Arizona Gold & Silver Inc (TSX-V:AZS, OTCQB:AZASF) vice president of exploration Greg Hahn talked with Proactive about new findings of high-grade antimony at the company’s Silverton project in Nevada.
Hahn said recent sampling returned values of up to almost 8% antimony and highlighted that the metal’s price has risen tenfold in a year due to China cutting off supply to the United States.
Proactive: Welcome back inside our Proactive newsroom. Joining me now is the Vice President of Exploration for Arizona Gold and Silver, Greg Hahn. Greg, it’s great to see you again. How are you?
Greg Hahn: I’m fine. Thanks for having me on.
Exciting news from the company about some new results — and this time, it’s not about gold or silver, but antimony. That’s an important critical metal these days. Give us your thoughts on antimony and where you see the price going.
Antimony is hot — you’re right. A year ago it was one-tenth of the price it is now, so it’s increased tenfold. That’s because China has cut off supply to the United States, and there’s now big demand for domestic production. It’s used mainly for armaments and defence purposes, so there’s a rush to find U.S. sources.
Silverton is where you’ve been looking for it. What are you seeing there?
Silverton is actually a large Carlin-type target, with strong arsenic, antimony, mercury, and thallium anomalies. It’s always had good antimony values, but it wasn’t a focus until the price jumped. We inherited a lot of samples that ran over 1% antimony — and when we re-sampled those areas, we found up to almost 8%. It’s pretty hot stuff locally.
Your main focus remains the Philadelphia project, but with these results, how do you balance both?
It’s something we’ll have to weave into our schedule. The good thing is, getting a permit from the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada was easy — it took about three weeks. We already had a permit on another part of the property, so we just moved it to the antimony target and adjusted the bond. We’re ready to go; it’s just about scheduling and budgeting.
What will that exploration program look like?
We’ve permitted 27 shallow drill holes to test the outcrops carrying antimony. It’s about a half-million-dollar program that we can fit in when the timing’s right. For now, we’re focused on Philadelphia, but Silverton is ready when we are.
And accessibility — is it easy to get to?
Yes, it’s almost a stone’s throw from U.S. Highway 6. Very easy access, open in several directions, and we’re looking forward to drilling it when the time comes.
Great update, Greg. I know Philadelphia remains the main target, but this is something worth watching.
It is. We’ll have to pay attention to it. At Philadelphia, we have a rig scheduled to arrive next week, so we’re excited for that as well.
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and style