Itronics Updates Its Silver-Gold and Copper Mine Technology Application Development Plans
Marketwired
RENO, NV--(Marketwired - Aug 13, 2013) - Itronics Inc. (PINKSHEETS: ITRO) is today updating its technology developments and plans with a focus on potential applications for silver-gold mines that have a silver to gold ratio exceeding 4 to 1 in the ore. The Company believes that its technology may also prove to be applicable to certain copper-gold-silver deposits where the use of cyanide is not feasible, or not legally permissible, or where existing copper heap leaching technology would not recover associated gold and silver.
Itronics is reviewing potential uses for the de-silvered photoliquids in silver-gold ore processing where the de-silvered liquids would be used to neutralize cyanide tailings or to replace cyanide. Itronics strips the metals out of photoliquids from the photo industry or X-rays, and uses the remaining de-silvered liquids to make award winning, environmentally beneficial GOLD'n GRO fertilizers.
Itronics has assembled historical data from silver and gold mining reports as far back as the middle 1800s which indicate that the Company's technologies may be useable to improve operating results at existing silver-gold mines that use cyanidation recovery technology and for silver-gold mines that would use cyanidation recovery technology and are in the planning and development stage.
The potential benefits of the Company's technologies in silver-gold mines include: (1) improved silver and gold recovery, (2) reduced cyanide consumption and related costs, (3) environmentally attractive cyanide tailings remediation, and (4) potential for remediation and recycling of certain mine waste streams. Improvements in recovery and cost savings are equivalent to mine expansion for which the value can be calculated, providing a basis for measuring the value of the technologies at specific mine operations. Itronics is moving in this direction by seeking joint venture opportunities with existing and planned projects.
Several years ago Itronics conducted a series of laboratory tests that confirmed that the de-silvered photoliquids readily solubize copper. Because of these tests and from information in historical literature, the Company believes that its de-silvered photoliquids may be used to recover copper, gold, and silver from certain types of oxidized copper-gold-silver deposits and would be used instead of the sulfuric acid recovery process presently in use. The sulfuric acid process does not recover gold and silver so the new process would offer benefits similar to those which may be achieved in silver-gold mines. These are (1) improved recoveries, (2) potential for reduction in reagent consumption, (3) environmentally attractive tailings remediation, and (4) potential for remediation and recycling of certain mine waste streams.
Itronic's majority owned subsidiary, Auric Gold & Minerals, owns the 6,000 acre Fulstone Iron Oxide Copper Gold project in Nevada and continues to focus on gaining a better understanding of the project area's structural geology and the scope of occurrence of potentially recoverable minerals with the objective of defining specific targets for initial exploratory drilling. Near the Fulstone project in the Yerington Mining District are major copper-gold-silver deposits, some of which will be developed for heap leaching that are in the development stage, making the Fulstone Project area strategically attractive.
The GOLD'n GRO fertilizers produced by Itronics are highly suited for use in mine re-vegetation and can easily be incorporated into virtually any mine remediation plan.
The Company's technical services subsidiary, Whitney & Whitney, Inc., has more than 20 years' experience with cyanide applications in gold and silver mining, and more than 23 years' experience with the use of complex thiosulfate chemistry in liquid fertilizers, including application of the fertilizers to the soil, and the mechanisms for making nutrients from the fertilizers available to plant roots through the soil. Dr. John Whitney, the Company's President, has authored or co-authored several publications about the economics of the production side of the copper industry including exploration, development, production, smelting and refining, and marketing in the worldwide copper industry. This experience makes the Company highly qualified to develop mining applications for the de-silvered photoliquids in silver-gold and copper.
"We believe this effort could be of significant importance for both our Company and its shareholders and stakeholders," Dr. Whitney said.
The silver refined by Itronics is recovered from spent photo liquids, a highly acclaimed environmentally "Green" and beneficial process. The de-silvered photo liquids are converted to ingredients for use in manufacturing the Award Winning line of GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizers. This technology maximizes sustainability by converting all of the silver-bearing photographic liquid waste into commercial goods for sale. There is no waste of any raw materials, including water, when this process is used. The manufacturing plant that operates this technology is a fully permitted "zero discharge" facility. The Company plans to use a similar environmental technology approach in mining.
About Itronics:
Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Itronics Inc. is a "Creative Clean Technology" company that produces GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizers and pure silver bullion. Itronics, through its subsidiary, Itronics Metallurgical, Inc. is the only company with a fully permitted "Beneficial Use Photochemical, Silver, and Water Recycling" plant in the United States that converts spent photoliquids into pure silver and GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizers. The Company is developing environmentally compatible mining technology, and is developing the Fulstone Iron Oxide Copper Gold exploration property in Nevada.
Itronics has received numerous domestic and international awards that recognize its ability to successfully create and implement new environmentally clean recycling and fertilizer technologies.
The Company's environmentally friendly GOLD'n GRO liquid fertilizers, which are extensively used in agriculture, can be used for lawns and houseplants, and are available, along with liquid fertilizer injectors, at the Company's "e-store" catalog at http://goldngro.com. Its popular Silver Nevada Miner bars are available at the Company's "e-store" catalog at http://www.itromet.com.
("Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains or may contain forward-looking statements such as statements regarding the Company's growth and profitability, growth strategy, liquidity and access to public markets, operating expense reduction, and trends in the industry in which the Company operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in risks, uncertainties or assumptions underlying or affecting such statements, or for prospective events that may have a retroactive effect.)
