Cantex'S North Rackla Project Contains High Critical Metal Germanium Values IN Yukon, Canada
CANTEX'S NORTH RACKLA PROJECT
CONTAINS HIGH CRITICAL METAL
GERMANIUM VALUES IN YUKON, CANADA
KELOWNA, BC
,
April 14, 2025
/CNW/ -
Cantex Mine Development Corp.
(TSXV: CD) (OTCQB:
CTXDF) (the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its 100-percent-owned 14,077 hectare
North Rackla claim block in the
Yukon
.
Dr.
Charles Fipke
reports
Germanium in Sphalerite Results
Cantex's directors are pleased to provide a summary of the germanium results received from the
Company's Massive Sulphide project in the
Yukon
, Canada. Since its discovery, the Massive
Sulphide project contains silver, lead and zinc values amongst the highest found in North America.
More recently the presence of the key critical element germanium in elevated levels has been
detected.
As first reported on
February 9
th
of 2023, laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectroscopy (LA-
ICPMS) studies of zinc sulphide grains (sphalerite) from the project identified significant enrichment
of the Critical Element germanium. Additional LA-ICPMS analyses of sphalerite (reported on
April
13, 2023
,
July 10, 2023
and
February 9, 2024
) confirmed the high germanium contents over 2.35
kilometres (1.5 miles) of drill tested strike length at the Main Zone and also at the adjacent GZ
Zone.
At the Main Zone 595 sphalerite analyses from 97 intercepts were tested and these intercepts
averaged 654 grams per ton of germanium.
In addition, 77 analyses of sphalerite from 14 intercepts at the nearby GZ zone averaged 521 grams
per ton of germanium.
Germanium in Bulk Core
As first announced on
March 14, 2024
Cantex identified a suitable technique for bulk analysis of
germanium in core. As expected, there is a strong correlation between germanium content and zinc
grade, as it is the sphalerite (zinc sulphide) grains that contain germanium. Core with higher zinc
content typically has higher germanium content. The presence of galena, or other non-ore minerals
in the core dilutes the sphalerite, and thus decreases the germanium content. However, in a
sphalerite concentrate, the germanium grade will approach that found in the LA-ICPMS analyses:
654 g/ton in the Main Zone and 521 g/ton in the GZ Zone.
This bulk analytical method does have the advantage of being quicker, less costly, and provides a
better average of thousands of sphalerite grains in a single analysis. For the 2024 drill program
Cantex completed bulk germanium analyses on all mineralized intercepts (see releases of
October
1, 2024
and
February 12
, 2025). This work has confirmed the presence of high grade silver-lead-
zinc-germanium values over a drill confirmed strike length of 2.65 kilometres (1.65 miles).
Germanium Market
In recent times germanium has entered the global spotlight. This is due to the combination of its
importance in the manufacture of several modern technologies, some of which have military
applications, and the lack of a significant western germanium source. 76% of the world's germanium
resources are located in
Russia
and China. 82% of refined germanium production is in China.
As a result of trade tensions,
China
announced export controls on germanium to
the United States
in
August of 2023, and then a total ban on exports in December of 2024. It is unknown what additional
measures
China
will put into place as a result of the significant increase in tensions with the US.
This leaves the West in need of alternative sources to reliably supply this critical metal, which is used
in computer chips, solar panels, fiber optics and military applications such as night vision optics, etc.
This is expected to become even more challenging when Teck's Red Dog Mine in
Alaska
, currently
the most significant western source of Germanium, reaches its expected end of life in six years. The
Red Dog Mine averages between 104 and 249 grams per tonne germanium.
Germanium is presently trading for
US$2.11
per gram (
April 12, 2025
; Trading Economics;
https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/germanium
).
Summary
Cantex is pleased to continue to see elevated germanium contents within the silver-lead-zinc
mineralization at the high-grade Massive Sulphide Project.
The germanium not only adds value to the mineralization, but importantly would provide a western
source desperately needed. The strategic importance of a western source of germanium has never
been greater.
Sample Preparation
The drill holes reported in this press release were drilled using HQ (63.5mm) diamond drill bits. The
core was logged, marked up for sampling and then divided into equal halves using a diamond saw on
site. One half of the core was left in the original core box. The other half was sampled and placed
into sealed bags which were in turn placed into larger bags closed with security seals prior to being
transported to the ISO 9001:2015 accredited CF Mineral Research Ltd. laboratory in
Kelowna, BC
.
At CF Minerals the drill core was dried prior to crushing to -10 mesh. The samples, which averaged
over 3kg, were then mixed prior to splitting off 800g. The 800g splits were pulverized to -200
mesh. A 250g portion of this pulverized material was submitted for multi-element analysis at ALS
Chemex in North Vancouver. Quality control procedures included running a barren sand sample
through both the crusher and pulveriser between each sample to ensure no inter-sample
contamination occurred. Silica blanks were inserted along with certified reference samples. These
quality control samples were each inserted approximately every 20 samples.
ALS Chemex in
North Vancouver
assayed the samples using a four-acid digestion with an ICP-MS
finish. The 48 element ME-MS61 technique was used to provide a geochemical signature of the
mineralization. Where lead or zinc values exceeded one percent the Pb-OG62 or Zn-OG62
techniques were used. These have upper limits of 20% lead and 30% zinc respectively. Samples
with lead and zinc values over these limits were then analyzed by titration methods Pb-VOL70 and
Zn-VOL50. Where silver samples exceeded 100 g/t the Ag-OG62 technique was used which has an
upper limit of 1,500 g/t. The over limit analyses contributed to delays in receiving final assay results.
For germanium analyses completed on individual sphalerite grains a piece of split core approximately
15cm in length containing sphalerite was selected and submitted to CF Mineral Research Ltd. From
the selected location a piece of a thin slice of core was mounted in epoxy, polished, carbon coated
and mapped using a scanning electron microscope to select sphalerites for analysis. The samples
were then sent to the
University of British Columbia
Okanagan for germanium analysis using laser
ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (LA-ICPMS). A 100 micron spot size was
used and NIST610 and 612 reference materials were used as standards.
For the germanium results completed on bulk core, a portion of the remaining pulverized material
from the base metal analysis was analyzed by ALS Chemex in
North Vancouver
, Canada. The
pulverized samples were analyzed using a sodium peroxide fusion followed by an ICP Mass
Spectrometer finish on a 0.2g pulverised sample.
The technical information and results reported here have been reviewed by Mr.
Chad Ulansky
P.Geol
., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, who is responsible for the technical
content of this release.
Signed,
Charles Fipke
Dr.
Charles Fipke
, CM
Chairman
Neither 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. Information set forth in this news release includes forward-looking statements under
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not
past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business
and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan",
"estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could",
"should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than
statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. By their nature,
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be
materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks identified in the
management discussion and analysis section of the Company's interim and most recent annual
financial statements or other reports and filings with Canadian securities regulators. Forward
looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date
that statements are made and the respective companies undertake no obligation to update forward-
looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change,
except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue
certainty to forward-looking statements.
SOURCE
Cantex Mine Development Corp.
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For further information:
For further information: Cantex Mine Development Corp, Tel: +1-250-860-
8582; Email: [email protected]
CO: Cantex Mine Development Corp.
CNW 09:00e 14-APR-25