VANCOUVER, BC, June 5, 2023
/CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Metals Corp. ("Nevada Sunrise", or
the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) (OTC: NVSGF) is pleased to announce
the results of metallurgical testing carried out on lithium
mineralization from its 100%-owned Gemini Lithium Project
("Gemini") located in the Lida Valley basin in Esmeralda County, Nevada. A novel method of
small-scale column testing achieved a 90.2% lithium extraction rate
under the direction of Willem
Duyvesteyn, of Extractive Metallurgy Consultancy LLC, based
in Reno, Nevada. Mr. Duyvesteyn
utilized the facilities of McClelland Laboratories Inc.
("McClelland") in Sparks, Nevada
for the metallurgical tests.
Highlights of Gemini Metallurgical
Testing
- Preliminary leaching test work was designed to focus on
obtaining a lithium leach extraction of more than 80%. Early tests
included a standard sulfuric acid leach, the re-leach of residues,
a hot acid beaker leach of low and high-grade mineralization, and a
gypsum/lime roast water leach;
- Following the use of various extraction methods an "acid-bake"
step was implemented using concentrated sulfuric acid on moist
lithium-in-sediment mineralization with average lithium values of
approximately 1,100 parts per million ("ppm") lithium;
- A one-meter-tall column was loaded with Gemini clay
mineralization and an open-circuit system employed a two-step
leaching system, which achieved a 90.2% lithium extraction over a
25-day period.
The 90.2% lithium extraction rate achieved from the Gemini
mineralization compares favourably with the average lithium
extraction of 84% reported by Lithium Americas at its Thacker Pass lithium project (Source:
Feasibility Study, National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report for
the Thacker Pass Project, Humboldt
County, Nevada, USA, by Roth, D., et al, dated November 2, 2022.) As follow-up to the
successful outcome of this small-scale column testing, Mr.
Duyvesteyn has designed a larger- scale test involving 50 kilograms
of Gemini clay mineralization, which began in late May
2023. The larger test will employ selected
higher-grade mineralization averaging approximately 2,000 ppm
lithium.
Mr. Duyvesteyn and McClelland are carrying out
further studies
to assess the production of high-purity lithium
carbonate from the column leach solutions. Both conventional
precipitation methods and a modified direct lithium extraction
("DLE") technique, utilizing proprietary lithium absorbents are
under consideration.
Testing carried out by McClelland on lithium-in-water samples
collected from the 2022-2023 drilling at Gemini has revealed that
the presence of suspended, sub-micron-sized clay particles carrying
lithium are not amenable to a DLE extraction process. Nevada
Sunrise will continue to collect and analyze water samples from
future drilling programs to evaluate potential for a DLE process on
the groundwater encountered at Gemini.
About the 2022-2023 Gemini
Drilling Program
In March and April 2022, Nevada
Sunrise drilled two RC boreholes for a total of 2,020 feet (615.85
metres) in its maiden drilling program at Gemini. The drill sites
were located within a defined gravity low that hosts conductive
layers detected by historical ground electromagnetic surveys. The
results from the first two holes at Gemini represented a new
discovery of lithium mineralization in the western Lida Valley,
which was not historically drill tested for lithium (see Nevada
Sunrise news release dated May 18,
2022). In July 2022,
Nevada Sunrise received a permit for an expanded drilling area from
the Bureau of Land Management good until July 2024 and began Phase 2 drilling at Gemini in
October 2022. Three additional
boreholes were completed from October
2022 to April 2023, with each
intersecting lithium mineralization (see Nevada Sunrise news
release dated May 24,
2023).
Nevada Sunrise believes that the southern and western parts of
the Gemini basin are highly prospective for additional lithium
mineralization and that further drilling could eventually define a
large lithium resource. The Company is in discussions with a
Vancouver, BC-based engineering
firm to commission a National Instrument 43-101-compliant resource
estimate and a Preliminary Economic Assessment of the
lithium-bearing zones at Gemini.
For further information on Gemini, including maps and photos
click here
About Gemini
Gemini consists of 582 unpatented placer and lode claims located
in the western Lida Valley, Esmeralda
County, approximately 6 miles (10 kilometres) east of the
town of Lida, Nevada. The Lida
Valley is a flat, arid basin with a similar geological setting to
the better-known Clayton Valley
basin where Albemarle Corporation operates the Silver Peak lithium
brine mine, which has operated continuously since 1966.
Gemini is situated adjacent to the Gold Point Solar Energy Zone,
a BLM land reserve set aside for solar and wind power generation
projects until 2033. Exploration at Gemini is complemented by the
Company's 80.09 acre/feet/year water right, a pre-requisite for the
exploration and development of lithium brine projects in
Nevada.
Sampling and Analytical QA/QC and
Statement of Qualified Person
Sediment Sample Collection and Analysis
Sediment samples described in this new release are a composite
of material collected from the rotary splitter in the RC drilling
rig, which produces a continuous, representative 3 to 5 kilogram
sample for each sample interval. Samples were submitted to
American Assay and ALS Global USA
in Reno, NV and were analyzed
utilizing a multi-element ICP-AES method. Specifically, the
analytical method involves aqua regia digestion of the sample
followed by the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) technique to
ionize the sample, and atomic emission spectrometry (AES) to
determine elemental concentrations. Duplicates, field blanks, and
certified reference standards were inserted at regular intervals in
the sample stream to ensure accuracy of the analytical method.
The scientific and technical information contained in this news
release has been reviewed and approved by Willem Duyvesteyn, M.Sc., who is a Qualified
Person for Nevada Sunrise as defined in National Instrument 43-101
– Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Nevada Sunrise
Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a
strong technical team based in Vancouver,
BC, Canada, that holds
interests in lithium, gold, and copper exploration projects located
in the State of Nevada, USA.
Nevada Sunrise owns 100% interests in the Gemini, Jackson Wash and Badlands lithium projects, with
no applicable royalties, all of which are located in the Lida
Valley in Esmeralda County, NV.
The Company owns Nevada water right Permit 86863, also located
in the Lida Valley basin, near Lida, NV.
The Company's key gold asset is a 20.01% interest in a joint
venture at the Kinsley Mountain Gold Project near Wendover, NV with CopAur Minerals Inc.
Kinsley Mountain is a Carlin-style
gold project hosting a National Instrument 43-101 compliant gold
resource consisting of 418,000 indicated ounces of gold grading
2.63 g/t Au (4.95 million tonnes), and 117,000 inferred ounces of
gold averaging 1.51 g/t Au (2.44 million tonnes), at cut-off grades
ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 g/t Au 1.
1 Technical Report on the Kinsley Project,
Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated
June 21, 2021 with an effective date
of May 5, 2021 and prepared by
Michael M. Gustin, Ph.D., and
Gary L. Simmons, MMSA and filed
under New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR
(www.sedar.com).
Nevada Sunrise has the right to earn a 100% interest in the
Coronado VMS Project, located approximately 48 kilometers (30
miles) southeast of Winnemucca,
NV. The Company owns a 15% interest in the historic Lovelock
Cobalt Mine and the Treasure Box copper properties, each located
approximately 150 kilometers (100 miles) east of Reno, NV with Global Energy Metals Corp.
("GEMC") holding an 85% participating interest. A transaction is in
progress for GEMC to own a 100% interest, scheduled to close on or
before June 30, 2023.
Website: www.nevadasunrise.ca
FORWARD LOOKING
STATEMENTS
This release may contain forward–looking
statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not
historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by
the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends",
"estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or
that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or
"should" occur and include disclosure of anticipated exploration
activities. Although the Company believes the expectations
expressed in such forward–looking statements are
based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees
of future performance and actual results may differ materially from
those in forward looking statements. Forward–looking
statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the
Company's management on the date such statements were made. The
Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update
or revise any forward–looking statements whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Such factors include, among others, risks related to the
results and outcomes of the Company's 2022-2023 exploration
activities and future plans at the Gemini Lithium Project; reliance
on technical information provided by third parties on any of our
exploration properties; changes in project parameters as plans
continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices
of commodities; possible variations in grade or recovery rates;
failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the
failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other
risks of the mining industry; delays due to pandemic; delays in
obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of
exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section
entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and
Analysis for the Six Months ending March 31,
2023, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at
www.sedar.com.
Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to
differ materially from those described in forward-looking
information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events
or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There
can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate
as actual results and future events could differ materially from
those anticipated in such statements. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
information, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking information.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE Nevada Sunrise Metals Corporation