29 May 2024
SUNRISE RESOURCES
PLC
("Sunrise" or the
"Company")
Pioche Sepiolite Project,
Nevada, USA
Sunrise Resources plc is pleased to
provide the following update on Tolsa's 2024 drilling plans for the
Pioche Sepiolite Project in Nevada, USA:
Ø Project
under option to world's largest sepiolite producer, Tolsa S.A.,
giving a right to purchase the Project for US$1.4 million by 28
December 2024 with future payments to Sunrise of a 3% revenue-based
royalty on production.
Ø Tolsa is
working with the US Federal Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") to
obtain approvals for 13 sonic boreholes, each to maximum 130ft deep
and 300m of trenching in three large trenches.
Ø Drilling
and trenching planned to start in early July to collect additional
samples for testing and to test for extensions to the sepiolite
deposit defined in 2023.
Commenting today, Executive
Chairman Patrick Cheetham said:
"We are pleased to see Tolsa continuing its exploration and
evaluation work on our Pioche Sepiolite Project.
A large deposit of sepiolite was demonstrated by
Tolsa's 2023 drill programme and, as the world's largest
producer of sepiolite, we feel Tolsa is best placed to evaluate and
develop the commercial potential of the Pioche Project. There are
very few commercial sepiolite deposits in the World and there is a
large market that can be targeted in North America that is
currently served by alternative clays or imported sepiolite.
Sepiolite from the Pioche Project, being in Nevada and near to
rail, is well situated to replace some of this supply. We continue
to be optimistic that Tolsa will exercise its option, in which case
we can expect to receive a 3% revenue-based royalty from future
operations in addition to the cash payment of US$1.4
million."
Further
information:
Sunrise Resources plc
Patrick Cheetham, Executive
Chairman
|
Tel: +44 (0)1625 838 884
|
Beaumont Cornish Limited
Nominated Adviser
James Biddle/Roland
Cornish
|
Tel: +44 (0)207 628 3396
|
Peterhouse Capital Limited
Broker
Lucy Williams/Duncan
Vasey
|
Tel: +44 (0)207 469 0930
|
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR)
Disclosure
The information contained within
this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside
information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU)
No. 596/2014 which forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ('MAR'). Upon the publication
of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service ('RIS'),
this inside information is now considered to be in the public
domain.
About
Sepiolite
Sepiolite is a very uncommon clay
because of both its peculiar characteristics and scarce occurrence.
It is non-swelling, lightweight and highly porous. There are very
few commercial deposits in the world.
It is used extensively in pet
litter, in agriculture as a slow-release absorbent and adsorbent,
as a carrier for chemicals and pesticides and in animal feeds as a
binder and carrier for nutrients and growth promoter. It is also a
valuable gelling agent and viscosity modifier in several industrial
products.
Sepiolite, unlike other clays, is
not affected by salt water and so sepiolite drilling muds are used
in oil field wells where brine formations are a problem. It is also
the only clay that is stable at high temperatures and so is used in
drilling muds for geothermal wells. Sepiolite is usually mined by
open pit methods and is processed by drying, grinding and screening
and may undergo further treatments and transformations depending on
the market.
About the Pioche Sepiolite
Project
The Pioche Sepiolite Project (the
"Project") is located close to the historic mining town of Pioche
in Lincoln County, Nevada. It lies within 4km of US Highway 93,
from which it can be accessed by a network of 4WD tracks, and 47km
from rail at the town of Caliente, Nevada. The Project was acquired
at low cost by claim staking.
The Pioche Sepiolite Project (the
"Project") is currently under option for sale to Tolsa USA Inc, a
subsidiary of Spanish company Tolsa S.A, the world's leading
producer of the rare industrial mineral, sepiolite.
In the summer of 2023, Tolsa carried
out a drill programme at the Project. Twenty drill holes were
competed for a total of 929.5 linear ft. Holes were drilled to an
average depth of 47ft reflecting the shallow occurrence of
sepiolite amenable to open-pit mining. The drill holes were spaced
relatively evenly over an area of 2km x 1.1km. A helical drill stem
was used to extract the samples and good recovery was
achieved.
The drilling confirmed two main
levels of medium-high grade sepiolite clay over a wide area and 166
samples were collected and shipped to Tolsa's laboratories in
Madrid for testing.
Tolsa may purchase the Project for
US$1.4 million at any time before 28 December 2024 and has paid
US$150,000 in option fees to date. Sunrise will retain a 3% net
revenue royalty for a 25-year period from the commencement of
commercial production should Tolsa exercise its option.
Further information on the Pioche
Project and photographs from the drill programme can be found on
the Company's website at:
https://www.sunriseresourcesplc.com/pioche-sepiolite-project.
Further information on the Company's
agreements with Tolsa and information on Sepiolite and Tolsa can be
found in the company's news releases of 28 June 2022 and 27
December 2023 at:
https://www.sunriseresourcesplc.com/news/category/news
CAUTIONARY NOTICE
The news release may contain certain
statements and expressions of belief, expectation or opinion which
are forward looking statements, and which relate, inter alia, to
the Company's proposed strategy, plans and objectives or to the
expectations or intentions of the Company's directors. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other important factors beyond the control of the
Company that could cause the actual performance or achievements of
the Company to be materially different from such forward-looking
statements. Accordingly, you should not rely on any forward-looking
statements and save as required by the AIM Rules for Companies or
by law, the Company does not accept any obligation to disseminate
any updates or revisions to such forward-looking
statements.
Shares in the Company trade on AIM. EPIC:
"SRES".
Website: www.sunriseresourcesplc.com