Almadex Minerals Ltd. ("Almadex" or the "Company")
(TSX-V: “DEX”) is pleased to announce it has acquired 100%
ownership of the Logan Zinc, Silver project (“Logan”, or the
“Project”) located in the Yukon, Canada. As fully outlined below, a
Company predecessor discovered the Logan Project in 1979. The
project was then joint ventured, leaving Almadex’s predecessor a
retained 40% interest carried to “Positive Production Decision”.
The majority interest subsequently changed ownership, but the
property was never the focus for the various operators. Almadex has
been able to acquire 100% of the Logan project legally through a
bankruptcy receivership, finally allowing for the project to be
advanced. Key take aways for the Logan Project include:
- Located 38 km north of the Alaska
Highway, accessed historically by 52 km long winter road;
- Historic inferred resource prepared
in 2012 for the Logan Main Zone reporting 42.7 Mt with average
grades of 2.76% zinc and 12.89 ppm silver at a 1% zinc cut-off
grade (see below for details and disclosure);
- Deposit remains open along strike
and down dip.
Duane Poliquin, Chairman of Almadex, stated, “We
have long been pushing to advance the Logan project but have been
constrained by the joint venture agreement and the unresponsive
nature of the prior majority owners. With this transaction we are
now finally able to start the work necessary to surface the
tremendous potential which exists at this project. We look forward
to meeting and consulting with all rightsholders including the Ross
River Dena Council and Liard First Nation to discuss exploration
and development approaches that can meet the expectations of local
people, the Indigenous owners, the Yukon government and other
Company stakeholders.”
Logan Project Details and Historic
Mineral Resource Estimate
The Logan Project is located 108 km northwest of
Watson Lake in south central Yukon. The Project consists of 156
contiguous quartz mining claims located in the Watson Lake Mining
District, covering over 3,200 hectares. The Project is located on
the traditional territory of the Ross River Dena Council and Liard
First Nation, 38 km north of the Alaska Highway. Access for past
major work programs was facilitated with a 52 km long winter road
from the Alaska Highway. In 1987, a 700 m long by 20 m wide gravel
airstrip was established on the Property; future use of the
airstrip would require surface re-levelling, but small, short
runway aircraft may be able to land at this time. The winter road
permit was not renewed past 2009 and re-opening the road would
require further permitting. Currently, the Project can be accessed
via helicopter.
According to historic reports, Logan contains a
zinc-silver deposit consisting of fracture and vein hosted
zinc-silver mineralization within a granitic intrusion. The Main
Zone occurs along an 8,000m long NE-trending fault-related
structure. The Main Zone is tabular, dips 70 degrees to the NW,
extends for 1,100m along strike, varies from 50m to 150m in width,
and has been traced to depths of 275m and remains open. The
mineralization is up to 90 metres thick in relatively gentle
terrain and minimal overburden, making it attractive for open pit
mining. In March, 2004, in its public filings prior to bankruptcy,
Yukon Zinc Corp. noted that exploration defined low grade zinc
mineralization in the East and West Zones of the deposit that
require more drilling to better define resources, that historic
drilling in the deeper parts of the Main Zone includes important
intersections, such as 9 metres grading 10.07% zinc and 65.2 g/t
silver, that could be amenable to underground mining, and that the
deposit remains open at depth and along strike.
Logan has been explored by means of sequential
programs of mapping, soil sampling, geophysics, and diamond
drilling since the 1980s. The work conducted by or on behalf of
Cordilleran Engineering, Getty Resources Ltd., Fairfield Minerals,
Total Energold Minerals Inc., Expatriate Resources, and Yukon Zinc
Corp. (Yukon Zinc) is briefly summarised as follows:
1979: Staking of Logan 1 to 36 quartz mining
claims to cover new zinc-silver-tin-copper gossan. Geological
mapping, soil and stream sediment geochemistry, hand trenching, and
test IP, EM and magnetometer geophysical surveys.
1980-1985: Additional soil geochemistry, claim
staking, hand trenching, and geophysical surveys were
completed.
1986-1989: Exploration drilling of 103 holes
totalling 16,438 metres. Fifteen trenches totalling 2,412 metres
and ongoing soil geochemistry and geophysical surveys.
Metallurgical testwork at Lakefield Research Laboratories under
supervision of Strathcona Mineral Services Limited. Flotation of
both high- and low-grade zinc samples indicated that recoveries of
93-95% zinc and 85-90% silver could be projected to a zinc
concentrate.
2003: Additional staking and completion of a
baseline environmental survey was conducted in and around the Logan
property.
2006: Yukon Zinc Corp. retained Bell Geospace to
conduct an Air Full Tensor Gravity (Air-FTG) survey.
2012: Wardrop, a Tetra Tech Company (Tetra Tech)
was retained by Yukon Zinc to prepare a Technical Report, including
an historical mineral resource estimate, on the Logan Property in
2012. The 2012 Tetra Tech Technical Report is treated as a
historical mineral resource. A Qualified Person has not done
sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current
mineral resource and Almadex is not treating this historical
estimate as current mineral resources.
The 2012 Logan historical mineral resource
estimate is considered to be relevant and reliable. The Tetra Tech
historical estimate for the Logan Main Zone deposit, used sample
assay data from 56 drillholes which intersect the deposit
containing 4,314 zinc and silver assays. Samples were composited to
2 m lengths and no assay values were capped. The Logan Main Zone
deposit was modeled as a single mineralized geological wireframe
bounded by two faults (the hanging wall and footwall faults)
striking southwest and dipping moderately northwest. Where the
position of the upper and lower faults bounds is uncertain a grade
cut-off of 0.5% zinc was used to constrain the model. Bulk density
values of 2.95 and 2.7 were assigned to mineralization and waste
rock based on 53 separate SG determinations from drill core pulp
composite samples representing 556 m of diamond drill core.
Interpolation was done using Ordinary Kriging on blocks 10 m x 10 m
x 10 m in size. Only zinc and silver were consistently assayed
throughout the three years of drilling, and therefore these were
the only metals estimated. At a 1% zinc cut-off grade, the Logan
Main Zone was estimated to contain 42.7 Mt at an average grade of
2.76% zinc and 12.89 ppm silver1.
The 2012 Tetra Tech historical estimate,
reported at a % zinc cut-off grade, is summarized in Table 1. The
entire resource was classified as an inferred historical resource,
based on a lack of QA/QC and specific gravity (SG) data, a lack of
original assay certificates to validate the data, and an inability
to confirm the locations of any drillholes. The Logan Main Zone
historical estimate was classified using the definitions set out in
CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves
(2010), which was superseded by CIM (2014). Similarly, the Main
Zone estimate predates CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources and
Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines (2019). To verify the
historical estimate as a current mineral resource a Qualified
Person would need to prepare an updated mineral resource estimate
and NI 43-101 technical report with respect to the Logan
Property.
Subject to permitting and stakeholder
engagement, Almadex plans to commence an Independent QP review of
the previous work towards the preparation of a new Technical Report
and a QP site visit in the summer of 2022 after snow melt. Data
review to date indicates that there is potential to enlarge the
mineralised envelope of the historic resource as the deposit was
generally drilled to 120-240m down dip (only one hole was drilled
to 400m down dip), and the deposit remains open, particularly on
the northeast side.
Table 1: Logan Main Zone Deposit
Historical Inferred Resource Estimate – (Tetra Tech
2012)
Zn Cut-off |
Volume (m3) >
Cut-off |
Tonnes > Cut-off |
Grade > Cut-off |
|
Zn Grade (%) |
Ag Grade (pm) |
|
|
0.5 |
19,369,095 |
57,138,829 |
2.25 |
10.6 |
|
1 |
14,462,266 |
42,663,685 |
2.76 |
12.89 |
|
2 |
7,830,622 |
23,100,336 |
3.88 |
17.45 |
|
3 |
4,832,848 |
14,256,903 |
4.77 |
20.82 |
|
4 |
2,882,300 |
8,502,785 |
5.65 |
23.76 |
|
5 |
1,575,225 |
4,646,915 |
6.64 |
25.7 |
|
7 |
457,511 |
1,349,657 |
8.74 |
31.52 |
|
Table 1 above illustrates the sensitivity of the
historical mineral resource estimate to different cut-off grades
for a potential open-pit operation scenario with reasonable outlook
for economic extraction. The reader is cautioned that the figures
provided in the above table, other than those relating to the 1.0%
base case cut-off, should not be interpreted as a statement of
historical or current mineral resources. Quantities and estimated
grades for different cut-off grades are presented for the sole
purpose of demonstrating the sensitivity of the historical resource
model to the choice of a specific cut-off grade.
Transaction
Logan has been explored by multiple parties over
the past forty years. Almaden Minerals Ltd. (“Almaden”) assumed
ownership of a 40% joint venture interest in the Project through a
joint venture agreement when it amalgamated with Fairfield Minerals
in 2002. Under the joint venture agreement, Almaden was carried to
a production decision, and both parties had certain rights and
restrictions regarding ownership transfer. In its spinout by way of
Plan of Arrangement in 2015, Almaden was not able to secure the
necessary waivers of rights or restrictions from the majority joint
venture owner to transfer the minority Logan interest to Azucar
Minerals Ltd. (“Azucar”), but undertook to Azucar to do so once
these were attained. Likewise, when Azucar completed its spinout by
way of Plan of Arrangement in 2018 to create Almadex (the spinouts
of 2015 and 2018 are collectively referred to as the “Spinout
Arrangements” below), Azucar undertook to complete the spinout of
the Logan interest to Almadex once Azucar was in a position to do
so.
In 2003, Expatriate Resources Limited acquired
the majority 60% interest in the Logan joint venture agreement from
Total Energold. At the time, Expatriate was investigating the
Project as part of a broader evaluation of the combined resources
of Logan and the Wolverine property, located approximately 100
kilometers to the north. In 2004, Expatriate re-organized its
business and changed its name to Yukon Zinc Corp. (“YZC”), focused
on the development of the Wolverine project. In 2008, YZC was
acquired by
Jinduicheng Canada Resources Corporation Limited
(“JCR”), which is majority-owned by Jinduicheng Molybdenum Group,
which in turn is wholly owned by Shaanxi Non-ferrous Metals Holding
Group Co., Ltd.
YZC went on to construct and develop the
Wolverine mine, which reached commercial production in 2012, but
was put on care and maintenance in 2015. In 2019,
PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. was appointed Receiver over YZC.
Almaden, acting on behalf of the Company under the terms of the
Joint Venture Agreement and consistent with the Spinout
Arrangements, was able to acquire the remaining 60% joint venture
interest in the Project, dissolve the joint venture agreement, and
transfer Logan to the Company for CAD$121,100 in cash, with the
Company assuming all costs and obligations, including an
indemnification to Almaden, related thereto.
Next Steps
Almadex is now focused on stakeholder mapping
and data review. As noted above, Almadex recognizes and respects
the Ross River Dena Council and Liard First Nation as traditional
owners of the area within which the Project is located and hopes to
have the opportunity to meet with them in the near term to
understand their view of the Project and hopes for the area and to
consult with them prior to any work programs. It is anticipated
that future work programs would initially consist of a QP site
visit which would direct a possible updated resource estimate and
filing of a NI 43-101 Technical Report.
Qualified Persons
The scientific and technical information
contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by
Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX
Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, and an independent “Qualified
Person” as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data
disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data
underlying the information and opinions contained therein.
About Almadex
Almadex Minerals Ltd. is an exploration company
that holds a large mineral portfolio consisting of exploration
projects and NSR royalties in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This
portfolio is the direct result of many years of prospecting and
deal-making by Almadex's management team. The Company remains
focussed on grassroots exploration, acquisition and drilling
mineral projects, on its own and in partnership with others, with
the goal of creating new mineral resources and royalty holdings.
The Company owns several portable diamond drill rigs, enabling it
to conduct cost effective first pass exploration drilling in
house.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
“J. Duane Poliquin”
J. Duane Poliquin, ChairmanAlmadex Minerals
Ltd.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies
of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the
adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release includes forward-looking
statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All
statements within it, other than statements of historical fact, are
to be considered forward looking. Forward-looking statements in
this news release relating to the Company include, among other
things, the planned data review, stakeholder mapping and
stakeholder development. 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 or developments may differ
materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those in
forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and
exploration successes, permitting, continued availability of
capital and financing, equipment availability, relationships with
third-party clientele and their willingness or ability to continue
to use the Company’s drills for exploration, and general economic,
market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such
statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised
to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company
does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements, other than as required pursuant to applicable
securities laws.
Contact Information:Almadex Minerals Ltd.Tel.
604.689.7644Email:
info@almadexminerals.comhttp://www.almadexminerals.com/
1 Harder, M. P.Geo. and O’Brien, M. Msc., Pr.Sci.Nat., FGSSA,
FAusIMM, MSAIMM (2012) NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Logan
Property, Yukon prepared for Yukon Zinc Corp., Effective Date May
30, 2012, Wardrop, Tetra Tech, pp. 95
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/732fe571-4f88-477a-8ea4-46c5377cb78d
Almadex Minerals (TSXV:DEX)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Dez 2024 bis Jan 2025
Almadex Minerals (TSXV:DEX)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Jan 2024 bis Jan 2025