Apollo Silver Corp. (“Apollo Silver” or the
“Company”) (TSX.V:APGO, OTCQB:APGOF, Frankfurt:6ZF0) is
pleased to provide details on the upcoming 2025 work program (the
“2025 Program”) at its Calico Silver Project (“Calico” or the
“Project”) located in San Bernardino County, California, as well as
provide an update on the newly optioned Cinco de Mayo Project in
Chihuahua, Mexico.
Highlights:
-
Commencement of barite work program to define and add this
critical mineral to an updated mineral resource estimate for
Waterloo;
-
Initiating a mapping and sampling program in the Burcham
mine area of Waterloo, following up on surface gold sampling
results, in advance of a drill program to expand on gold
mineralization outlined in the 2023 Waterloo Mineral Resource
Estimate (“MRE”); and
-
A new executive for the Ejido Benito Juarez, owner of the
surface rights covering the Cinco de Mayo claims, was recently duly
elected and certified.
“Calico hosts approximately 170M ounces of
silver with a significant amount of associated barite, a USGS
listed critical mineral. With the United States’ growing focus on
securing domestic critical mineral supplies, we believe the barite
contained within the Calico Project can provide regulatory support.
Accordingly, the upcoming program looks to produce a current and
compliant barite resource at Calico, creating additional value for
our shareholders,” commented Andrew Bowering, Chairman and
Interim CEO.
Bowering continued, “Furthermore, I am pleased
with our progress to restore social license and gain access to our
recently optioned Cinco de Mayo Project. As reported in this
release, a new executive that is more favourable to resource
development was recently certified for a three year term, opening
up the opportunity for meaningful discussion for the first time in
a dozen years.”
Calico Technical Program:
The 2025 Program will consist of two components:
Expanding the 2023 Waterloo MRE by defining and potentially adding
barite to the resource (the “Barite Program”); and mapping and
sampling where the Barstow and Pickhandle formations are exposed at
surface in the Burcham Mine area, following up on the recent gold
surficial sampling results. Depending on the results of the 2025
Program, Apollo Silver plans to commence a small drill program
aimed at better localizing and defining the extent of the gold
mineralization (the “Burcham Program”).
In 2022, barite was included on the US
Geological Survey final list of critical minerals (the “USGS 2022
Report”) and given the abundant presence of high-quality barite
associated with the Ag mineralization on the Waterloo property
further geochemical analysis is warranted to better define and
quantify the potential resource.
The 2023 Waterloo MRE currently consists of 110
million ounces (“Moz”) silver (“Ag”) in 34.2 million tonnes (“Mt”)
at 100 grams per tonne (“g/t”) Ag (Measured and Indicated
categories); 0.72 Moz Ag in 0.3 Mt at 77 g/t Ag (Inferred
category); and 70,000 oz gold (“Au”) in 4.5 Mt at an average grade
of 0.5 g/t Au (see news release dated March 6, 2023).
Barite
Program
The proposed Barite
Program includes a comprehensive re-assaying of selected historical
and recent drill pulps by X-Ray Fluorescence, a method that will
give a higher precision on the barium content, as its digestion is
more complete than what was previously done at Waterloo (4-acid or
aqua-regia). This will give a higher confidence level on the barium
results that will be used for updating the Waterloo 2023 MRE with
barite.
The re-assay program
is expected start in February 2025 and should take approximately 3
months to complete at the laboratory.
Burcham
Program
The proposed Burcham
Program comprises a mapping and drill program which aims to better
understand the extent of the gold mineralization at surface and
within the Pickhandle Formation, focusing on determining the
orientations of high-angle gold-bearing structures. Detailed
surface mapping and rock sampling are expected to commence in late
February 2025 and will take approximately one week to complete.
Once the mapping is
completed and interpreted to define drill targets, approximately
1,000 metres (“m”) of exploration core drilling is expected to
eventually follow.
About Barite
Barite was identified in the USGS 2022 Report as
essential to national security, the economy, renewable energy, and
infrastructure. This list was produced under the mandate of the
Energy Act of 2020 to highlight minerals vital to U.S. security and
vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. The energy industry relies
heavily on barite, with 90% used as a weighting agent in petroleum
drilling. According to the USGS 2022 Report, the U.S. imports over
75% of its barite, with more than half sourced from China.
Results from metallurgical test work completed
(see May 2, 2023 news release) showed that barite concentrates of
up to 94.6% were achieved. In addition, quality analysis confirmed
that the barite concentrate produced meets or exceeds the American
Petroleum Institute (“API”) quality requirements.
Historical data from ASARCO's 1979 estimate at
the Waterloo deposit reported 33.9 Mt of mineralized material at an
average grade of 13.4% barite, totaling 4.5 Mt of barite at 93%
grade.(1)
Multi-element assays typically underreport
barium, as such the 2025 Barite program will re-assay current and
historical pulps using a method that ensures accurate barium
concentration reporting. Upon completion, the Company plans to
update the 2023 Waterloo MRE with barite.
(1) |
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. |
Gold Mineralization at
Calico
The Burcham area, home to the historic Burcham
mine—the only gold-producing mine in the Calico district—operated
in the 1940s. It featured two underground drifts that targeted
gold-bearing, subvertical northwest structures (refer to figure 2).
Au was associated with chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, and silver
chloride, hosted in quartz, barite, and iron oxides.
Total production figures are unknown, but
historic public articles report grades of up to 0.31 ounces per ton
(9.7 g/t). Historical work completed by both ASARCO and Pan
American Silver confirmed the presence of Au mineralization at the
contact between the Barstow and Pickhandle formations.
Work completed by the Company in 2022 also
showed the Au potential of the Burcham mine area, where surface
sampling returned several high-grade results including 211 g/t Au
and 849 g/t Ag (see February 14, 2023 news release). In addition,
the 2023 drill program defined over a kilometer (“km”) of strike
length of Au mineralization which remains open in all
directions.
The Company’s technical team believes that the
contact between the Barstow and Pickhandle formations is an
excellent exploration target for replacement style Au
mineralization, and possible higher-grade vein hosted Au, and the
upcoming 2025 mapping and drilling program will focus on this
contact to better characterize the Au mineralization extent in the
Burcham area.
Figure 1: 2025 Barite Sampling
Program
Figure 2: 2025 Burcham Gold Exploration
Program
About the Calico Project
The Calico Project, located in San Bernardino
County, California, includes the adjacent Waterloo and Langtry
properties totaling 2,950 acres. Situated 15 km (9 miles) from
Barstow and 5 km (3 miles) from commercial power, it features an
extensive private gravel road network. The Project lies in the
southern Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert, part of the Basin
and Range tectonic province, with the northwest-southeast trending
range composed mainly of Tertiary 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. Ag and Au
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 Waterloo MRE is 110 Moz Ag in 34.2 Mt
at an average grade of 100 g/t Ag (Measured and Indicated
categories); 0.72 Moz Ag in 0.3 Mt at an average grade of 77 g/t Ag
(Inferred category); and 70,000 oz Au in 4.5 Mt at an average grade
of 0.5 g/t Au. In addition, there is 50 Moz Ag and 19.3 Mt at an
average grade of 81 g/t Ag (Inferred category) at Langtry.
Cinco de Mayo Update
On February 3rd, 2025, a new and duly elected
executive for the Ejido Benito Juarez, owner of the surface rights
covering the Cinco de Mayo claims, was officially certified for a
term of three years, having won an election on December 13, 2024,
by a majority and an approximate margin of 2:1. As the new
executive seems pro-development, there is now the opportunity to
put an economic proposal to the general ejido population regarding
the continued development of Cinco de Mayo, and investment in the
local community, in keeping with the Company’s plan for the
project.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical data contained in
this news release was reviewed and approved by Isabelle Lépine,
M.Sc., P.Geo., Apollo Silver’s Director, Mineral Resources. Ms.
Lépine is a registered professional geologist in British Columbia
and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 -
Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects and is not an
independent of the Company.
About Apollo Silver
Apollo Silver 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 the Cinco de Mayo
Project, in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Please visit www.apollosilver.com for further
information.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andrew Bowering
Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer
For further information, please contact:
Andrew Bowering Chairman and Interim Chief
Executive OfficerTelephone: +1 (604) 428-6128
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
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 the timing
and successful commencement and completion of the barite re-assay
program and maiden barite resource estimate; the timing and
successful completion of mapping and exploration drilling in the
Burcham area; the Company’s ability to advance, develop and
eventually permit the Project; future silver, gold and barite
production; timing and plans of further exploration; and timing and
success of any economic proposal or agreement with the Ejido Benito
Juarez. 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; and changes in Project parameters as plans
continue to be refined. Forward-looking statements are based on
assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not
limited to the price of silver, gold and Ba; the demand for silver,
gold and Ba; 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.
Photos accompanying this announcement are
available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d99995a4-a954-42d0-bdd6-50d52465e007
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