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Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc. (CSE: NOP) (OTCQB: NOPFF) ("NOP" or the "Company"), a B.C. based leader in organic sedimentary phosphate exploration, is pleased to announce that the heavy metal contaminant assays from the Upper Phosphatic Zone at Murdock Mountain demonstrate results well below the maximum allowed limits for Organic Fertilizer Certification.
| As | Cd | Co | Hg | Mo | Ni | Pb | Se | Zn | ||||||||||
| SUIP #25 max allowed for 10% P2O5: | 130 | 100 | 1360 | 10 | 420 | 2500 | 610 | 260 | 4200 | |||||||||
| California max allowed for 10% P2O5: | 20 | 40 | 200 | |||||||||||||||
| Murdock Mountain Weighted Average: | 9.2 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 0.21 | 8.45 | 82.2 | 4.7 | 13 | 244 | |||||||||
| Murdock Mountain Heavy Metal Contaminant Assays | ||||||||||||||||||
| P2O5 Grade Interval | P2O5% | Sample | As | Cd | Co | Hg | Mo | Ni | Pb | Se | Zn | |||||||
| MM25-1 | 4.55 | 977123 | 12.9 | 3.89 | 2.0 | 0.197 | 7.39 | 95.2 | 4.3 | 16 | 359 | |||||||
| 10.23%/4.61m | 10.85 | 977124 | 12.7 | 4.52 | 2.0 | 0.267 | 10.05 | 92.8 | 5.2 | 16 | 315 | |||||||
| 17.8 | 977126 | 9.9 | 2.52 | 1.9 | 0.246 | 11.65 | 84.1 | 6.0 | 17 | 267 | ||||||||
| 11.8 | 977127 | 8.8 | 1.55 | 1.3 | 0.16 | 11.95 | 56.4 | 3.5 | 8 | 195 | ||||||||
| 4.72 | 977128 | 8.8 | 1.93 | 2.6 | 0.148 | 6.17 | 82.2 | 4.0 | 11 | 242 | ||||||||
| MM25-2 | 7.54 | 977071 | 6.7 | 2.77 | 2.8 | 0.202 | 6.41 | 65.1 | 4.1 | 13 | 128 | |||||||
| 10.70%/4.31m | 8.46 | 977072 | 8.8 | 3.57 | 3.4 | 0.247 | 9.32 | 91.2 | 5.0 | 29 | 181 | |||||||
| 17.2 | 977073 | 8.2 | 3.69 | 2.1 | 0.23 | 8.41 | 97.9 | 5.6 | 7 | 308 | ||||||||
| 9.91 | 977074 | 6.4 | 3.94 | 1.8 | 0.208 | 9.71 | 87.3 | 5.4 | 28 | 237 | ||||||||
| 10.9 | 977076 | 8.3 | 1.12 | 1.5 | 0.157 | 4.19 | 53.8 | 3.1 | 5 | 173 | ||||||||
| MM25-3 | 7.14 | 977163 | 8.5 | 2.22 | 2.4 | 0.169 | 6.56 | 57.9 | 4.0 | 11 | 206 | |||||||
| 11.12%/4.23m | 8.7 | 977164 | 8.6 | 3.39 | 2.2 | 0.223 | 9.02 | 81.6 | 4.8 | 10 | 232 | |||||||
| 15.6 | 977165 | 8.1 | 5.39 | 2.4 | 0.202 | 9.33 | 101.5 | 5.5 | 4 | 267 | ||||||||
| 16.35 | 977166 | 7.2 | 2.39 | 2.4 | 0.167 | 4.05 | 75.1 | 3.7 | 3 | 192 | ||||||||
| drilled thickness | all values in ppm | |||||||||||||||||
In the United States, organic certification is governed by the USDA National Organic Program (USDA-NOP). The USDA-NOP does not publish its own numeric heavy-metal limits for mineral fertilizers like rock phosphate. Instead, certifiers rely on two things:
- USDA-NOP 205.203(c) — soil and plant amendments must not contaminate soil or crops with heavy metals.
- State fertilizer laws can vary, but almost universally adopt AAPFCO's SUIP #25 Heavy Metal Rule for determining whether a fertilizer is adulterated (AAPFCO, Association of American Plant Food Control Officials, created SUIP #25 to give states a consistent, science-based method for regulating heavy metals in fertilizers. It is not a law, but most states adopt it into their fertilizer programs).
SUIP #25 sets limits per 1% P₂O₅. For fertilizer with 10% P₂O₅, multiply limit by 10.
| Metal | Limit per 1% P₂O₅ (ppm) | Allowed in 10% P₂O₅ rock phosphate (ppm) |
| Arsenic (As) | 13 | 130 ppm |
| Cadmium (Cd) | 10 | 100 ppm |
| Cobalt (Co) | 136 | 1,360 ppm |
| Lead (Pb) | 61 | 610 ppm |
| Mercury (Hg) | 1 | 10 ppm |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 42 | 420 ppm |
| Nickel (Ni) | 250 | 2,500 ppm |
| Selenium (Se) | 26 | 260 ppm |
| Zinc (Zn) | 420 | 4,200 ppm |
These are the maximum allowable concentrations before a phosphate fertilizer is considered adulterated under U.S. state fertilizer laws.
USDA Organic Certification: For organic production, a rock phosphate fertilizer must:
- Be mined, not chemically processed
- Not contain synthetic additives
- Not exceed heavy-metal levels that would contaminate soil or crops
- Typically meet SUIP #25 limits (this is what certifiers check)
If a product meets these limits, it is generally acceptable for organic certification.
CEO Robin Dow commented: "Demonstrating our proof of concept required showing that the Upper Phosphatic Zone delivers predictable, consistent P₂O₅ grades and thicknesses, while also meeting the criteria for Organic Certification. We have now achieved all of these objectives, positioning NOP as a genuinely differentiated entrant in the fertilizer market."
Director and P.Geo Garry Smith added: "These contaminant assay results confirm that the Upper Phosphatic Zone is not only eligible for Organic Certification, but also exhibits the scale and continuity required for significant resource potential. We are excited to advance the next phase of drilling in the coming months and to begin exploration on our additional permit application areas."
Lab Assaying Methods & QA/QC
All sample preparation and analytical work was carried out by ALS Laboratories ("ALS"), an independent commercial laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for mineral analysis. Samples were delivered to the ALS Geochemistry in Elko, Nevada preparation facility and then forwarded to ALS Geochemistry in Vancouver for analysis. ALS operates under rigorous quality management systems and is regularly audited by recognized accreditation bodies, including the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA).
Heavy metal assaying was by ME-MS61 trace element analysis: Samples were digested using a near-total four-acid procedure (HF; HNO₃; HClO₄; HCl) and analyzed by ICP-MS and ICP-AES. This technique delivers ultra-trace detection of a broad suite of elements, including deleterious or contaminant metals such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead, supporting environmental and processing assessments.
ALS maintains strict internal QA/QC protocols, including the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicates with each batch of samples. These measures ensure that analytical results meet internationally recognized standards of accuracy and reliability, consistent with the requirements of NI 43-101 reporting.
Company Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC)
The Company implemented a rigorous QA/QC protocol consistent with NI 43-101 standards, including the insertion of blanks and certified reference materials into the sample stream.
Blanks: The Company regularly inserted a blank comprised of generically sourced sand every 11 samples (or 9.3%) to monitor potential contamination during sample preparation and analysis.
Certified reference materials ("CRM"): CRMs used in mineral exploration are used to assess analytical accuracy and are usually rock powders comprised of known concentrations of the metal(s) of interest. CRMs are usually obtained from commercial suppliers who provide the average of many analyses of the CRMs by multiple labs, which is referred to as the certified value, and a standard deviation of the analyses from which the certified value is determined. A typical criterion for accepting the analyses of CRMs in the mineral industry is that they should fall within a range determined by the certified (or "target") value ± three standard deviations ("3 STD"). Analytical accuracy was verified against BAM 826-1, a certified reference material for phosphate slags issued by Germany's Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). The Company inserted BAM 826-1 CRM standards every 22 samples (or 4.5%), or about 2 per drill hole.
The Company is satisfied that the QA/QC results demonstrate the reliability of the assay data and support the integrity of the phosphate grades reported herein.
The Independent Qualified Person for this drill program is Kenneth N. Tullar, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist (CPG-11142), who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.
Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc. (CSE: NOP) (OTCQB: NOPFF)
The Company is a junior exploration company with an organic sedimentary raw rock phosphate bed, 6.6 kilometres long, in northeast Nevada. Additional applications extend the potential strike of rock phosphate to over 30 kilometres. This is believed to be the only known large-scale organic sedimentary phosphate project in North America. It is situated close to the main highway to Montello/Elko, Nevada, and near the rail head to California.
For More Information
Robin Dow, CEO
T: 604.355.9986
E: robin@dowgroup.ca
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulations services providers have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information ("FLSI") within the meaning
of applicable securities laws. FLSI may include expectations, anticipations, beliefs, opinions, plans, intentions, estimates, forecasts, projections, guidance or other similar statements and information that are not historical facts. All statements which are not historical statements are considered FLSI. All FLSI is based on assumptions, which may prove inaccurate, and subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's public securities filings, which may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated or implied in FLSI. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance or value on FLSI. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in any FLSI in this news release are reasonable at the present time, it can give no assurance that such FLSI will prove to be correct. Any FLSI in this news release is made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligations to publicly update or revise any FLSI, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws. Any FLSI in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/279971
