eEnergy Group Regulatory News (EAAS)

7 May 2019

Alexander Mining plc

("Alexander" or the "Company")

Method for Leaching Zinc Silicate Ores Patent Granted in Turkey

Alexander is pleased to report that it has received notification that its MetaLeach Limited subsidiary has been granted a patent for a Method for Leaching Zinc Silicate Ores in Turkey, patent number TR 2013 07721 B. The patent will remain in force until 26 June 2033.

Martin Rosser, Chief Executive Officer, said: "The granting of our Zinc Silicate Leaching Patent in Turkey is a significant achievement. Zinc silicate mineralisation comprises a significant proportion of non-sulphide (or 'zinc oxide') zinc ores targeted for use by our AmmLeach® process. High grade zinc oxide deposits are particularly prevalent in Turkey, which has a significant historic and current zinc direct shipping ore ("DSO") mining sector.

The patent complements the commercial and technical partnership agreement announced in February 2018 with Proses Mühendislik, Danışmanlık, İnşaat ve Tasarım AS. ("Proses"), which is focused in an active ongoing process on the establishment of a semi industrial scale processing plant using Alexander's patented AmmLeach® technology. This would be the key precursor for a potential large industrial scale commercial operation to address the growing Turkish trade deficit in finished base metals. Alexander looks forward to providing an update on this project in due course.

Prior to the AmmLeach® process, lower grade (non-DSO) zinc oxide ores (typically less than 10 per cent. zinc content) had been left untreated in situ or dumped in stockpiles. Accordingly, there are large multi-million tonnes resources with a zinc grade as low as 5 per cent. which are potentially suitable for economical treatment using AmmLeach®."

The patent describes a method for leaching zinc from ores containing high levels of zinc silicates, comprising the method steps of: curing the zinc silicate ore to be leached through the application of a low volume of an aqueous acid solution having a pH of 0 or above, producing a cured zinc silicate ore more amenable to leaching through the application of an ammonium carbonate solution containing free ammonia; leaching the cured ore at atmospheric pressure through the application of an ammonium carbonate solution containing free ammonia, producing a pregnant leach solution; and passing the pregnant leach solution to a means for zinc recovery.

This announcement is inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.

ENDS

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