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The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News - August 23, 2024
After staking copper claims, United States Antimony is seeking other critical mineral projects in Alaska.
United States Antimony Corp. Aug. 21 announced that it has staked 69 state claims covering prospective high-grade copper showings in Alaska.
The critical minerals-focused company that owns an antimony refinery in Montana has yet to reveal the location of this 11,040-acre property in Alaska.
"The State of Alaska is under-explored, and we are considering other mining opportunities located in Alaska," said Joe Bardswich, co-CEO of United States Antimony. "We are currently having initial discussions with other claim holders within the area of interest regarding possible acquisitions, options or joint ventures. Due to these other activities which are ongoing, we are not yet disclosing the exact location of these new mining claims announced today."
The company, however, did say a geologist can walk to the copper outcrops on its newly staked claims from a 10-mile road leading from one of Alaska's few highways.
An eight-foot- (2.4 meters) thick outcropping quartz vein with very high copper values is a prime target covered by the claims staked by United States Antimony. Assay values of 13 samples collected from this outcropping vein by state geologists average 16.5% copper with 0.076 ounce per ton (2.6 grams per metric ton) gold and 2.21 oz/t (71.8 g/t) silver.
United States Antimony said it was attracted to this project due to the recommendation of a consulting geologist with many years of experience in Alaska, as well as its own study of historical geological reconnaissance, mapping, sampling and assaying reports from the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical surveys.
The company's interest in copper is due to the importance of this metal to the transition to low-carbon energy and transportation. Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy listed copper on its list of materials critical to energy technologies.
"With the recent decision by China to curtail worldwide sales of antimony, we are better understanding the importance of immediate access to critical minerals necessary not only for our military in munitions, but for everyday necessities such as batteries, fire retardants, computer chips, etc." United States Antimony penned in a statement to its shareholders. "We are not in a free market when China controls so much of these materials around the world and then dictates when and how they will be sold."
The staking of the Alaska copper property comes one week after United States Antimony finalized a deal to acquire a critical minerals project in Ontario covering high-grade cobalt, nickel, copper, and bismuth outcrops with minor silver and gold values.
"Similar to our recent acquisition of mining claims with high grades of critical minerals located in Ontario, Canada, announced last week, these Alaskan properties continue to expand our in-house strategic mineral reserve options," said Bardswich.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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