Commerce Resources Ships
First Mixed REC Sample – 24.2% NdPr – to Major Rare Earth
Producer
Vancouver, BC, Canada -- July 28, 2022 -- InvestorsHub
NewsWire -- Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXv: CCE, FSE: D7H0, OTCQX: CMRZF) (the “Company” or “Commerce”) is
pleased to announce that it has completed its first shipment of a
mixed rare earth carbonate (“mixed REC”) concentrate sample to a
major global producer of rare earth elements (“REEs”) for
evaluation. The sample (gram quantities) meets typical market
specifications and was produced as part of the Company’s ongoing
scale-up to larger kilogram quantities.
The sample follows the initial gram quantities of mixed REC
sample produced by the Company, announced March 23rd,
2022. The Company is pleased to report the new sample has a
neodymium (Nd) plus praseodymium (Pr) distribution – i.e. % of
Nd+Pr oxide of the total rare earth oxide (“REO”) – of
24.2%, which is significantly higher than that
reported by several major global producers, and that of the
previous samples produced (21.6% and 22.4% NdPr). Additionally, the
mixed REC sample grades 53.9% REO, with 1.0 ppm Th, and <0.1
ppm U.
The Company has now produced several bench-scale samples of
mixed REC concentrates to market specifications, with NdPr
distributions ranging from 21.6% to 24.2%. The strong NdPr
distributions that characterize these Ashram samples rank among the
highest in the world for non-cerium depleted mixed REC concentrate
and exceeds that of several major global producers. These samples
were produced with the Company’s conventional flowsheet developed
at Hazen Research, CO, in which several process operations have
been demonstrated at a continuous pilot-scale level. The Company is
now undergoing a process scale-up to kilogram quantities of mixed
REC concentrate to deliver to additional third-party processors per
their request.
The mixed REC sample recently delivered to the third-party
producer (Figure 1) was produced from the Ashram Rare Earth and
Fluorspar Deposit using a conventional recovery flowsheet, which
results in high grade monazite concentrate exceeding 40% REO. The
monazite concentrate was processed through a sulphuric acid pot
digestion, to ‘crack’ the monazite, which was then followed by a
water leach to liberate the individual REEs into solution at high
recovery (98% for NdPr in the sulphuric acid + water leach stage –
see news release dated September 9th, 2021). The thorium
was then selectively removed using solvent extraction and the REEs
subsequently isolated – also using solvent extraction – and
precipitated as a mixed REC concentrate, meeting typical market
specifications.
In the rare earth industry, a mixed REC concentrate is typically
viewed as the initial marketable product in the REE value chain. A
mixed REC is readily saleable as it is the most common feedstock to
REE solvent extraction facilities globally, which separate the
individual REEs and allow for them to be individually refined into
marketable products and disseminated throughout downstream value
chains.
Figure 1: Sample of marketable mixed rare earth
carbonate, with an NdPr distribution of 24.2%, produced from the
Ashram Deposit and shipped to global producer for evaluation
About the Ashram Deposit
The Ashram Deposit ranks as one of the largest REE (and
fluorspar) deposits globally, consisting of a monazite dominated,
single mineralized body outcropping at surface, and has a footprint
approximately 600 m along strike, over 300 m across, and 600 m
deep, remaining open in several directions. The deposit hosts a
measured resource of 1.6 million tonnes (Mt) at 1.77% rare earth
oxide (REO) and 3.8% F, an indicated resource of 27.7 Mt at 1.90%
REO and 2.9% F, and an inferred resource of 219.8 Mt at 1.88% REO
and 2.2% F, at a cut-off grade of 1.25% REO (Effective Date July
5th, 2012). Note, mineral resources are not mineral
reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability. There
is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources will
be converted into Mineral Reserves.
NI 43-101 Disclosure
Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., Dahrouge Geological Consulting
Ltd., a Permit holder with the Ordre des Géologues du Québec and
‘Qualified Person’ as defined in National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, supervised
the preparation of the technical information in this news
release.
About Commerce Resources Corp.
Commerce Resources Corp. is a junior mineral resource company
focused on the development of the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar
Deposit located in Quebec, Canada. The Company is positioning to be
one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally, with a
specific focus on being a long-term supplier of mixed rare earth
carbonate and/or NdPr oxide to the global market. The Ashram
Deposit is characterized by simple rare earth (monazite,
bastnaesite, xenotime) and gangue (carbonates) mineralogy, a large
tonnage resource at favourable grade, and has demonstrated the
production of high-grade (>45% REO) mineral concentrates at high
recovery (>70%) in line with active global producers. In
addition to being one of the largest rare earth deposits globally,
Ashram is also one of the largest fluorspar deposits globally and
has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and
acid-spar markets.
For more information, please visit the corporate website at
www.commerceresources.com or email info@commerceresources.com.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
COMMERCE RESOURCES CORP.
“Chris Grove”
Chris Grove
President and Director
Tel: 604.484.2700
Email: cgrove@commerceresources.com
Web: https://www.commerceresources.com
Neither 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.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements, which
includes any information about activities, events or developments
that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur
in the future. Forward looking statements in this news release
include that we expect to scale-up our production of mixed REC;
that mixed REC is readily saleable; that Ashram is one of the
largest fluorspar deposits globally and has the potential to become
a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets;
and that the Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost
rare earth element producers globally. These forward-looking
statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and
other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ
materially from those projected in the forward-looking information.
Risks that could change or prevent these events, activities or
developments from coming to fruition include: that we may not
be able to fully finance any additional exploration on the Ashram
Project; that even if we are able raise capital, costs for
exploration activities may increase such that we may not have
sufficient funds to pay for such exploration or processing
activities; the timing and content of any future work
programs; geological interpretations based on drilling that may
change with more detailed information; potential process methods
and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work and
by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that, with
further test work, may not be comparable; testing of our process
may not prove successful or future samples derived from the Ashram
Project may not yield positive results, and even if such tests are
successful or initial sample results are positive, the economic and
other outcomes may not be as expected; the availability of labour
and equipment to undertake future exploration work and testing
activities; geopolitical risks which may result in market and
economic instability; and despite the current expected
viability of the Ashram Project, conditions changing such that even
if metals or minerals are discovered on the Ashram Project, the
project may not be commercially viable; The forward-looking
statements contained in this news release are made as of the date
hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or
revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances,
except as required by law.
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