American Vanadium Corp. announces NI 43-101 technical report & increased resources estimate for the Gibellini Vanadium project

AMERICAN VANADIUM CORP.  has released and filed its National Instrument 43-101 compliant Technical Report to support the press release of September 12, 2011 entitled ‘American Vanadium Corp. Announces Positive Feasibility Study for Gibellini Vanadium Project’.

In addition to disclosure of the results of the feasibility study on Gibellini Hill, located in the State of Nevada, the Technical Report includes a first-time mineral resource estimate for the Louie Hill deposit. The estimate adds an additional 41 million pounds of V2O5 in the Inferred category at Louie Hill to the total Inferred mineral resources at Gibellini Hill that have previously been announced. The drill total for the Project now stands at over 51,000 feet of drilling from 280 drill holes, completed by both the Company and previous operators. The Inferred resource has not been included in the production schedule or financial analysis of the feasibility study.

The Company’s National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) Technical Report was prepared by AMEC E&C Services, Inc. (“AMEC”) of Sparks, Nevada. AMEC is independent of American Vanadium and approved the content of the press release dated September 12, 2011, summarizing the results of the Feasibility Study.

Inferred Louie Hill Mineral Resource Estimate*

Mark Hertel, SME Registered Member

Effective May 20, 2011

American Vanadium intends to conduct both in-fill drilling and further metallurgical testing on the Louie Hill deposit aiming to upgrade this resource. Additionally, significant exploration potential remains in the project area. American Vanadium’s recent geochemical survey has identified three vanadium oxide anomalies in rock and soils, each of which is being assessed for exploration.

The Technical Report is filed and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company’s website at www.americanvanadium.com.

Highlights of the Feasibility Study (after tax):

  • Internal Rate of Return (IRR) 43%
  • Net present value $170.1 million at 7% discount rate
  • Payback 2.4 years
  • Average grade 0.302% vanadium pentoxide (V2O5 )
  • Strip ratio 0.22 to 1 (waste:ore)
  • Mining Operating Rate 3.5 million tons per year (ore and waste)
  • Average V2O5 recovery 65.9%
  • Average annual production 11.4 million pounds V2O5
  • Operating cost $4.10 per pound V2O5
  • Capital cost $95.5 million (incl. $10.7 million contingency)
  • Average V2O5 selling price $10.95 per pound (Roskill Consulting Group)
  • V2O5 price range $7.68 – $13.63 per pound (Roskill Consulting Group)

This press release has been reviewed and approved by Alan Branham, a Director of the Company, who is a member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (CPG#10979), is a Certified Professional Geologist, and is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Field work has been conducted by American Vanadium employees and contractors and by AMEC.

*

1. The drill hole database used in developing the mineral resource estimate totaled 7,665 feet in 58 drill holes, and was closed as of 1 May 2011. Drilling was completed by the Company, and previous operator, Union Carbide

2. Block size was 25 feet x 25 feet x 20 feet. Density data were assumed using analogies to Gibellini Hill. No grade capping was utilized

3. Ordinary kriging was used as the estimation method

4. Mineral resources are constrained within a conceptual pit shell which used the following assumptions: Mining (incl. sustaining): $2.64/t moved; Processing: $8.90/t processed; Stockpile Rehandle: $0.54/t processed; Sustaining: $0.47/t processed; Closure Costs: $0.29/t processed; Total Process: $10.34/t processed; G&A: $0.67/t processed; Recovery: 60% V2O5; Royalty: 2%; Cash Flow Price: $6.5/lb V2O5; Resource Price: $12.60/lb V2O5; Selling Cost: $0.374/lb V2O5; Overall Pit Slope: 45o

5. Mineral Resources are reported above a 0.077% V2O5 % cut-off grade

6. Mineral Resources are reported as undiluted

7. Rounding as required by reporting guidelines may result in apparent summation differences between tons, grade and contained metal content

8. Tonnage and grade measurements are in US units. Grades are reported in percentages

About AMEC plc

AMEC plc is a focused supplier of high-value consultancy, engineering and project management services to the world’s natural resources, nuclear, clean energy, water and environmental sectors. With annual revenues of over £2.5 billion, AMEC designs, delivers and maintains strategic and complex assets for its customers.

About American Vanadium Corp.

American Vanadium is currently developing the Gibellini Project, a vanadium deposit located in Nevada, USA. Vanadium is a critical alloying metal used to strengthen steel and is also growing in importance in the emerging uses of mass energy storage and next generation lithium-vanadium batteries. The Company’s Gibellini Vanadium Project is unique in its ability to have economic production of vanadium for the steel and alloying industries as well as vanadium electrolyte for the mass storage industry.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Bill Radvak, President and CEO

 

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

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