Commerce Resources Corp has announced that a tantalum and niobium sample from the Upper Fir Deposit in British Columbia has been successfully processed utilising the patented Krupin Process. The company is now working towards the signing of a definitive agreement whereby Commerce Resources will acquire the global rights to the Krupin Process. “Upon signing of such a definitive agreement, additional data on the Krupin Process may be made available.”
The intent of this agreement will be to further the development of the Upper Fir tantalum and niobium deposit towards production with the incorporation of the Krupin Process on site in British Columbia. The company believes that the chemical upgrading technology offered by Dr Krupin is cost advantageous compared to conventional processing approaches.
The sample of Upper Fir Deposit material, totaling approximately 1,300 kg was sent by the company to the Krupin facility and was received there in the fall of 2017. The processing took place thereafter and following initial reports of success, the company sent Dr Axel Hoppe, the Chairman of the Board, to visit the facility and to evaluate the test results.
Dr Hoppe was pleased to report that the initial test data from the Krupin Process was highly encouraging, with strong indications of it representing a superior approach of processing a mixed tantalum and niobium concentrate to marketable samples of Nb2O5 and high grade Ta2O5/Nb2O5 mixed oxide. Dr Hoppe states: “It is expected that applying this technology will offer advantages in lowering the cost structure of the Blue River Project in regards to both capital expenditure and operating cost. We look forward to continuing our mutual developments with Dr Krupin.”
The Upper Fir deposit has an Indicated Mineral Resource totalling 48.4 Mt at 197 ppm Ta2O5 and 1,610 ppm Nb2O5, and an Inferred Mineral Resource totalling 5.4 Mt at 191 ppm Ta2O5 and 1,760 ppm Nb2O5. The Blue River Project is located near the town of Blue River, which is approximately 250 km north of the city of Kamloops and approximately 90 km south of the town of Valemount. The project comprises 105,373 hectares (1,000 km2) of mineral claims. Power transmission lines, rail, as well as paved and gravel roads are all adjacent to, or within the property boundaries. Transalta Corp.’s 18 MW Bone Creek run-of-river hydroelectricity project, located near the Upper Fir, was commissioned in June 2011.
