American Manganese – Pursuing Electrolytic Manganese With A Breakthrough Lower Cost Green Process
Overview
American Manganese (TSXV:AMY,FWB:2AM) is a diversified specialty and critical metal Company focusing on potentially becoming a producer of high purity Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide (EMD) and Chemical Manganese Dioxide (CMD) for the battery industry.
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Investment Highlights
- High Purity Product for the Lithiated Manganese Rechargeable Batteries
- Strong Fundamentals
- NI 43-101 Resource
- NI 43-101 Prefeasibility Evaluation
- Only developing manganese project in the US
- US source of manganese to supply domestic demand
- Highly Experienced Management Group
- Patent Pending Process
Key Project
Artillery Peak Manganese Project – Arizona, United States
The Artillery Peak Manganese Project is located in Mojave County, Arizona and is the largest known low grade deposit of manganese in the Southwestern United States, according to the US Bureau of Mines. During the 1950s the property was used for the critical build-up of North American manganese. Today, manganese is a critical metal for North American steel and cleantech industries, prompting the revival of this producing mine. American Manganese’s goal is to develop the project into the first new large-scale open-pit EMM/EMD producing mine in North America.
Exploration work on the properties has resulted in a new NI 43-101 estimate which identified an Indicated Resource of 220,943,518 tonnes and an Inferred Resource of 56,338,329 tonnes (13.8 Billion lbs) and an Inferred Resource of 56,338,329 tonnes, (3.5 Billion lbs.) grading 2.84% Mn reported at a .90% cut-off.
Mineralization at Artillery Peak is in the form of pyrolucite (Pu) Psilomelane (Ps) and Wad (W) which is amenable to sulphurous acid leaching at coarse particle sizes which return >90% recoveries in short leaching intervals. The mineralization is also friable and soft, which allows for low-cost production as it is easily broken down by simple hammer milling with no need for multiple crushing and grinding stages.
While American Manganese’s main product is electrolytic manganese metal, it has contracted with Kemetco Research Inc. to develop a hydrometallurgical process which provides an opportunity for the production of ultra-high purity manganese dioxide for use in lithium ion batteries. The Kemetco process avoids traditional steps (grinding of the resource followed by roasting) that are known to introduce impurities to battery grade lithium ion battery material.
American Manganese has a patent pending to protect the environmentally friendly process, which is both energy and water efficient, and was published in the “Minerals & Metallurgical Processing”, an international peer-reviewed journal.
A recent pilot test of the Artillery Peak manganese resource, conducted by Kemetco, showed a 92.7 percent recovery rate along with liquid solid separation operation rate four times faster than expected.
In May 2012, American Manganese announced it had received funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) for the development of improved lithium manganese dioxide. With this contribution agreement in place, the Company has retained Kemetco Research Inc. to undertake research in the production of an improved lithium manganese dioxide.
Artillery Peak Preliminary Plant Layout
Summary
American Manganese is a company focused on the exploration and development of metals crucial to the steel and battery industry. The Company is focusing on potentially becoming a producer of high purity EMD and CMD for the battery industry.
Management
Larry W. Reaugh – President, CEO, and Director
President and Chief Executive Officer of American Manganese Inc. from February 13, 1998 to present. Mr. Reaugh has forty-six years’ experience in the mining industry and for the past thirty years he has been the CEO & President of several exploration, development and producing mining companies listed on the TSX, TSX Venture and NSDAQ exchanges. Several of his companies have made significant discoveries, three of which (gold) went on to be producing mines.
Through his career Mr. Reaugh has raised in excess of $250 million for junior resource mining companies. Currently he is the CEO of three public companies which fall under the aegis of The Reaugh Group: American Manganese Inc., Goldrea Resources Inc., and Molycor Gold Corp.
Shaheem Ali – CFO
Mr. Ali has been the Company’s Accounting Controller for the past five years.
Jan Eigenhuis – Director
Mr. Eigenhuis is a former senior executive at Manganese Metal Company of South Africa (MMC). He currently acts as a consultant to the electrolytic manganese industry worldwide. It is notable that he counts MMC as well as the Chinese manganese producers as clients.
Andris Kikauka, P.Eng, P.Geo – Director
Director for American Manganese Inc., Mr. Kikauka is a graduate of Brock University, St. Catharines, Ont., with an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Geological Sciences, 1980. He is a member of the Geological Association of Canada (F5717). He is registered in the Province of British Columbia as a Professional Geoscientist).
Andris has practiced his profession for twenty years in precious and base metal exploration in the Cordilllera of Western Canada working for Anaconda Canada Exploration (1980-1984), Skyline Explorations, Inel Resources, Gulf International Minerals (1985-1989), in South America working for Carson Gold (1990), in Mexico and Guatemala working mineral exploration projects for Francisco Gold and Almaden Minerals (1996-2006) and for three years in uranium exploration in the Canadian Shield working for Rayrock Mines and Uran-Canada (1977-1979).
Ed Skoda – Director
Director for American Manganese Inc., Ed Skoda obtained a Diploma in Mining Engineering Technology from the Haileybury School of Mines in Ontario in 1971 and a Diploma in Business Management from the British Columbia Institute of Technology in 1979. Ed has over 25 years experience in the mining industry in which time he has worked on many national and international projects. During the past 15 years, Mr. Skoda has worked as a consultant and in a supervisory capacity as a shift boss, superintendent, or project manager for various mining and exploration companies. Based out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Ed oversees all Mexico operations for SJ Geophysics Ltd.
Paul Hildebrand – Director
Director for American Manganese Inc., Paul Hildebrand is a lawyer with 25 years of experience in private law practice.
Michael MacLeod P.Eng., MBA – COO
Chief Operating Officer and Director for American Manganese Inc., Mr. Michael MacLeod has spent 30 years executing major capital projects and mine developments in the mining industry, including the Byron Creek coal mine expansion for Esso Resources Canada Limited and in-pit crusher/conveying system and Highmont concentrator re-location for Highland Valley Copper Ltd.
Teresa Piorun – Officer
Teresa Piorun, Corporate Secretary for American Manganese Inc. has been with the group of companies for twenty-one years. Ms. Piroun is a senior corporate officer with wide-ranging responsibilities, serving as a focal point for communication with the board of directors, senior management and the company’s shareholders, and occupies a key role in the administration of critical corporate matters. She is the confidant and advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and other members of senior management, particularly on corporate governance affairs.
