お知らせ • Nov 05
Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. Reports Up to 1.13 G/T Rhodium in Drill Results from the Stillwater West Pge-Ni-Cu-Co + Au Project, Montana, Usa, and Comments on Bipartisan Support for Us Miners
Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. announced results of rhodium ("Rh") assays conducted on core from resource expansion drilling on its 100%-owned Stillwater West platinum group element, nickel, copper, cobalt, and gold ("PGE-Ni-Cu-Co + Au") project in Montana, USA, adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater's world-class critical minerals mining operations. Highlights include:widespread rhodium was returned in drill results at potentially significant co-product grades including: 1.13 g/t Rh in an interval that totaled 7.96 g/t Pt+Pd+Au+Rh ("4E") over 1.2 meters in CM2023-03, starting at 308.8 meters and set within 14.6 meters of1.38 g/t 4E including 0.118 g/t Rh; and 0.162 g/t Rh over 3.7 meters in CM2023-01 starting at 407.8 meters within an interval of 0.99 g/t 4E. Supply constraints have resulted in elevated rhodium prices since 2017. At its current two-year average price of USD 6,500/oz, and three-year year average price of USD 9,500/oz, rhodium equates to more than five times the current value of palladium or platinum. Results are expected to expand upon the 115,000 ounces of rhodium defined in the January 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") and are similar to results from past campaigns which returned 0.103 g/t Rh over 7.9 meters in hole CM2020-05, and 0.100 g/t Rh over 6.1 meters in hole CM2007-02. Rhodium is mined solely as a co-product at grades that are often below 0.1 g/t. South Africa dominates global production, and there is very little mine supply in North America. Sibanye-Stillwater, adjacent to Stillwater's Stillwater West project across 32 kilometers in the Stillwater Igneous Complex, is the primary US producer of Rh, mining the highest-grade PGE deposit in the world, the J-M Reef deposit. Recent announcements concerning lay-offs and reduced production at Sibanye-Stillwater (as a result of depressed global palladium prices) have brought bipartisan support for mining jobs in Montana and US critical mineral supply from Senators Jon Tester (D) and Steve Daines (R), both of Montana, in addition to support from other local, state, and federal officials. Rhodium has a high melting point, is highly corrosion resistant, and is critical in catalytic converters, along with platinum and palladium, for cleaner vehicle emissions. Complete results from the expansion drill campaign, which focused on the west side of the DR and Hybrid deposits at Chrome Mountain, are being incorporated into updated block models driven by an updated 3D geologic model as announced October 16, 2024. Updated from that release, demonstrates the impressive grade and scale of mineralization at the Stillwater West project with wide intervals at successively higher grades contained within very wide bulk-tonnage grade intervals across the 9.5-kilometer-long area that contains the current deposits, including: 13.2 meters of 2.31% Ni, 0.35% Cu, 0.115% Co, and 1.51 g/t 4E starting at 37.6 meters and within 400.8 meters of continuous mineralization in hole CM2021-05; 50.2 meters of 1.05 g/t 4E plus 0.19% Ni and other values within 728.1 meters of continuous mineralization in hole CM2021-01; and 44.1 meters of 0.57% Ni, 0.34% Cu, 0.045% Co, and 0.74 g/t 4E starting at 32.8 meters and within 367.6 meters of continuous mineralization in hole CZ2021-01. Metallurgical testing completed by AMAX confirmed recovery of rhodium along with palladium and platinum in preliminary bench-scale flotation testing at the CZ deposit area in the early 1970s. Past work previously reported by the Company included surface sample results of up to 5.78 g/t Rh at the HGR target in the Iron Mountain area, and 1.07 g/t Rh at Chrome Mountain in reconnaissance-scale rock sample programs. Early results for other rare PGEs show potential for additional value from iridium, osmium, and ruthenium which often occur along with platinum, palladium, and rhodium at Stillwater West. Highlighted significant intercepts with grade-thickness values over 7% meter recovered NiEq are presented above, except as noted. Recovered Nickel Equivalents ("NiEq") are presented for comparative purposes using conservative long-term metal prices (all USD): $8.00/lb nickel (Ni), $4.00/lb copper (Cu), $22.00/lb cobalt (Co), $1,000/oz platinum (Pt), $1,950/oz palladium (Pd), $1,850/oz gold (Au), and $10,000/oz rhodium (Rh). NiEq is determined as follows: NiEq% = [Ni% x recovery] + [Cu% x recovery x Cu price/Ni price] + [Co% x recovery x Co price /Ni price] + [Pt g/t x recovery /31.103 x Pt price /Ni price /2,204 x 100] + [Pd g/t x recovery /31.103 x Pd price /Ni price /2,204 x 100] + [Au g/t x recovery /31.103 x Au price /Ni price /2,204 x 100]. In the above calculations: 31.103 = grams per troy ounce, 2,204 = lbs per metric tonne, and 100 and 0.01 convert assay results reported in % and g/t. The following recoveries have been assumed for purposes of the above equivalent calculations: 85% for Ni and 90% for all other listed metals, based on recoveries at similar nearby operations. Total metal equivalent values include both base and precious metals. In terms of dollar value, 0.20% nickel equates to a copper value of 0.40%, or a palladium value of 0.48 g/t, using the above metal values. Intervals are reported as drilled widths and are believed to be representative of the actual width of mineralization. 2023 drill core samples were analyzed by ACT Labs in Vancouver, B.C. Sample preparation: crush (< 7 kg) up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g) and pulverize (mild steel) to 95% passing 105 µm included cleaner sand. Gold, platinum, and palladium were analyzed by fire assay (1C-OES) with ICP finish. Selected major and trace elements were analyzed by peroxide fusion with 8-Peroxide ICP-OES finish to insure complete dissolution of resistate minerals. Following industry QA/QC standards, blanks, duplicate samples, and certified standards were also assayed.