approximately 900m of strike of the Lirios Fault beneath and proximal to historical workings. The LFZ is at least 6km in strike length and interpretated by the Company to be a fluid conduit for antimony bearing hydrothermal fluids. Initial core observations support the presence of a significant hydrothermal system.
Analytical Testing Update
To ensure maximum precision when reporting grades from material with high stibnite content, ALS Global is conducting comparative testing using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) methodology.
Given the mineral stibnite, Sb3S2, consists of approximately 71.7% antimony and 28.3% sulphur by weight, this work will confirm if XRF can provide a more accurate and repeatable "whole rock" antimony content for Los Lirios material, complementing traditional wet chemistry and ICP-MS analysis.
The assay method trial is expected to take approximately two-three weeks to complete. Once the methodology has been verified by the Company, results from the 130 samples submitted to ALS will be released to the market.
Next Steps
- Metallurgical Results: Release of purity and composition assays from the produced ingots.
- Rock Chip Assays: Reporting of results following the completion of assay methodology testing for high stibnite content samples.
- Drill Assays: First results from the Lirios 1 diamond drilling campaign are expected in 4-8 weeks.
- Pilot Planning: Data from the ingot production will be used to further develop potential processing characterisation of Lirios mineralisation.
- Tecomatlan Plant: Advance of refurbishment activities.
- US Government Agencies: Engage advisor and advance strategic discussions as relevant.
*To view photographs, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/3YP3P00K
US Antimony Projects (Nevada): We hold a 100% interest in the Dollar and Milton Canyon antimony projects, key assets in our strategy to build a secure, domestic critical minerals supply chain for the United States.
Source:
Ev Resources Ltd
Contact:
Mike Brown
Managing Director and CEO
Tel: +61 466 856 061
E: info@evresources.com.au
