El Capitan Precious Metals, Inc. Reports on Metallurgical R&D Efforts
Posted on: Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 09:00 CDT
El Capitan Precious Metals, Inc. (OTC/BB:ECPN) reports that metallurgical R&D efforts over the past several months have resulted in meaningful progress in a better understanding of the El Capitan deposit characteristics. Previous efforts using lead collection fire assay processes focused primarily on gold, and secondarily on silver. This recent work employing a carbonate pre-roast and a silver inquart have indicated silver grades of composite samples in the 0.50 to 1.0+ troy ounces per ton (opt) range. Control tests which did not employ the pre-roast and the silver inquart reported silver values generally below 0.1 opt. Gold values recorded using this process typically fell below the 0.01 opt range.
Wendell & Company, a small metallurgical R&D facility based in Denver, Colorado, was engaged to perform the verification of the MHS Research findings. In addition to the silver results reported above, Wendell & Company's verification efforts indicated that the benefits of fine grinding of the sample prior to assaying were inconclusive, although they appeared meaningful in the initial series of tests at MHS Research. Further work will focus on the optimization of the pre-roast procedure and the size of the silver inquart. Test work related to the impact of fine grinding on nickel sulfide collection of platinum group metal (PGM) values is ongoing and results will be reported upon receipt and verification.
In another development in the continuing metallurgical investigation, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses of the El Capitan composite samples performed by Wendell & Company have shown significant gold, silver and PGM values. Similar values have been reported from El Capitan samples based upon scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses performed in 2005 and 2006 at a university laboratory in Colorado. While some of the values reported readings strong enough to be labeled as "quantitative" by the equipment manufacturer, ECPN management has elected to treat all XRF values as "qualitative" until definitive information is available.
These recent XRF analyses were repeated on both the raw prepared rock samples as well as the metal buttons recovered from fusion procedures employing tin as the precious metals collector. The preliminary results indicated that precious metals in the rock samples were being reasonably collected by the tin fusion process. A program has been initiated that will investigate the potential of a tin collection fusion step followed by electro-winning to separate the recovered precious metals from the tin. Due to lab scheduling constraints and the time required for electro-winning and subsequent analysis of the recovered material, initial results from this program are not expected before July.
About El Capitan Precious Metals, Inc.
El Capitan Precious Metals, Inc. is a U.S. based mineral exploration company whose primary asset is a 40% interest in the El Capitan precious metals project, located in Lincoln County, New Mexico. The Company's stock trades on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol ECPN.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements herein which are not historical facts, such as estimates of the volume and grade of mineral deposits, future production levels, exploration results and plans, costs, and prices are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated, expected or implied. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, metals price and production volatility, exploration risks and results, discrepancies between different types of testing methods, some or all of which may not be industry standard, political risks, permitting risks, project development risks and ability to raise financing. For a more detailed discussion of risks and other factors that may impact these forward looking statements please refer to the Risk Factors and other discussion contained in the Company's quarterly and annual periodic reports on Forms 10-QSB and 10-KSB on file with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation and has no intention of updating forward-looking statements.
For further information, please visit the company's website at www.ElCapitanPMi.com.
Source: Business Wire
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