Assessed five techniques, narrowed them down, and determined zinc is the key.

Cantex Mine Development Corp. March 14 announced that the company has determined a reliable method to verify the bulk concentration of germanium as it continues to advance its North Rackla project in Yukon, Canada.

Reported for potential germanium in Feb. 2023, Cantex announced then the discovery of a roughly 2,500-meter-long, massive sulfide trend enriched with much more than the gold, silver, zinc, lead, manganese, and copper found at Rackla – it also contained gallium, indium, as well as germanium.

A total of 12 analyses were completed on samples from four 2018 drill holes that tested the Main zone at the Massive Sulphide target; highlights from that analysis included:

• One sample collected from a depth of 103 meters in hole YKDD18-12 averaged 1,730 grams per metric ton germanium, 0.033 g/t gallium, and 0.44 g/t indium.

• One sample collected from a depth of 124 meters in YKDD18-013 averaged 1,160 g/t germanium, 0.084 g/t gallium, and 0.016 g/t indium.

• One sample collected from a depth of 197 meters in YKDD18-014 averaged 315 g/t germanium, 0.041 g/t gallium, and 0.002 g/t indium.

• One sample collected from a depth of 131 meters in YKDD18-015 averaged 287 g/t germanium, 2.09 g/t gallium, and 8.42 g/t indium.

Cantex Mine Development Corp.

Over the ensuing year, the company evaluated thirty samples from the Main and GZ zones to identify a technique suitable for bulk analysis of germanium.

Listed as one of the critical elements on both Canada's and the United States' critical minerals lists, germanium is a high-value metal predominantly used in fiber-optic systems, infrared optics, polymerization catalysts, the highest-efficiency solar cells currently available, and high-brightness LEDs used in televisions and vehicle headlights.

With currently the most significant source of Western germanium coming from Teck Resources' Red Dog Mine in Alaska, the potential for another significant source of this critical mineral was too appetizing for Cantex to ignore.

Samples selected were chosen from the full spectrum of grades seen on the project to date, which aimed to best assess the appropriate technique for germanium. Five different analytical techniques were evaluated; of these five, three produced results with relatively tight precision.

According to Cantex, the results showed a strong correlation between germanium content and zinc grade-an expected correlation, as germanium is often contained in the zinc sulfide mineral sphalerite.

Analyses of sphalerite grains from 97 intercepts within the Main zone averaged 654 g/t germanium, while sphalerite grains from 14 intercepts within the GZ zone averaged 521 g/t germanium.

This allowed the company to conclude that higher-grade zinc mineralization is expected to have substantial germanium content.

Analysis of these samples appears to have been distributed to several testing labs, including ALS labs in Brisbane, Australia, and North Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as an ActLabs lab in Ancaster, Ontario.

While most samples had disparities between their parts-per-million count from each lab, most fell within a degree of 10 to 20 ppm.

It was further reported that each lab conducted a separate technique, which may have accounted for differences in outcome. Nevertheless, the company intends to continue analyzing its upcoming drill core for germanium using its new bulk technique.

Cantex is ultimately pleased to have a reliable, cost-effective, and timely method to establish a bulk concentration of germanium within drill core.