9 November 2018 – Bromborough (UK): NewEra Metal Resources Ltd (the “Company” or “NewEra”) is pleased to announce the results of preliminary bitumen characterization studies completed on samples from its La Valenciana and Mallin Largo vanadium projects in Argentina by the University of Alberta, Canada. In addition, the University analysed samples from the former producing Minacar bitumen mine which have been provided to the Company by the mine owners. The mine operated during the period 1942 – 1951.
NewEra’s Minacar south exploration permit is immediately south and adjacent to the Minacar mine permit, and targets the southerly continuation of the structure which hosts the vanadium-rich bitumen at Minacar mine. The principal “vein” has the form of a laccolith with a thickness of up to 30 m which in places reaches the surface.
The bitumen characterization data, together with data compiled by the La Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) of Argentina will be shared with gasification companies for modelling. At this stage gasification is considered the most appropriate technology to process the bitumen and recover the vanadium from the residual ash. Studies completed by the CNEA in 2012 confirm that the bitumen from the Malargue region is very well suited to gasification.
Several international gasification companies have expressed an interest in NewEra’s vanadium projects. This will be followed up in 201