VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - November 13, 2017) - I-Minerals lnc. (
"Metakaolin is recognized as one of the best pozzolans or supplementary cementous materials available. The demand for natural pozzolans is very much on the rise while the availability of quality pozzolans in the Pacific Northwest is waning," stated Thomas Conway, President and CEO of I-Minerals Inc. "We are thrilled with the results as not only are we producing a superior metakaolin using flash calcination technologies, but the use of hydrocylcones to make the initial sand-clay separation has increased they clay yield from 22% to 30% meaning we stand to make significantly more tons of a superior metakaolin with no increase in CAPEX. We have had contact with some of the leaders in the cement industry and they recognize the strategic importance of having access to a high quality natural pozzolan. We have already received multiple sample requests and are very excited about the prospects for our Bovill Metakaolin and we expect to begin delivering samples to prospective customers in the coming weeks.
The larger sample will be calcined using a pilot plant flash calciner capable of 110-165 pounds per hour. This scale of production will provide confirmation for final scale-up to the flow sheet and be representative of metakaolin product produced in a commercial production environment. Post calcination, the company will evaluate pulverization to deagglomerate to reduce particle size to further increase the reactivity and strength of the metakaolin. A finer particle size tends to increase the water demands, but initial results form bench scale production was very encouraging with a water demand well below the ASTM C618-15 limits leaving the flexibility to further increase the strength while staying within the required water demand limits.
A. Lamar Long, CPG, is a qualified person ("QP") for I-Minerals Inc. and has reviewed and approved the contents of this release
About I-Minerals Inc.
I-Minerals is developing multiple deposits of high purity, high value halloysite, quartz, potassium feldspar and kaolin at its strategically located Helmer-Bovill property in north central Idaho. A 2016 Feasibility Study on the Bovill Kaolin Deposit led by GBM Engineers LLC, who were responsible for overall project management and the process plant and infrastructure design, including OPEX and CAPEX calculated an After Tax NPV of US$249.8 million with a 25.8% After Tax IRR. Initial CAPEX was estimated at $108.3 million with a 3.7 year After Tax payback. Other engineering services were provided by HDR Engineering, Inc. (all environmental components; hydrology / hydrogeology; road design); Tetra Tech, Inc. (tailings storage facility design); Mine Development Associates (mine modelling; ore scheduling; mineral reserve estimation); and SRK Consulting (U.S.) Inc. (mineral resource estimation). The project has received mine and water permits from the State of Idaho.
I-Minerals Inc.
Per: "Thomas M. Conway"
Thomas M. Conway, President & CEO
This News Release includes certain "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks. Actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of the following factors, among others: changes in the world-wide price of mineral market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risk associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and uncertainty of access to additional capital.
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Contact Information:
Contact:
Barry Girling
877-303-6573 or 604-303-6573 ext. 102
Email: info@imineralsinc.com
Or visit our website at www.imineralsinc.com
Paul J. Searle
Investor Relations
877-303-6573 or 604-303-6573 ext. 113
Email: psearle@imineralsinc.com