お知らせ • Jun 10
Lion Rock Resources Inc Commences Metallurgical and Mineralogical Testing At Volney Critical Minerals and Gold Project
Lion Rock Resources Inc. has commenced a metallurgical and mineralogical testing program at the past-producing Volney critical minerals and gold project in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. The program will evaluate concentrate grades, mineral recoveries, and processing pathways for the lithium, tin, and tantalum system at Volney. Metallurgical and mineralogical testing is underway, targeting the richly mineralized lithium-tin-tantalum-bearing system confirmed during the Company’s recent drill program. Large bulk samples (< 200 kg each) will be collected from exposed pegmatite surfaces across the Volney Project, allowing for an expedited and higher quality testing process. Testing will evaluate potential concentrate quality and recovery rates for lithium, tin, and tantalum. Results will be used to help determine optimal processing pathways for any future production, such as on-site concentration, off-site concentration, and direct shipping of material to end users. Volney has historically produced spodumene concentrate of up to 6.3% Li2O, tin concentrate of up to 62.5% Sn, and tantalite concentrate of up to 57% Ta2O5. Test results will additionally be used to prioritize targets for regional drilling planned for this year. Volney has a well-documented production history, most recently under Fansteel Mining Corp. The property benefits from significant infrastructure already in place, including an all-season road, on-site power and water, and a previously used concentrator facility. The project sits on private land less than one hour from the rail network in a pro-mining US state, and Lion Rock holds both surface and mineral rights across the 142-hectare property. The type and shallow depth of mineralization at Volney, as confirmed by recent and historic drilling, supports bulk-tonnage mining methods. The metallurgical program is being conducted on bulk samples collected from outcropping pegmatite material at Volney. The samples represent the two principal mineralization styles confirmed during the Company’s recent 15-hole drill campaign: lithium-rich pegmatites and tin-rich, tantalum-bearing pegmatites. Because Volney’s mineralized system begins at surface with large, exposed pegmatite faces available for sampling, the Company is able to collect larger, more representative bulk samples than would be possible from drill core alone. Samples will undergo crushing, blending, and preparation followed by detailed feed characterization including head assays for lithium, tin, and tantalum, multi-element ICP analysis, whole rock oxide analysis, XRD mineralogical analysis, and high-definition TIMA (TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer) analysis. TIMA analysis will evaluate mineral assemblages, liberation characteristics, exposure, and mineral associations to provide a detailed understanding of the mineralogical composition of each sample. Following characterization, metallurgical testing will include heavy liquid separation (HLS) testing to assess pre-concentration potential, gravity separation testing targeting cassiterite, tantalum-bearing minerals, spodumene, and other heavy minerals, as well as table and centrifugal separation techniques. Preliminary flotation testing on selected products is also planned, along with potential magnetic separation and additional product characterization as warranted by results. The data generated by this program will enable the Company to begin evaluating a range of potential processing pathways, including on-site concentration using the existing infrastructure at Volney, off-site concentration at an established facility, and direct shipping of material to an end user without prior concentration. Each pathway carries different cost, infrastructure, and timeline implications, and the metallurgical results will help to provide the technical basis for comparing these options. Historical production data referenced in this news release, including concentrate grades of up to 6.3% Li2O, 62.5% Sn, and 57% Ta2O5, is derived from published records of production at the Volney property, most recently under Fansteel Mining Corp. This historical data has been reviewed by the Company, but a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to verify the historical production data, and the information should not be relied upon. Historical production results are not necessarily indicative of future results or performance. The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Carl Ginn, P.Geo., consultant to the Company and a Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101.