Application To Modify Operating Plan In Montana

DALLAS, TX – United States Antimony Corporation (USAC) reported on significant Montana mining activities. An application to modify the company’s operating plan was made to the Hard Rock Mining Bureau of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the changes were approved. A mechanized exploration and bulk sampling program to prove the concept began. Although the majority of the rock required to be excavated was able to be dug by the hydraulic excavator, as the excavation advanced to depth, it quickly became apparent that a hydraulic hammer would be required to break the ore up sufficiently to enable excavation and loading into a dump truck. A hydraulic hammer mobilized to site on and then the first truckloads of stibnite were hauled off of the mountain. Although the total quantities of material planned to be mined on a daily basis are not yet large (9 tandem dump truckloads totaling 239 tons to-date), the high grade of the stibnite allows for a profitable operation without the long lead times and large capital investment associated with plant construction and mine development that normal low grade/high tonnage operations typically require. The “cut and cover” mining method also allows for on-going reclamation without “double handling” of material.
The antimony ore has been hauled (in excess of 250 tons) to a flotation mill located near Radersburg, Montana where it will be crushed, sampled and assayed under the direction of Childs Geological Services, recognized as Qualified Persons under the SEC SK 1300 regulations, and a company independent of USAC.
Anticipating a successful outcome of the bulk sampling program, the company has staked 102 federal mining claims to cover extensions of the stibnite veins on open ground on the mountain and has entered into discussions regarding purchases of the remaining patented claims not already acquired and owned by the company. Operations on the mountain will temporarily cease when weather conditions dictate but will resume again in the spring. In the meantime, the “Stibnite Hill Team” will be fully occupied with mine planning, additional permit applications, and the development of reclamation plans.
Preliminary test work by the company’s metallurgical team indicates the material can be upgraded to meet the military specifications for material to be used for primers for munitions. Presently, USAC is the only North American company approved as a sole-source supplier of antimony trisulphide to the Defense Logistics Agency meeting military specifications. Metallurgical test work to ensure the Stibnite Hill material can be used in the company’s full complement of products is presently ongoing.