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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ExGen Resources Inc. (TSX.V: EXG; OTC: BXXRF) (“ExGen”, the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update in respect of Phoenix Copper Ltd.’s (“Phoenix”) exploration and development activities at the Empire Mine Project in Custer County, Idaho, USA. Further to previous ExGen news releases, ExGen owns 20% and Phoenix owns 80% of Konnex Resources, Inc. (“Konnex”), which holds the leases and claims to the Empire Mine Project. ExGen further owns 1,330,000 common shares of Phoenix.
ExGen is pleased to report that Phoenix, (the operator of the Empire Mine Project), has confirmed that the 2022 drilling program is currently underway.
The following program highlights were provided by Phoenix:
- The 2022 drilling program is expected to further understanding of Ammonium Thiosulfate (“ATS”) as a non-toxic, environmentally friendly reagent for the recovery of copper, gold, silver, and zinc from the Empire open pit resource.
- Phoenix will also examine the possibility of bringing forward the production of precious metals.
- In addition to the collection of PQ-diameter core samples (85 millimeters) for metallurgical testing, geotechnical data for enhanced pit slope stability studies and resource assaying for enhanced continuity of copper, gold, silver, and zinc grades will be gathered from the same core.
- Following the PQ-core drilling in the Empire open pit, the drill rig will move to the Red Star silver-lead resource and the Empire deep sulphide target to conduct further exploratory drilling through to late autumn.
- In addition to the drilling program, Phoenix is completing ongoing open pit engineering trade-off studies for further economic and environmental optimization as part of the feasibility study process.
Phoenix noted:
- The 2022 drilling season kicked off as scheduled in early June with the arrival of a core drilling rig capable of drilling PQ-diameter core.
- The drilling program will initially focus on collecting core samples for metallurgical and geotechnical studies from the Empire open pit, which remains the flagship project. The results of these studies may allow Phoenix to bring forward production of gold and silver, currently scheduled as a second phase of the open pit project.
- Once the Empire open pit drilling is completed, the rig will begin further exploratory drilling in the Red Star and Empire Sulphide areas.
- Phoenix is actively searching for further drilling capacity for this season and will contract additional drill rigs when and if they become available.
- The Empire Open Pit Feasibility study remains in progress whilst Phoenix’s engineers complete further trade-off and optimization studies. The global volatility in pricing for everything from structural steel to chemical reagents has also slowed progress on the study. However, there are some indications that markets are slowly calming and supply backlogs are shortening.
- The Phoenix team is continuing to focus on what it knows and what it can control. The Empire open pit copper mine is ideally suited to provide copper for the world’s transition to clean energy and, as a result, will be in high demand in the coming years. The team is working diligently to collect the necessary data, permits, and funds so that Phoenix can advance the project in a way which will be most economic, while minimizing its environmental footprint.
Jason Riley, CEO of ExGen commented: “ExGen is very encouraged that this year’s drilling program has started. We look forward to the results from RedStar and the sulphide zone in particular.”
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL PROTOCOLS
Rock, drill core and reverse circulation samples were analyzed by ALS Global, Reno, an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited facility. Copper, zinc, silver, lead, molybdenum, and tungsten were determined by ICP method. Copper, zinc, and lead >1% ICP are assayed using four-acid digestion and silver >100ppm by four acid digestion, whereas gold was determined by a 30gm fire assay followed by atomic absorption. Standards, duplicates and blanks were inserted into the sample stream for QA/QC purposes. Blanks and duplicates were inserted roughly every 50ft and standards were inserted roughly every 100ft. Core samples are saw cut in half and stored in a secure facility. RC chips and channel samples are stored in the same secure facility. All samples are delivered to the laboratory under chain of custody protocol and submitted using sub-form sample numbers.
QUALIFIED PERSON
Kieran Downes, Ph.D., P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified the technical information provided in this release.
ABOUT EXGEN RESOURCES INC.
ExGen, formerly Boxxer Gold Corp, is a project accelerator that seeks to fund exploration and development of our projects through joint ventures and partnership agreements. This approach significantly reduces the technical and financial risks for ExGen, while maintaining the upside exposure to new discoveries and potential cash flow. The company intends to build a diverse portfolio of projects across exploration stages and various commodity groups. ExGen currently has 6 projects in Canada and the US.
For more information on ExGen please contact ExGen Resources Inc.
Jason Tong
Chief Financial Officer
Email: jason@catapultgroup.ca
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the observations made on drill core from the diamond drilling program on the Empire Mine Project; the further exploration and development of the Empire Mine Project; the exploration and development strategy of the Empire Mine Project, including the exploration program, drilling, mine development, feasibility study, funding, and permitting. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. There can be no assurance that the development of the Empire Mine Project will be completed, and if development is completed, that such development will result in a producing mine. In the forward looking information contained in this news release, ExGen has made numerous assumptions, based upon practices and methodologies which are consistent with the mineral industry. In addition, ExGen has assumed: the continued market acceptance of its joint venture partnership model; the ability of ExGen and its partners to raise future equity financing, if needed, at prices acceptable to ExGen or its partners; ExGen's current and initial understanding and analysis of the Empire Mine Project; the ability of ExGen or third parties to discover viable exploration targets and the results of exploration on the Empire Mine Project; the ability of Phoenix to explore and develop the Empire Mine Project; the cost of exploration, including sampling, drilling and assaying, on the Empire Mine Project, the costs of developing the Empire Mine Project and the costs and the ability of Phoenix to produce a feasibility study in compliance with NI 43-101; and ExGen's general and administrative costs remaining sustainable. While, ExGen considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause ExGen's observations, actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: the possibility that the analytical results from future core sampling does not return significant grades of copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead or any other molybdenum by-products; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology; continuity and grade of mineralization; there is no certainty that the ongoing work programs will result in significant or successful exploration of the Empire Mine Project or development of the Empire Mine Project into a producing mine; uncertainty as to the actual results of exploration and development or operational activities; uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; ExGen may not be able to comply with its ongoing obligations regarding its properties; the early stage development of ExGen and its projects, and in particular, the Empire Mine Project; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; capital market conditions and market prices for securities, junior market securities and mining exploration company securities; commodity prices, in particular copper, gold, silver, and zinc prices; competition; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents and other risks inherent in the mining industry; lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting ExGen; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of additional assumptions and risk factors used to develop such forward-looking information that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in ExGen's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although ExGen has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. ExGen does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
