Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. – March 12, 2024) – Canadian Critical Minerals Inc. (TSXV: CCMI) (OTCQB:RIINF) ("CCMI" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has received additional revenues for the Company from the sale of stockpiled copper, gold and silver mineralized material at the Bull River Mine (“BRM”) project near Cranbrook, BC. During the month of February 2024, the Company trucked 897 wet metric tonnes (“wmt”) of mineralized material to New Afton under an Ore Purchase Agreement (“OPA”) (see press release dated October 5, 2023, on Sedar+) and the Company received a provisional payment of approximately US$66,000 for the February shipments.
To-date the Company has trucked 977 wmt of mineralized material from the BRM to New Afton. The Company temporarily suspended trucking following the imposition of road restrictions in the last week of February. Road restrictions to 70% of normal loads has a negative impact on the economies of trucking. The Company will resume trucking once road restrictions are removed. Road restrictions were imposed approximately two months earlier than normal by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure of British Columbia due to mild winter conditions in the Cranbrook area.
The mineralized material sent to New Afton in February 2024 was a combination of coarse material and fine material, but primarily fine material. There are approximately 45,000 tonnes of mineralized material on surface that has been screened and crushed by our contractor. To-date no mineralized material has been sent to the Steinert KSS 100 ore sorter pending commissioning by Steinert personnel. Steinert personnel arrived at the BRM on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, and have begun the commissioning process with BRM personnel. Once the ore sorter is commissioned, the Company will begin sending coarse mineralized material to the ore sorter for up-grading prior to trucking to New Afton. The Company expects that 40% to 50% of the coarse material is non-economical and only the higher-grade material will be sent to New Afton. Fine material will not be sent to the ore sorter.
Ian Berzins, President and CEO commented, “The receipt of additional revenues from the Bull River Mine is encouraging for the Company. While the revenues remain modest, we have successfully implemented the OPA with New Afton and we look forward to completing the commissioning of the ore sorter. Revenues for the Company are expected to increase by sending high-grade, pre-concentrated stockpiled material to New Afton.”