BacTech Environmental
Set
to Sample Arsenopyrite Concentrate From 2 Ecuador Mines
Toronto, Canada
-- May 29, 2019 -- InvestorsHub NewsWire -- BacTech Environmental
Corporation ("BacTech" or the "Company") (CSE: BAC, US-OTC: BCCEF) today announced that
it has taken initial steps to establish a bioleach project in
Ecuador that will treat high arsenic concentrates produced in the
country.
A visit that
coincided with the annual Expominas Convention in Quito in late
April provided an opportunity for management of BacTech to identify
and secure arsenopyrite
concentrate
samples for bioleach work to be conducted at Laurentian University
under the direction of the Company's Dr. Paul Miller. It is
anticipated that samples totalling approximately 35 kg of
arsenopyrite concentrate will be secured from 2 mines in an area
that historically has produced very high levels of arsenic
associated with
gold. The
sample collection should take place in early June and will be
carried out by MSA Labs of Vancouver, Canada. MSA will also be
tasked with providing assays for the samples as well as a 35
element ICP scan for metallurgical data. A standard bioleach test
program will take 6 months to complete.
In Ecuador, high
arsenic concentrates are sold mostly to buyers in Asia with severe
penalties applied to the sales price. It is not uncommon for
concentrates with up to 15% arsenic to be sold for as little as 50%
of the gold content with no compensation for any related silver or
copper. Bioleaching provides a hydrometallurgical solution to
processing these "dirty" concentrates, as any associated arsenic is
produced as a ferric arsenate, meeting United States Environmental
Protection Agency ("EPA") or local equivalent environmental
regulations for management.
Producers of high
arsenic concentrates are constantly searching for an inexpensive
means of processing their material, but this has proven to be very
difficult given the global restrictions on treating concentrates
high in arsenic. Smelter and/or roasters have severe limitations on
the amount of arsenic that can be burned as the off-gas is a very
toxic arsenic trioxide which is collected and stored. The Giant
Mine in Yellowknife, Canada is a good example of the long-term
effects of burning arsenopyrite as there remains some 250,000
tonnes of this material stored underground waiting for a disposal
solution. In this instance the estimated cost to rectify the mine
site and the associated arsenic is estimated to cost the taxpayers
of Canada $1 billion.
Over the past
year, BacTech and Laurentian University have run 2, separate
bioleach test programs on 3 different types of material from
Ecuador, namely ore, concentrate and tailings. Results of the first
program confirmed the ability of bioleaching to produce and
stabilize over 99% of the contained arsenic in the material. Arsenic
values in several of the samples reached as high as 17%. The second
test program was designed to focus on different pulp densities
which in turn will provide expected gold percentage recovery. These
final results will be released shortly pending assay by an
independent laboratory. The upcoming bioleach work will focus on
concentrate from 2 separate mines from the same area. Should the
test work results conform to historic results on similar materials
treated by BacTech, the Company will move to negotiate a secure
feed by paying a higher price per tonne of concentrate than what is
received today. The material will be the base feed for what is
initially expected to be a 40 tonne per day bioleach plant in the
area.
A local bioleach
circuit would provide many benefits to Ecuador and the affected
area of the plant. Instead of exporting raw material for
processing, the plant will allow for local job creation, increased
taxes generated locally and federally and of course, the knowledge
that arsenic associated with gold production in the area is being
dealt with in a sustainable manner.
There are many
arsenic gold mines in the area, and it is expected that over time
the amount of arsenopyrite concentrate that is produced locally
will continue to grow allowing for modular expansion of the
original bioleach plant to handle the increase in feeds.
"We are very
excited about starting this new venture. The support we have
received from the Ministry of the Environment has been great as it
helps to open doors for us in the country. These two particular
mines are part of a much larger community of mines in the area. It
is not unreasonable to expect that if we build the plant, that
others will come forward to supply concentrates for local
processing. The key is getting the commitment to a secure feed so
we can finance the project," commented Ross Orr, President and CEO
of BacTech.
Company
Overview
The Telamayu
project involves the environmental remediation of the "Antiguo"
tailings with an option on the larger "Nuevo" tailings, both
situated at the Telamayu Mill site near the town of
Atocha in the Department of Potosi, Bolivia.
A second project
entails BacTech investigating the use of bioleach processing to
treat historic arsenic tailings and arsenopyrite concentrates
produced in the Ponce Enriquez area of Southern Ecuador.
Finally, BacTech
has recently agreed to participate with a group looking to
reprocess the Arsenic Stockpile in Snow Lake, Manitoba.
For further
information contact: Ross Orr, President &
CEO, BacTech Environmental
Corporation/ 416-813-0303 ext. 222, Cell 416-346-5529
and
Email:
borr@bactechgreen.com
Robin Cook, Investor Relations: 416-809-1738, Email:
robin@frontiermcg.com
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Special
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This
news release contains "forward-looking information", which may
include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future
tailings sites, sampling or other investigations of tailing sites,
the Company's ability to make use of infrastructure around tailings
sites or operating performance of the Company and its projects.
Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified
using words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget",
"scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or
believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such
words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results
"may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be
achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as
of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims, other
than as required by law, any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements whether because of new information,
results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates
or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance
that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as
actual results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is
cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements.
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