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SMRS BK PLAN effective. All shares cancelled:
https://otce.finra.org/otce/dailyList?viewType=Deletions
07/12/2019 08:37:40
Bankruptcy Plan Effective / Shares Cancelled
07/12/2019 08:38:00
SMRS
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. Common Stock
https://otce.finra.org/otce/dailyList
Anything going on here down to 2 cents
SMRS Approaching Recommencement of Mining at Balmat Property
Zinc is breaking away from the rest of the base metals in the world with an increase of 43% from $0.88 a pound in 2015 to $1.05 a pound this year. Since 1995, there have been no major investments in the zinc industry, with a number of mine closures leading to a supply-side deficit in both concentrates and refined metal. Not only this, the last tier one discovery was Cannington Mine, Australia, which first opened in 1997.
However, the world of zinc mining has taken an impressive turn in 2016. According to InvestingNews.com (http://nnw.fm/uA32h), by the end of 2015, China was leading the market with 4.9 million metric tons of production. Australia came in second with 1.58 million metric tons, Peru was third with 1.37 million metric tons, and the United States came in fourth with 860,000 metric tons. The U.S. showed the most impressive growth out of the four countries, with an increase from 832,000 metric tons in 2014. The U.S. Geological Survey (http://nnw.fm/pADx5) found that, in 2015, zinc was mined at 15 mines across five states by four different companies.
Currently, zinc mining in the U.S. is best known in the Northwest and East of the country, but this could change in 2017. The Balmat Mine in St. Lawrence County, New York, acquired in November 2015 by Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) with the aim of reopening in the near future, was recently identified to have significant zinc mineralization in the Upper Marble unit.
Star Mountain Resources’ Sully Discovery shows promising potential for there to be more zinc deposits in the Balmat-Edwards area. Over the years, Balmat has produced over 30 million tons grading 8.6% zinc. However, the recent Sully discovery strongly increases the possibility that the reserves are larger than the original feasibility report suggests. The results showed that, out of the seven drill holes, the percentage of zinc ranged from over 1% to over 24%. With this in mind, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. aims to continue its exploration efforts in order to contribute its full potential to the United States zinc mining industry.
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. is a junior exploration and mining company focused on a number of mining activities including recommencing mining in the Balmat Zinc mine in Upstate New York. The company is backed by unparalleled mining experience thanks, in part, to its acquisition of Northern Zinc and maintains a vision to grow through responsibly developing promising assets and people.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
Sully Discovery by SMRS Confirms Richness of Balmat Mine Host Rock
The announcement by Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) of the Sully discovery validates the company’s decision to reactivate the Balmat mine. The company’s recently completed district-wide review and evaluation, which targeted zinc mineralization in the Balmat-Edwards Mining District of St. Lawrence County, New York, yielded encouraging results. The review identified significant potential zinc mineralization, labeled the ‘Sully discovery’, in the Upper Marble unit at a location approximately one mile southwest of the historic Hyatt Mine and four miles northeast of the Balmat mine. The Upper Marble unit contains the rock within which the ore deposit occurs, known as host rock in the industry. Star Mountain’s Sully discovery is important because it increases the possibility that the company is sitting on reserves greater that those indicated by already completed feasibility studies.
Out of 12 drill holes executed on the Sully target in 2007 and 2008, seven intersected massive sulfide zinc mineralization. The drilling operations revealed significant thicknesses of zinc mineralization that can be correlated over approximately 1,500 feet along strike and up to 500 feet across strike. The strike of a bed is the direction of a straight line that connects two points of equal elevation on the bed.
The richness of the results was particularly promising. The seven drill holes yielded nine readings. The percentage of zinc assayed ranged from 1.4% to 24.7%. The average of the nine readings was 11.6%; the standard deviation was 7.4%.
On the release of the findings, Star Mountain Resources President Mark Osterberg pointed out that the Balmat-Edwards District has been in near continuous production for 100 years and that, on average, every 17 years a new mine has been discovered. The company, he said, will advance its exploration efforts and is confident it can “add to the record of discovery.”
Although further studies are required to confirm the economic viability of the mineralized material, the Sully discovery, naturally, raises the chances that further significant deposits of zinc are present in the Balmat-Edwards area. The area has historically proven to be rich in zinc. Star Mountain’s mining properties there consist of four mines: Balmat, Edwards, Hyatt and Pierrepont. Edwards was in operation from 1915 to 1980; Pierrepont produced from 1982 to 2001; and Hyatt operated from 1974 to 1998. The Balmat mine operated continuously from 1930 to 2001, when production ceased due to depressed zinc metal prices. Production then resumed in 2006 until falling prices caused it to be shuttered again in the fall of 2008.
The greater Balmat-Edwards-Pierrepont district has produced in excess of 43 million tons of 9.4% zinc during its 76 years of operation, while the Balmat mine has produced 33.8 million tons of 8.6% zinc ore since operations began in 1930. It’s beginning to look as if Balmat may be just the tip of the Star Mountain iceberg.
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. is a junior exploration and mining company focused on acquiring and consolidating mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines, and historic mines with production and future growth potential. Its operations are currently focused on base metal and precious metal mining acquisitions in North America, and on re-commencing mining activities at the Balmat Zinc mine in upstate New York.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Reports Results of Evaluation of Exploration Targets in the Balmat-Edwards Mining District
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) today announced the results of its district-wide review and evaluation of the historic exploration drilling program that targeted zinc mineralization in the Balmat-Edwards Mining District, St. Lawrence County, New York.
According to today’s press release, the company identified significant potential zinc mineralization in the Upper Marble unit (the host unit for zinc mineralization for all the mines in the Balmat-Edwards District) at a location approximately one mile southwest of the historic Hyatt Mine and four miles northeast of the Balmat #4 Mine (the “Sully discovery”).
The Sully discovery is located within the 80,582 acres of mineral rights controlled by Star Mountain. A dozen drill holes were completed on the Sully target in approximately eight years ago. Seven of the 12 intersected massive sulfide zinc mineralization in Upper Marble unit rocks (see the table at http://nnw.fm/IkpU4). It has been concluded that zinc mineralization is significantly thick and can be correlated over approximately 1,500 feet along strike and up to 500 feet across strike.
Star Mountain stated that mineralization remains open in every direction. The company has planned a follow up drilling program to confirm the discovery and to determine the extent and limits of the mineralization.
Star Mountain President Mark Osterberg commented, “The Balmat-Edwards District has been in near continuous production for 100 years and the exploration history documents a record of new mine discovery every 17 years on average. We expect to continue our review and evaluation of historic exploration drilling and to advance exploration efforts on the Sully discovery in the Balmat-Edwards District and we are confident that we can add to the record of discovery.”
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Positioned Perfectly to Benefit from Global Zinc Supply Plummet
A recent article, titled ‘Think zinc: Miners Bet Big On Revival In Key Base Metal Market’, by Reuters (http://nnw.fm/lJ0Ap) highlights the fact that resource companies are moving quickly to dig zinc mines as supply is becoming lower worldwide. As zinc mines are starting to run empty, prices are increasing, encouraging the start of new projects. Resource companies are feeling a sense of urgency, fearing that zinc prices will continue to rise, and new investments are continuing to pop up.
Richer mines around the world are contracting as reserves are running low, and new players are getting the chance to make a significant profit. In an interview with Reuters, Daniel Morgan, a commodities analyst from UBS, stated “There is no doubt the supply side of this market is declining and supporting the case for new mines.”
Although there are a number of variables that could affect future prices, such as China digging up more metal and the price of steel weakening, things are looking good for zinc resource companies for 2016. Mines across every continent are reopening their doors and returning to production. Supplies are especially stressed in Australia, Canada, and Ireland, and the U.S. is not far behind.
Supplies in the U.S. saw a severe drop from February to May 2016. However, the price of zinc has been on the rise since January 2016 and supplies are starting to look up, according to Zinc Investing (http://nnw.fm/AXbo2). The U.S. zinc supply has been facing a medium-term supply issue, as there are no large, advanced-stage development projects on the horizon.
With this in mind, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) recently acquired the Northern Zinc and Balmat Holdings Corporation, as well as St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, including its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. The Balmat mining complex is a fully equipped and functional mine with a hoisting capacity of 4,000 tons per day. The operation is rubber tired, with a mobile mining fleet, as well as a mill capable of producing 5,000 tons of zinc concentrator per day, a tailings facility, a concentrate storage area, and rail and truck transportation infrastructure.
Since the acquisition of the mine in November 2015, SMRS has been gearing up to resume production, which couldn’t come at a better time since supplies are falling and prices are rising. The Balmat mine opens new doors of opportunity to Star Mountain Resources, which are expected to play a role in the company’s transition from a junior exploration firm to a full-fledged production operation in the near future.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
Taking Stock of SMRS's Zinc Stocks
There is no doubt that Star Mountain Resources, Inc.’s (OTC: SMRS) stock is rising. The recent Industry Guide 7 Report (IG7 Report) prepared according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rubric paints a rosy picture of the Tempe, Arizona-based junior exploration and mining company’s prospects in the zinc market. The report showed that Star Mountain’s Balmat Mine in St. Lawrence County, New York, has proven and probable reserves of 585,000 tons of 9.2 percent grade zinc that could generate $80.8 million in revenue over the first 2.5 years of operation. Star Mountain acquired the Balmat mine in November 2015 and since then has been gearing up to resume production. There couldn’t be a better time. Supplies are falling and zinc prices are rising.
Data provided by the London Metal Exchange (LME) illustrate this year’s market trends for refined zinc. Stocks registered with the LME have been falling steadily since the start of this year. On January 5, 2016, the LME reported opening stocks of refined zinc of 460,475 tonnes. By the end of May 2016, those stocks had fallen by 17 percent to 380,450 tonnes. During this five-month period, price and stock changes were inversely correlated, as might be expected, with prices falling if stocks rose and prices rising as stocks fell.
Prices appreciated by 23 percent, rising from USD 1,547.00 per tonne to USD 1,906.00 per tonne.
However, the opening stock figures reported by the LME have been increasing since the end of May, albeit not continuously. From 380,450 tonnes at the end of May 2016, they rose to 442,700 tonnes at the end of June 2016, fell to 431,200 tonnes by the end of July 2016 and rose again to 455,875 tonnes on Friday, August 19, 2016. Registered opening stocks of refined zinc have climbed by almost 20 percent since the end of May, yet prices have kept on rising. There’s obviously more to this than meets the LME eye.
There is some suggestion, judging from International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) reports, that global zinc inventory includes metal in government coffers, such as the State Reserves Bureau (SRB) of China, and stocks held by producers and speculators as well as exchange-registered tonnage. Consequently, delivery to the ‘official’ market may cause disturbing shocks.
A Reuters report (http://nnw.fm/LiDh2) details the sudden arrival, in the third quarter of last year, of ‘250,000 tonnes of zinc… delivered onto LME warrant, just about all of it at New Orleans’. A similar event occurred in February 2016, ‘when 50,000 tonnes hit the exchange’s warehouse system, although New Orleans only accounted for 8,725 tonnes, the rest arriving at the Malaysian ports of Port Klang and Johor’ . A warrant is a document of possession, issued by the warehouse company, for each lot of LME-approved metal held within an LME-approved facility. Warrants are used as the means of delivering metal under LME contracts.
Zinc, it seems, is beginning to materialize from thin air.
All of this indicates how rosy Star Mountain’s fortunes are with its Balmat mine. The mine, which has produced over 30 million tons of zinc so far, commenced operations in 1930 and produced continually until 2001 when zinc prices fell. Operations started again for about two years, from 2006 to 2008, when falling prices again caused a halt. Star Mountain also possesses an interest in the Star Mountain/Chopar project with 116 lode-mining claims and four metalliferous mineral leases, which cover 3,730 acres located in the Star mountain range of the Star mining district in Beaver County, Utah, and the Ogden Bay Minerals project located in West Ogden, Utah.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Management is Minding its Mine
Late last year, when Star Mountain Resources (OTC: SMRS) acquired the Balmat zinc mine near Gouverneur in St. Lawrence County, New York, its president, Mark Osterberg, spoke to North Country Public Radio. At the time, according to the news report, zinc was selling ‘for just pennies on the pound’. Prospects for the metal looked grim. Yet the Star Mountain management team was casting a perspicacious eye to the future. Osterberg, noting that his company was well aware of the economic climate, said at the time:
“The mining cycle is down, which means that assets like Balmat are available at bargain prices. So we think we bought the property at a very good price and we believe the commodity prices are going to come back up.”
His crystal ball has not let him down, as current market conditions indicate. Zinc prices are climbing, and so are Star Mountain’s fortunes.
At the start of this year, zinc prices were hovering around $0.65 per pound. Now they are closer to $1.02 per pound, appreciating by an astonishing 57 percent in a little over seven months. The consensus attributes this buoyant market to tightening supplies. A Reuters story warns that ‘Zinc deficit looms, prices up, but output restarts unlikely’ (http://nnw.fm/z8GmU). A Bloomberg piece declares a ‘Zinc Supply Crunch as China-Owned Miner Seeks Peru Deposits’ (http://nnw.fm/S7G9m). Peru has the world’s third-largest reserves of zinc, with an estimated 25 million tonnes (metric tons), after Australia, with 63 million tonnes, and China, with 38 million tonnes, according to Statista. The ‘China-owned miner’ in that Bloomberg report was MMG Limited (OTC: MMLTF), an Australian-Chinese mining giant.
Last year, MMG Limited, in a report (http://nnw.fm/m8LPU) on its website, announced it had shuttered its mining operations at Century in Australia. The Century mine was said to be the world’s third largest. In 2014, it produced 465,696 tonnes and accounted for around 3.5 percent of global zinc output in that year. Its 2015 production has been estimated at 350,000 tonnes. Supply anxieties have been further exacerbated after Vedanta Zinc International (NYSE: VEDL) closed its Irish Lisheen mine in October 2015. Lisheen was Europe’s second-largest zinc mine with a capacity of around 175,000 tonnes, according to a HardAssetsInvestor story (http://nnw.fm/J2wFh). Quoting Bloomberg Intelligence, the story said Lisheen’s closure would reduce global supplies by another 1.3 percent. Adding to the supply slump news is a Bloomberg Business report (http://nnw.fm/Pf0Nu) stating that Glencore plc (OTC: GLNCY) would cut output from mines in Australia, Peru and Kazakhstan totaling around 500,000 metric tonnes, which would amount to about four percent of global production. Taken together, these closures will have reduced global supplies by between 7-10 percent.
At a recent conference call, the CEO of MMG Limited said:
“There is so little zinc around. Those people who are in zinc are also bullish about the zinc market so they don’t want to sell. That’s why we keep coming back to the focus we’ve got on finding zinc.”
All of this proves how sagacious the management team at Star Mountain Resources has been. Heading the team is CEO Joseph Marchal, who previously served as chief executive officer for the Asia-Pacific Region of Chi-X Global Inc., a subsidiary of Instinet, the equity-trading arm of the Nomura Group. President and COO Mark Osterberg, PhD has worked for major gold and base metal mining companies and has over 30 years’ experience in the mining business. The CFO is Wayne Rich, who was previously the chief financial officer of Northern Zinc. Star Mountain acquired a 100 percent interest in Northern Zinc, which, in turn, acquired all the issued and outstanding common stock of Balmat Holding Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, which owns the Balmat Zinc Mine.
Thomas Bidgood, PhD is VP technical services. He has over thirty years’ experience in the operations and exploration sides of the mining business and, from 2001 to 2011, was professor and chairman of the natural sciences and math departments of the Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, CO. The operations manager is John Heinzig, who was previously director of private equity funds at Summit Capital USA. Ryan Schermerhorn is site manager. He was previously site manager of St. Lawrence Zinc Company’s Balmat Mine and Mill from 2009 through 2015.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Aiming to Become Active Zinc Producer with Balmat Zinc Mine
First recognition of sulfide zinc mineralization in the Balmat region of upstate New York was in the early 1800s. In the early 1900s, production began. Since then, the greater Balmat-Edwards-Pierrepont district has produced more than 43 million tons of ore. The average grade ranged from 8.5 percent zinc to 16.4 percent. Unfortunately, in the early 2000s, zinc prices crashed and mining in the area stopped. The mine reopened briefly from 2006 to 2008, when it was placed on care and maintenance status due to a new fall in the price of zinc and the general economic downturn.
However, Star Mountain Resources (OTC: SMRS), a junior exploration and mining company whose operations are currently focused on base metals and precious metal mining acquisitions in North America, is aiming to recommence mining activities in the Balmat zinc mine. The company is now the full owner of the mine, which is fully permitted and in compliance with all federal and state mining regulations.
Historically, the Balmat zinc mine produced up to 30.7 million tons of 8.6 percent grade zinc. Star Mountain Resources, Inc. has put together an eight and half year plan whereby it will be using modernized mechanisms to perform underground mining using room, pillar, and long hole stoping. The mine is said to have a 4,000 tons per day hoisting capacity, with a mill able to produce 5,000 tons of zinc concentrator per day.
SMRS is currently undertaking the necessary steps toward restarting the Balmat zinc mine in order to transform the company from a junior explorer into an active producer. Not only this, the transaction brings SMRS a high quality mining asset and new professionals to its board of directors and senior management. The reopening of the mine is expected to boost the economy of the region and provide new jobs. SMRS expects the mine to be running by the end of 2016.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Strategically Positioned to Capitalize on Global Zinc Supply Deficit
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is a minerals exploration company focused on acquiring and consolidating mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines and historic mines with future growth potential. In November 2015, the company leveraged this strategy when it acquired Northern Zinc and Balmat Holding Corporation, including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. Notably, the Balmat mining complex includes a permitted and equipped zinc mine, a 5,000 ton per day floatation mill, an office complex and all of the necessary infrastructure to commence operation of the mine.
Earlier this year, Star Mountain gave prospective shareholders some additional insight into the potential of the Balmat mine property when it released results from its Industry Guide 7 Mineral Reserve Report. In addition to supporting the company’s initial reserve estimates and reflecting 585,000 tons of proven and probable reserves with 9.2 percent grade zinc – a haul that could generate roughly $80.8 million in revenue over an initial 2.5-year mine plan – the report also suggests that the Balmat property could contain the reserves needed to support a larger, 8.5-year mine plan moving forward. Upon release of these findings, Mark Osterberg, president and chief operating officer of Star Mountain, noted that the company’s management was “very encouraged” and looking forward to “developing a strategy to move forward in a timely, cost effective and profitable manner.”
In large part, the recommencement of mining operations at the Balmat property depends on the zinc market. Despite ongoing market turbulence affecting commodity values, predominantly oil and natural gas, indicators for base metals have been promising in recent weeks. July saw a surge in the values of nickel, copper and zinc as a result of rising Chinese demand, monetary stimulus and supply cuts. Zinc prices, in particular, have risen nearly 45 percent since the beginning of 2016, climbing to a 14-month high of more than $1.02 per pound to close out the month. These gains follow a series of mine shutdowns and closures in China, Australia and Peru.
Andrew Michelmore, CEO of Australian-Chinese global resources firm MMG, reiterated the bullish conditions of the zinc market in an investor conference call last Thursday (http://nnw.fm/5Y3wI). “There’s so little zinc around,” he told attendees of the call. “We are very positive about the zinc industry and we’re keen to be involved with more of it.” However, despite favorable conditions, the zinc market has remained relatively quiet in terms of new projects, a fact that can be attributed to a serious lack of viable production projects on the global stage.
For Star Mountain Resources, the acquisition of the Balmat mining project opens the door for a promising transition from a junior exploration firm to full-fledged production in the coming months. With zinc running in deficit since at least 2012, according to Credit Suisse, and the base metal’s market value climbing, the time to capitalize on the foresight of the company’s management team appears to have arrived.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Primed to Capitalize on Rising Zinc Prices
Zinc prices have been exploding in recent months, up nearly 45% since the beginning of 2016 (http://nnw.fm/BlPv5), following what is seen by many as a classic example of shrinking supply and growing demand. In a recent article on the tightening zinc market in the UK (http://nnw.fm/h30pP), Reuters columnist Andy Home points out that “The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG), for instance, estimates that mine output outside of China contracted by 9.5 percent in the first quarter”, and “Investors have been drawn in by a narrative of mine closures and a resulting tightening of the raw materials supply chain.”
On the demand side, emerging economies, as well as the associated need for cars and trucks, continue to support the need for zinc. Zinc is the fourth most widely-consumed metal in the world, and it is an important alloy used in the production of automobiles and related products, as well as for zinc undercoating. A recent article on manufacturing in the Indian state of West Bengal, for example, emphasized the increasing government focus on growing the region’s automobile manufacturing (http://nnw.fm/4OuXX).
For Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), a micro-cap mining company focused on acquiring mineral properties and turning them into producing mines, the timing couldn’t be better. The company is currently engaged in restarting its Balmat zinc mining operation in St. Lawrence County, New York, which it acquired from HudBay Minerals in late 2015. It’s a move designed to propel Star Mountain from a junior explorer to an active producer, with a revenue stream expected in the latter part of 2016.
The Balmat/St. Lawrence Zinc Mine has a long and successful record, producing in excess of 30 million tons of ore with a grading of 8.6% zinc. It’s also fully permitted, complying with all current Federal and State mining regulations, and in line with Star Mountain’s stated dedication to the health and safety of employees, as well as local communities, and associated environmental responsibilities.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Making an Active Difference through Honest and Ethical Conduct
Nearly every company today has some form of guidelines when it comes to ethics and behavior in the workplace. Of course, these guidelines vary according to the company. However, most include information about what is expected of an employee, what an employee can expect from the company, how conflicts should be dealt with, the protection of company information, confidentiality, and the opportunities the company has to offer. The reason these ethical guidelines are so important is because they outline the standards that each member of the team should meet. Not only this, they highlight the expectations that the public can have of an organization or company. Star Mountain Resources Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is no exception.
Star Mountain Resources is a small cap mining company focused on the acquisition of mineral properties. As such, the company must adhere to a large number of rules and regulations. But Star Mountain has set itself up to not just follow required guidelines. It has outlined a set of core values, and lives by them in everything it does. The values SMRS has implemented run throughout the company and everyone who works there is expected to support and demonstrate these values in their work.
Star Mountain believes that its core values are what define it as a company, values that include safety, dignity and respect, transparency, environmental responsibility, community, and continuous improvement. SMRS works to ensure that all its employees, directors, and officers abide by a code of ethical conduct that promotes high standards of integrity for the company and allows it to conduct its daily affairs ethically, transparently, and honestly.
This code lays out a set of rules and regulations to ensure that every person and action is evaluated fairly and correctly, informing all parties how to act in cases of conflict of interest. In addition, the code and the company’s core values and ethics are shared on the Star Mountain Resources website.
An example of this approach in action is Star Mountain’s recent acquisition of the Balmat zinc mining operations in St. Lawrence County, New York, from HudBay Mineral. Although this is a big step toward the company’s transformation from junior explorer to active producer, SMRS has aimed to keep all dealings and information about the Balmat mine as open to the public as possible in order to maintain consistency throughout its operations, now and in the future.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Primed to Benefit as Goldman Sachs Raises Six-Month Zinc Price Forecast
Zinc recorded a mild decline last week as the U.S. dollar strengthened against foreign currencies, but industry analysts remain bullish regarding the metal moving forward. On Thursday, Goldman Sachs upped its six-month price forecast for zinc to $2,100 a metric ton, an increase of more than 23 percent over previous forecasts. The investment banking firm cited stronger than previously anticipated demand from China and a tightening supply stemming from mine depletions and producer discipline as primary factors in its calculation.
“We view zinc as the bullish exception in the metals space, and remain very bearish on the outlook for the other base metals prices, most notably copper and aluminum, where we see very strong supply growth,” analysts with Goldman Sachs wrote in the firm’s May 19 report. “Zinc has by far the most bullish supply-side dynamic.”
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is in a favorable strategic position to capitalize on this market growth following its 2015 acquisition of the Balmat mining complex in St. Lawrence County, New York. In February, the company announced the results from an Industry Guide 7 (IG7) Mineral Reserve Report for the property, which reflected 585,000 tons of proven and probable reserves with 9.2 percent grade zinc that’s expected to generate roughly $80.8 million in revenue over Star Mountain’s initial 2.5-year mine plan.
“We believe the findings in the IG7 report are very positive and reaffirm our confidence that the geological and engineering conditions reflected in the long production history of the Balmat mining operation can be sustained well into the future beyond the initial 2.5-year plan,” Joe Marchal, chief executive officer of Star Mountain, stated in a news release. “We continue to evaluate the current zinc market and the best strategy to move forward with a production plan and schedule.”
Last month, Star Mountain took a major step toward commencing operations at the Balmat property when it secured a $500,000 loan from a New York public benefit trust. Marchal referred to the promissory note as “one of many partnerships in our plan to re-commence operations at the Balmat Mine.” This capital is expected to play a key role as the company continues to prepare the mining complex for operations before putting it back into production in order to capitalize on the expected strengthening of zinc prices in the months to come.
Star Mountain is led by an experienced management team featuring decades of applicable industry experience. CEO Joe Marchal has worked in the financial sector since 1983, most recently serving as CEO for the Asia-Pacific Region of Chi-X Global, Inc. The company’s president and chief operating officer, Mark Osterberg, Ph.D., has worked for major gold and base metal mining firms for over 30 years, during which time he has provided high level technical expertise and managed both domestic and international exploration and development projects. This combined experience, along with the experience of other members of the management team, played a key role in Star Mountain’s acquisition of the Balmat zinc mine late last year.
“The recent rebound in zinc prices along with a strengthening world-wide economy validates our decision in November 2015 to acquire the Balmat zinc mine at a deeply discounted price and its 585,000 tons of proven and probable reserves of 9.2% grade zinc plus the mineralized material adjacent to the current reserves that in all likelihood will be reclassified to reserve status as the mine progresses,” concluded Marchal.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS is a Golden Opportunity for Investors Following Acquisition of Balmat Zinc Mine
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is a micro-cap mining company currently in the process of re-starting the Balmat zinc mine in St. Lawrence County, New York. Since its foundation in 2009, SMRS has focused its efforts on growing through quality purchases, which is why its acquisition of Balmat is a great step forward.
In 2015, SMRS entered into a three-way definitive agreement with Northern Zinc and Hudbay Minerals. The company acquired Northern Zinc, the business that owned the Balmat zinc mine, with the aim of building it back up into a fully functioning, profitable zinc mine. Since its closure in 2008, Balmat has been maintained as a fully functioning zinc mine, meaning that it has full permits and is in compliance with federal and state regulations. Not only this, Balmat zinc mine is readily accessible and has a fully functioning mill. Although it is currently on maintenance status, SMRS intends to restart Balmat in an effort to transition from ‘junior explorer’ status and become an active producer by the end of 2016.
Aside from the planned upgrades to the ventilation systems and modifications to the diesel equipment, Balmat mine is in extremely good condition. As it stands today, the mill is capable of producing high quality zinc and will be able to start production with minimal investment of time and money. With this in mind, a report, titled ‘Mineral Reserves at the Balmat Mine, St. Lawrence County, New York’, was prepared by SMRS in order to make public the current status of the mine, as well as to give an estimate of the mineral reserves available. The information in this report is based on findings from Star Mountain Resources, and it estimates that the project should last at least 2.5 years, at the end of which the project should see a profitability index of 1.2 percent.
SMRS has positioned itself strongly within the mining industry. Within the next year, the company expects to be producing a high quality concentrate of zinc. This, combined with its focus on responsibility toward the ecosystem and local communities, as well as its ongoing goal of reducing chemical and carbon footprints, should give SMRS an unparalleled mining experience moving forward.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Mining Across Borders
The skilled and seasoned mining executives that make up the board of directors and senior management of Star Mountain Resources (OTC: SMRS) are steering the company to success by pursuing high-grade mining assets. In the same spirit that humans have been mining since prehistoric times, Star Mountain Resources is taking advantage of ‘golden’ mining opportunities and exploring for base and precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, silica and zircon across North America.
A junior mining and exploration company, Star Mountain Resources acquires and consolidates mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines and historic mines in the United States. The Arizona-based company also identifies claims, leases and mines with excellent potential for production and growth.
Within the world of mining, companies fall into one of two groupings. They are either major or junior mining companies. Junior mining companies like Star Mountain Resources typically take the lead on exploring and providing major companies with new sites to mine. They are the ‘hunters’ of the industry and work to secure its future, and, while their revenues rarely surpass $50 million, it is junior companies like this one that propel industry growth. The major mining companies, on the other hand, are the “producers.” With their abundance of resources (they are often publicly-held, transnational firms with revenues of $500 million or more), they have the ability to take on this role, manage the ongoing mining operations needed to take out target minerals from the ground and handle the closing of mines and the reclamation of the land, once a site stops producing.
Since December of 2014, Star Mountain Resources has been better reflecting its focus on its holdings in the Star mining district of southern Utah. This Star Mountain/Chopar mine project (in Beaver County, Utah) comprises of 116 lode-mining claims and four metalliferous mineral lease sections located on 3,730 acres. To date, its exploration activities there include geological analysis and a limited reverse circulation and core drilling program. Star Mountain Resources also has mineral resources in West Ogden, Utah, where it means to focus on initiating, producing and expanding these resources to turn them into producing assets. The company is also restarting its mining activities in the Balmat mining district in upstate New York.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Knows the Importance of Going Green
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), a micro-cap mining company, focuses its efforts on acquiring potentially high output mineral properties. The company specifically looks for low-cost acquisitions that are rich in base and precious metals. So far, these investments include the Balmat zinc mine in New York and the Chopar Project in Utah. Star Mountain Resources prides itself on making a “positive difference in the lives of those we serve: our shareholders, our employees, our customers, and our communities.” The company believes in strengthening community ties while upholding its core values, especially its environmental responsibility.
Mining processes have the potential of deeply impacting the surrounding environment. Realizing this, Star Mountain Resources investigates current and potential challenges that might negatively affect the environment. Some of these risks include water pollution, erosion, biodiversity, and soil contamination. Fortunately, Federal and State governments enforce strict laws to combat these risks, such as the Clean Air Act, Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
Star Mountain Resources itself takes strong initiatives toward maintaining a healthy ecosystem at each project location. The company meets and exceeds Federal and State laws by treating its water against mercury, arsenic, and sulfuric acid contamination while setting up sewage systems that reduce its environmental footprint. Star Mountain Resources also tracks its monthly energy usage and pays special attention to costs and consumption with the goal of minimizing usage each year. The company even signed a long-term power agreement that assures the reduction of power costs by 40%. Recycling programs and dust-suppression techniques also help each site to be eco-friendly.
Overall, Star Mountain Resources makes it a priority to maintain the environment while building sturdy community ties. The company knows the importance of community and its ecosystem, making its green efforts that much more significant. Ensuring its mines have minimal environmental impact equates to a healthier production of mineral properties in favorable areas.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Gears Up for a Profitable and Safe Future
The global zinc industry is currently suffering a supply shortage, which translates to good news for Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS). SMRS is gearing up following its recent acquisition of Balmat Holding Corporation. The Balmat mine in upstate New York has a long history of successful zinc production. Zinc mining companies have been shut down in China and Australia, amounting to about 10% of the total world supply, according to Haywood Securities. Acquiring the Balmat Zinc Mine means SMRS is positioning itself for success. According to its Industry Guide 7 Mineral Reserve report (IG7), the Balmat Mine will require a minimal investment to prepare for production. At the same time, projections for the next 2.5 years and 8.5 years show potentially large profit margins due to rising zinc prices.
The Balmat Mine is located in upstate New York in St. Lawrence County, about 1.3 miles away from Fowler. It was initially opened in 1930 and worked for 71 years until production was ceased in 2001. Production and mining was resumed between 2006 and 2008, when it was stopped due to another drop in zinc metal prices. The Balmat Mine has produced more than 30 million tons of zinc since it was opened and never ceased production due to issues with the mine itself. In addition to that, the IG7 report confirmed that the mine is well-situated, capable of producing high-grade zinc, and can be placed into production with minimal expense and time.
On another note, Haywood Securities has stated that zinc price predictions have been very conservative this year, and the firm still estimates zinc to be at a healthy $1.20 per pound in 2018. The last time zinc inventory levels hit a critical low was in 2006, causing zinc metal prices to spike to $2 per pound. The IG7 also shows promising results as the mineral reserve estimate dictates the zinc produced would be high-grade zinc concentrate suitable for sale to smelters around the globe.
However, Star Mountain Resources Inc. is not only working toward meeting its financial goals. The company also has a clear vision to responsibly develop great assets while maintaining a strong focus on their core values. These include the safety of all employees and local communities, promoting sustainable growth and maintaining high standards of respect for all the people involved in each project. In addition to this, the company always aims to improve the communities of which it becomes a part, as well as providing transparency and honesty to all stakeholders, and SMRS is passionate about improving its practices wherever it can.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Well-Positioned To Profit from Projected Zinc Shortage via Low-Cost Balmat Mine in Upstate New York
With numerous pundits currently raving about the bullish undercurrent for zinc, as a looming supply shortfall is predicted on the horizon amid ebbing China slowdown fears, it makes a great deal of sense to look at domestic producers in low-risk jurisdictions. Producers who can act as a profit vehicle for investors over the medium- to long-term price appreciation currently projected for this increasingly widely used metal, whose primary industrial consumption comes in the form of being used as an anti-corrosive galvanizing agent for iron and steel coatings. Given the recent closure of the Century mine in Australia by Melbourne-headquartered MMG, Ltd., whose majority shareholder is the state-owned corporation, China Minmetals, as well as big production cutbacks by the likes of Glencore (OTC: GLNCY) and Nyrstar (OTC: NYRSY), overall global production is off by around 10 percent, according to Haywood Securities’ mid-cap base metals guy, Stefan Ioannou.
Increased real-estate activity and infrastructural investment rebounding in China on the back of broad-based credit easing further underscores a supply equation shift that is apparent from the International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) data, which shows how inventories went from a surplus of 183k tons at the outset of 2015, to a 60k ton deficit at the end of the year – even as total global inventories fell by 55k tons. Conservative estimates from the likes of JPM and Macquarie Research further confirm this bullish outlook for zinc, with mine output forecasts for 2016 falling 4.5 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.
All of this throws a bright spotlight on a domestic zinc producer like Star Mountain Resources (OTC: SMRS), whose Balmat Mine is in upstate New York near the St. Lawrence River and the border with Canada. The IG7 report on Balmat (http://dtn.fm/4P3eK) out early this February roundly confirmed initial reserve estimates for the property (which was acquired back in November of 2015), showing some 585k tons of proven and probable reserves at a 9.2 percent grade. Given an estimated initial 2.5-year mine plan haul of some $80.8 million in revenues, as well as a broader 8.5-year mine plan that would consume similar-grade/adjacent reserves, Star Mountain Resources is the very portrait of a small, domestic producer, in an ideal jurisdiction, with the massive sulfide zinc mineralization digs needed to profit off this looming zinc shortage.
The noteworthy commitment to site safety and environmental stewardship for which SMRS is known should help to stave off any potential impediments for the company as it wraps up plans to finish the minimal overhaul needed at Balmat before the onsite mill can be shipping out high grade zinc concentrate to a hungry global market. Described as a low-cost, mechanized operation, with the mine equipment fleet in excellent condition, Star Mountain has every intent to, and seems capable of, actually exceed the planned production rate for Balmat, and SMRS has brought in the heavy guns to make sure its well-timed play pans out with maximum upside, retaining 30-year geological guru Dr. Mark Osterberg as the company’s new president and COO.
Zinc is only about a hundred bucks shy right now of the Capital Economics target price of $2,000 a ton by year’s end, and with the April 19 price around $0.86 a pound, the Haywood Securities per pound number for 2016 of $0.80 being exceeded speaks volumes. Especially when one considers Ioannou’s recent comment to Streetwise Reports’ The Gold Report, where he explained the Haywood Securities projection for 2017 is around $1.00 a pound.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS: Balmat Mine’s IRR shows Importance of Zinc for Investor Health
It wasn’t until the middle of the twentieth century that the importance of zinc as a trace element for healthy human growth was recognized. Now, the recent Industry Guide 7 (IG7) report on the status of the Balmat Mine and its related infrastructure, commissioned by Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), is showing that the metal is good for investor health, as well. The report, prepared by industry consultants Practical Mining LLC, concludes:
- The Balmat Mine and mill is in good condition and can be placed into production with minimal expense and time.
- The mill is capable of producing high grade zinc concentrate suitable for sale to smelters worldwide.
- The mine is well situated, being close to tide water and well connected by road and rail service.
- The mine is a low cost, fully mechanized operation.
- Mine equipment fleet has been carefully stored and is capable of exceeding the planned production rate.
- Upgrades to the mine ventilation system and modifications to the diesel equipment fleet will be required to meet more stringent Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) regulation adopted since the mine was placed on care and maintenance.
An IG7 report is a disclosure notice required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for ‘Issuers Engaged or To Be Engaged in Significant Mining Operations’.
The IG7 report also estimated the internal rate of return (IRR) on the Balmat mine operation at 25 percent, which is a reassuring figure. The IRR is the rate at which future cash flows will have to be discounted to equal a net present value (NPV) of zero. By comparing the IRR with the cost of capital, the feasibility of a project, such as the Balmat operation, can be easily assessed. Return on Equity (ROE) data (http://dtn.fm/4SQat) published by New York University’s Stern School of Management shows the metals and mining industry with a ROE of less than negative 23 percent. The return on equity is the return required to entice investment in securities of a company and, so, is the cost of capital that company would have to pay in the securities market. What these numbers are telling us is that Star Mountain might have struck gold with its Balmat zinc mine.
Star Mountain Resources acquired the Balmat mine after entering into agreements with Northern Zinc, LLC and HudBay Minerals, Inc. that gave Star Mountain title to the Balmat Holding Corporation, including the St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. The Balmat mining operations cover an area of 2,699 acres of fee simple surface and mineral rights in three towns in St. Lawrence County. The majority of the property consists of the 1,754 acres in the town of Fowler, where the Balmat Mine, mill and tailings disposal facility are located. Nine parcels totaling 703 acres are owned in the town of Edwards, which includes the Edwards mine. The rest is the Pierrepont mine, which is located on four parcels totaling 242 acres.
Star Mountain Resources is said to be a junior minerals exploration company and, typically, such companies confine themselves to investigating and assessing discoveries of minerals. They focus on verifying reserves. If reserves can be proven, the property is then sold or leased to a major. However, Star Mountain Resources actually owns mines and is expecting an IRR of 25 percent from its Balmat operations. It may be time to stop calling the company junior. As Juliet says of her beloved Romeo in Shakespeare’s immortal play: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Unearths Golden Mining Opportunities
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), a junior exploration and mining company, acquires and consolidates mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines and historic mines in the U.S. Through its minerals exploration efforts, the Tempe, Arizona-based company identifies claims, leases and mines with future growth and production promise.
Star Mountain explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, silica and zircon deposits. Its active operations are fixed on base metal and precious metal mining acquisitions in North America. Originally incorporated in September 2009, the company was renamed Star Mountain Resources in December 2014 to better reflect its focus on its holdings in the Star Mountain mining district of southern Utah. Around the same time, management made a strategic decision to pursue the acquisition of developed mining assets with a clear path to early production.
With its acquired mineral resources in Beaver County, Utah, and West Ogden, Utah, the company means to focus on the initiation, production and expansion of these resources in order to turn them into producing assets. It is also in the process of re-commencing its mining activities in the Balmat mining district in upstate New York.
In the Star Mountain Mining District in Beaver County, approximately five miles west of Milford, Utah, the company holds interests in the Chopar project, which consists of 116 lode-mining claims and four metalliferous mineral lease sections covering an estimated 3,730 acres. The Star Mountain project involves a total area of 2,320 acres and the company has already conducted a geological analysis, magnetometry studies and a limited reverse circulation and core drilling exploration program on it.
In West Ogden, Utah, the company’s attentions are in the Ogden Bay Minerals project, and in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York, the company holds interests in the Balmat Zinc Mine. The company gained title to the Balmat zinc mine in November 2015 when it acquired Northern Zinc, a private company, and closed on the acquisition of the Balmat Holding Corporation from Hudbay Minerals. This three-way transaction brought the company a high quality mining asset and added seasoned, experienced mining professionals to its existing board of directors and senior management.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Subsidiary Issues Promissory Note to New York Public Benefit Trust
Before the opening bell, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, has issued a promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $500,000 to the Development Authority of the North Country, a New York public benefit trust. Per the terms of the note, payments of accrued interest associated with the loan commenced on April 1, 2016, with full repayment of the principal amount, in addition to all accrued and unpaid interest, due on or before April 1, 2017. The loan has been guaranteed by both Star Mountain and wholly-owned subsidiaries Northern Zinc, LLC and Balmat Holding Corp.
“We are appreciative to the Development Authority of the North Country for this financing,” Joe Marchal, chief executive officer of Star Mountain, stated in this morning’s news release. “We consider this one of many partnerships in our plan to re-commence operations at the Balmat Mine.”
Since closing on its acquisition of the Balmat zinc mine last November, the company has remained focused on recommencing mining operations at the complex. In recent months, this focus has intensified as global mine depletion and severe production cutbacks have led to a strong rebound for zinc prices. Year to date, zinc has climbed more than 23 percent since bottoming in early January (http://dtn.fm/8E7hd), prompting analysts with Goldman Sachs to state that zinc currently has “the strongest bull case” of the metals market (http://dtn.fm/5Bg0O).
“The recent rebound in zinc prices along with a strengthening world-wide economy validates our decision in November 2015 to acquire the Balmat zinc mine at a deeply discounted price and its 585,000 tons of proven and probable reserves of 9.2% grade zinc plus the mineralized material adjacent to the current reserves that in all likelihood will be reclassified to reserve status as the mine progresses,” continued Marchal. “These factors are enabling us to continue to prepare the mine for operations and start putting it back into production while we seek funding.”
Last month, Star Mountain gave prospective shareholders a preview of the potential upside offered by the Balmat zinc mine when it announced the reception of an Industry Guide 7 (IG7) Mineral Reserve Report for the asset. In addition to reaffirming the company’s initial reserve estimate for the property, the IG7 Report outlined the potential for the company to generate roughly $80.8 million in revenue over its initial 2.5-year mine plan. The report also confirmed that the long production history of the Balmat mining operation could be sustained well into the future, beyond this initial mining period.
With the recent rise of zinc prices and confirmation of the viability of the Balmat zinc mine through an IG7 Report, Star Mountain is strategically positioned to promote strong growth moving forward. Look for the company to leverage the expertise of its management team and its newly-strengthened cash position in order to expedite the recommencement of mining operations at the Balmat mine in the coming months.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Takes a Closer Look at Potential “Gold Mines”
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) focuses its efforts on acquiring mineral properties that have both high and valuable output potential. The company intends to grow by cultivating and consolidating mining claims, historic mines, mineral leases, and producing mines. Star Mountain Resources believes that the business climate is favorable for the low-cost acquisition of high value mineral properties. For example, its Balmat zinc mine acquisition will help the company move from junior explorer to active producer with its high output and the rising value of zinc. Through sample analysis and historical data, Star Mountain Resources will continue to carefully select these high potential mines for valuable precious minerals.
When precious metal mining companies investigate an area, they look for certain geological markers that signal a deposit. From studies of magnetic data in the Star Mining District of southern Utah, Star Mountain Resources recognized that there were significant contact zones that most likely yielded desired metals. Contact zones are areas of sediment, like limestone or dolomite, which had contact with cooling magma for thousands of years. During that cooling period, chemical reactions occurred that resulted in the accumulation of metallic ores like iron, tungsten, silver, gold, and zinc. In other words, the extreme pressure and heat from the magma washed away minerals from the sediment and replaced them with new, valuable ones. That calcium-rich rock is called skarn, a promising marker for mining companies if present.
Star Mountain Resources analyzes core samples and large outcrops of bedrock that have risen to the surface for indicators of what lies beneath. It also uses data from historical mines to further interpret its findings. The company then estimates how much skarn is underground, which can prompt further onsite testing. Currently, Star Mountain Resources operates the Chopar Project in the Star Mining district, which has high potential of gold and silver within a concentrated amount of skarn. The company states that the “presence of skarn mineralization in outcrop, in historic mines, and in drill cones and chins is encouraging.” Plus, southern Utah offers favorable conditions to mining operations with its mild climate and railroad accessibility.
Only with careful consideration and pre-sample analysis does Star Mountain Resources decide to move forward with a mining operation. This attention to data affords the company fewer risks with new ventures. By continuing this meticulous approach, the company aims to continue advancing through the precious minerals industry by acquiring valuable assets.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Strengthens Cash Position as Zinc Prices Continue to Surge
Earlier this week, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) filed a form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding a promissory note issued by its wholly-owned subsidiary, St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, in the aggregate principal amount of $500,000 payable to the Development Authority of the North Country, a New York public benefit trust. Payments of accrued interest associated with the loan are set to commence on April 1, 2016. Repayment of the principal amount, as well as all accrued and unpaid interest, is due on or before April 1, 2017. In the filing, the company states that the proceeds of this loan will be used for general working capital purposes.
By strengthening its cash position, Star Mountain will look to capitalize on the recent rise in zinc prices. As previously discussed in an article on QualityStocks (http://dtn.fm/DI2Od), zinc was hampered last year, in large part, by China’s economic slowdown, which seriously impacted global demand. However, with global mine depletion and severe production cutbacks tightening supply, prices have rebounded strongly. Year to date, the mineral has rose more than 27 percent since bottoming in early January (http://dtn.fm/8E7hd), closing at $1,869.75 on March 20, and zinc has shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, according to analysts with Goldman Sachs, zinc currently has “the strongest bull case” of the metals market (http://dtn.fm/5Bg0O).
Star Mountain originally entered the zinc mining business last November, when, despite slumping commodity prices, the company’s management team closed on the acquisition of Northern Zinc and Balmat Holding Corporation, including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. This move demonstrated the foresight of the company’s management team, as outlined in an article on the QualityStocks blog (http://dtn.fm/jlP9k).
“We continue to evaluate the current zinc market and the best strategy to move forward with a production plan and schedule,” Joe Marchal, chief executive officer of Star Mountain, stated in a recent news release.
In February, the company’s investors received more positive news when an Industry Guide 7 (IG7) Mineral Reserve Report for the Balmat mine property supported Star Mountain’s initial reserve estimate, reflecting roughly 585,000 tons of proven and probable reserves with a 9.2 percent grade zinc that could generate an estimated $80.8 million in revenue over an initial 2.5-year mine plan. The report also reaffirmed the company’s confidence that the property could sustain production as part of a larger, 8.5-year mine plan moving forward.
“We believe the findings in the IG7 report are very positive and reaffirm our confidence that the geological and engineering conditions reflected in the long production history of the Balmat mining operation can be sustained well into the future beyond the initial 2.5-year plan,” continued Marchal.
Having previously announced intentions to proceed with zinc recovery in a timely manner, Star Mountain’s recent efforts to strengthen its short-term cash position should come as no surprise. With zinc already climbing above Goldman Sachs’ 12-month target price and recent news that China is expected to eliminate an estimated 500,000 metric tons of high cost zinc smelting output capacity by the end of the year (http://dtn.fm/8vMho), the time appears to be right for Star Mountain to push forward in capitalizing on its promising mining operations. Look for the company to leverage the expertise of its proven management team and a strengthened cash position as it progresses toward recommencement of mining operations at the Balmat Mine in the near future.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS: Gold has a Shimmering Start in 2016
The year of 2015 was a rough ride for gold, with the shiny metal navigating an unsupportive macro environment. A stronger dollar, a slump in oil prices and the climb in U.S. equities led to a more than 11 percent fall in gold’s value last year. With the Federal Reserve finally ending an era of near-zero interest rates with the December lift-off, gold sank to six-year lows. A steep fall in prices also led to multibillion-dollar write-downs by gold miners.
However, 2016 has started on a positive note for gold. The yellow metal has been the bright spot among precious metals, with prices shooting up roughly 17 percent year to date, making it the most attractive safe haven asset at present.
A slew of factors have contributed to the recent rally in gold prices, including concerns over the global economy, dollar weakness, volatility in equities and the introduction of negative interest rates by several of the world’s central banks (including Japan), which have spurred safe haven demand for gold.
While Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX) is the industry standard in gold, smaller companies such as Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) should be given a look as well. Star Mountain, a minerals exploration company, pursues the acquisition and consolidation of mining claims, producing mines, mineral leases, and historic mines in the United States. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, silica, and zircon deposits and holds interests in the Balmat Mine located in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York.
Gold moved substantially higher in the past few months, rallying from $1,045 to well above $1,250. Gold stocks and silver stocks rallied as well, and many investors and traders claim that the decline in gold that started in 2011 is now over. The answer to the question whether this is the case or not has critical implications for precious metals investors, as the above impacts one’s decision to either invest in the precious metals market or wait to do so at much lower prices.
Gold has always been a solid and stable addition to your portfolio. Companies like Star Mountain Resources search out and acquire precious metal producing properties with proven reserves and production.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Principled in Workplace Safety and Environmental Protection on Road to Growth
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), a minerals exploration company, pursues the acquisition and consolidation of mining claims, producing mines, mineral leases, and historic mines in the United States. The company explores for gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, silica, and zircon deposits and holds interests in the Balmat Mine located in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. SMRS also possesses an interest in the Star Mountain/Chopar project with 116 lode-mining claims and 4 metalliferous mineral leases, which cover 3,730 acres located in the Star mountain range of the Star mining district in Beaver County, Utah, and the Ogden Bay Minerals project located in West Ogden, Utah.
The company is steadfast with respect to the concern and focus it places in the area of environmental stewardship. SMRS knows its efforts in this area require precise planning and implementation to minimize impact and mitigate unavoidable changes to the environment. This planning is woven into the mine exploration stage early on and continues through construction, operation, and closure and reclamation.
Star Mountain Resources works tirelessly at ensuring that community involvement, environmental protection, environmental monitoring and employee and public safety are operational codes of conduct throughout every stage of the mining life cycle. Consideration of both current and potential environmental challenges are vital to the mining life cycle as the company works to minimize impact to the environment at its mine sites during ongoing improvement programs to meet federal, state, and local standards.
Star Mountain Resources places the safety and health of its dedicated workforce at the forefront of its thinking. It is the company’s policy to provide a safe and healthy workplace for every employee. This can only be achieved through intelligent action, cooperation, and an understanding of safe work practices. Safety is not reserved for compliance with rules and regulations. It is a mentality that extends to the development of personal work habits and practices that do not place the employees and their co-workers at risk. Safety and production are integrated within each and every process, as no activity is viewed so important that it can justify engagement in unsafe acts or practices.
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. is a microcap mining company focused on the acquisition of mineral properties and their development into producing mines. SMRS is focused on a business climate it deems to be favorable for the low cost acquisition of high value mineral properties and intends to grow primarily through acquisitions. The company was formerly known as Jameson Stanford Resources Corporation before changing its name to Star Mountain Resources, Inc. in December 2014. Star Mountain Resources, Inc. is based in Tempe, Arizona.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS had 20/20 Foresight in Last Year’s Now-Profitable Acquisition
The Arizona-based junior exploration company, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), is only interested in acquiring high-potential mining resources that it will turn into producing assets. The company focuses on base and precious metals in North America and has operations in New York and Utah. Led by a knowledgeable management team, Star Mountain Resources can see potential where others may not. This vision has led the company on an upward journey of revenue increases and shareholder confidence through its Balmat mine acquisition.
The Balmat zinc mine in upstate New York shut down operations in 2008, but when companies approached its controlling company, Hudbay Minerals, for purchase, sales always seemed to fall through. Back then, zinc was not a “hot commodity” and was seen as a poor investment. However, in November 2015, Star Mountain Resources closed a deal with Hudbay Minerals and finally had the mine in its possession. The company’s chief operating officer, Mark Osterberg, stated at the time that, “The mining cycle is down, which means that assets like Balmat are available at bargain prices. So we think we bought the property at a very good price and we believe the commodity prices are going to come back up.”
Osterberg and Star Mountain Resources couldn’t have been more correct. Since January, zinc value has increased more than 20% from a six-year low. The deficit of 440,000 metric tons this year has caused prices to increase with demand. Furthermore, Goldman-Sachs has predicted 12-month zinc prices at $1,800 a ton. Star Mountain Resources recently reported that their mine has a reserve estimate of 585,000 tons of 9.2% grade zinc that could generate over $80 million over the course of 2.5 years. What was deemed a risky investment in 2008 now rewards a company that saw its future potential.
Spearheading Star Mountain Resources is an impressive, forward-thinking team consisting of CEO Joseph Marchal, COO Mark Osterberg, CFO Wayne Rich, VP Thomas Bidgood, operations manager John Heinzig, and site manager Ryan Schermerhorn. Plus, the company recruits local experts at each operation site to maintain strong community ties while gaining intuitive workers.
Through expert knowledge, due diligence, and experience, Star Mountain Resources chooses acquisitions that will become profitable for both shareholders and the company. The ability to foresee high-potential producing assets is a trait that marks a successful company.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Expects Significant Revenue from Balmat Mine
When a mining company announces that they have a significant amount of proven reserves, it is music to a shareholder’s ears. Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) recently reported that its Balmat Mine in New York has a proven and probable reserve estimate of 585,000 tons of 9.2 percent grade zinc that could generate $80.8 million in revenue over an initial 2.5 year mine plan. The company acquired the Balmat Mine back in November 2015, and this kind of news is exactly what has been the stalwart of Star Mountain since it’s beginning – to seek out and acquire solid revenue producing mining projects.
Star Mountain Resources is a junior exploration and mining company focused on acquiring and consolidating mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines, and historic mines with production and future growth potential. The company’s operations are currently focused on base metal and precious metal mining acquisitions in North America and re-commencing mining activities at the Balmat Zinc mine in upstate New York.
There is no substitute for experience, especially in the mining industry. Knowing the history of potential acquisition areas is essential for a company like Star Mountain Resources to continue to grow and prosper from seeking out and pulling the trigger on exceptional acquisition targets such as the Balmat Mine. Joe Marchal, CEO of Star Mountain Resources, stated in a press release about a report on the Balmat Mine, “We believe the findings in the IG7 report are very positive and reaffirm our confidence that the geological and engineering conditions reflected in the long production history of the Balmat mining operation can be sustained well into the future beyond the initial 2.5-year plan. We continue to evaluate the current zinc market and the best strategy to move forward with a production plan and schedule. Moreover, it will form an integral part of our long-range plan for the safe, efficient and effective operation of the mine.”
Good research and timely decision making are themes to take out of this acquisition. Star Resources management had the experience needed to perform all the necessary due diligence before pulling the trigger on the Balmat acquisition. It appears from the initial estimates, along with verification by the IG7 report, that it was a good call.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Stands to Reap the Rewards of Last Year’s Business Acquisition
Part of what makes Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) successful is its strong business model of acquiring and consolidating mining assets with high growth potential. The junior exploration and mining company focuses on base metal and precious metal mining. Star Mountain Resources plans on continuously searching out and obtaining these mines with expectations of high returns for both the company and its investors. The company also aims to incorporate any valuable team leaders from these ventures into its own.
Following its business model, the company acquired Northern Zinc LLC in November 2015. Along with that, Star Mountain Resources closed on the acquisition of Balmat Holding Corporation from Hudbay Minerals and gained access to the Balmat zinc mine in upstate New York. This gave the company a highly prolific mining asset while incorporating experienced mining professionals into its already seasoned board of directors and management team.
For example, Don Taylor was nominated for a director role following the Northern Zinc acquisition. He brought over thirty years’ experience in domestic and international mining explorations, project evaluations, reserve calculations, and mining development to Star Mountain Resources. Since June 2015, Taylor has been the president and a board member of Arizona Mining, Inc., a Canadian mineral exploration company.
Not only has the Balmat zinc venture brought a new member to the Star Mountain Resources team, but it could soon bring high profits. Zinc recently entered a bull market after production cuts tightened global supplies. The mineral increased more than 20% from a six-year low that was reached in January. The production limits will cause a deficit of 440,000 metric tons, driving up prices. Goldman Sachs predicts 12-month zinc prices at $1,800 a ton. When operations at the Balmat zinc mine begin, the company’s profits could soar as zinc prices rise.
By adhering to its sturdy business model, Star Mountain Resources will have more opportunities to obtain, manage and develop highly productive mines. So far, its acquisitions have proven themselves to be highly prolific gateways for the company and its shareholders.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Building Growth-Based Foundation Ahead of Rallying Zinc Prices
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is a microcap mining company that builds shareholder value by way of acquiring and developing mineral properties and turning them into major producing mines. SMRS’s growth plan uses this acquisition model as its guide. Currently, Star Mountain Resources is busy developing operations to restart its Balmat zinc mining operation in St. Lawrence County, New York. Operations are aimed at transforming the company into an active mining producer rather than a junior explorer. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the company acquired Northern Zinc, LLC, a private company, and closed on the acquisition of the Balmat Holding Corporation from Hudbay Minerals. The deal gave SMRS access to this quality-rich mineral asset.
With zinc showing signs of a value-based comeback, this positive trend appears to be on course to recover most of the 20% loss zinc suffered in 2015. Last year, metal was down 26% due in large part to China’s economic slowdown, which, in turn, hampered demand. As for 2016, zinc is leading the base metal sector, because mine depletion and production cutbacks are tightening supply and therefore boosting prices. With zinc gaining 6.8% on the London Minerals Exchange in February alone, Goldman Sachs predicts that, in 12 months, the price of zinc will be $1,800 a ton.
A Goldman analyst noted in a recent report, “Against the backdrop of still significant short metals positioning (particularly copper and aluminum), we reiterate that the recent stabilization of the GS China Metals Consumption Index, the upcoming seasonal improvement in metals demand (post Chinese New Year), China State stockpiling, and potential further capacity closures could be catalysts for a short covering rally near term.”
Star Mountain Resources sets and upholds the highest ethical standards and business practices. The company’s dealings with employees, governments, stakeholders and communities are open, honest and transparent. SMRS is a company that’s ‘passionate about continuous improvement’ while identifying and executing on operational practices that drive innovation, speed to market and cost efficiency.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
Goldman Sachs Zinc Forecast Could Put SMRS on the Map
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS), a microcap mining company, focuses its efforts on acquiring mineral properties and then developing them into major producing mines. The company plans to continue its upward growth through these acquisitions. Star Mountain Resources is currently developing operations to restart its Balmat zinc mining operation in St. Lawrence County, New York. This venture would turn the company into an active mining producer rather than a junior explorer. In November 2015, the company acquired Northern Zinc, LLC, a private company, and closed on the acquisition of the Balmat Holding Corporation from Hudbay Minerals, which gave Star Mountain Resources access to the Balmat zinc mine, a high-quality mineral asset.
According to Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), zinc is making a comeback by rallying 18% of mid-January lows at around $1,445. The mineral is making back most of the 20% loss it suffered in 2015. Last year, metal slumped 26% with China’s economic slowdown limiting the demand for metals. However, so far this year, zinc has the strongest “bull case” of all the base metals, because mine depletion and production cutbacks will tighten the supply even more, thus driving up prices. With zinc gaining 6.8% on the London Minerals Exchange in February alone, Goldman Sachs predicts that in twelve months the price of zinc will be $1,800 a ton.
In a recent report, Goldman Sachs analysts stated, “Against the backdrop of still significant short metals positioning (particularly copper and aluminum), we reiterate that the recent stabilization of the GS China Metals Consumption Index, the upcoming seasonal improvement in metals demand (post Chinese New Year), China State stockpiling, and potential further capacity closures could be catalysts for a short covering rally near term.”
The ICBC Standard Bank expects the global surplus of zinc to be greatly diminished this year, resulting in a deficit for 2017. This deficit in zinc will cause higher prices within the global metal market due to lack of substantial resources. These escalating zinc prices bode well for Star Mountain Resources as the company approaches the recommencement of mining operations at the Balmat zinc mine.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Encouraged Following Review of Industry Guide 7 Mineral Reserve Report on Balmat Mine
Earlier today, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) announced the reception of an Industry Guide 7 (IG7) Mineral Reserve Report for its recently acquired Balmat mine property in St. Lawrence County, New York. The report supports Star Mountain’s initial reserve estimates regarding the property, reflecting roughly 585,000 tons of proven and probable reserves with a 9.2 percent grade zinc that’s expected to generate an estimated $80.8 million in revenue over an initial 2.5-year mine plan. The IG7 Report also highlighted additional mineralized material adjacent to the current reserves, which are expected to be reclassified to reserve status in the future and play a key role in the execution of a larger, 8.5-year mine plan.
“We believe the findings in the IG7 report are very positive and reaffirm our confidence that the geological and engineering conditions reflected in the long production history of the Balmat mining operation can be sustained well into the future beyond the initial 2.5-year plan,” Joe Marchal, chief executive officer of Star Mountain, stated in the news release. “We continue to evaluate the current zinc market and the best strategy to move forward with a production plan and schedule.”
The IG7 Report also offered information on the condition of the Balmat property’s existing infrastructure. A key takeaway from the report was that the Balmat Mine and mill remain in good condition, ready to be placed into production with minimal expense and time. Upgrades to the mine’s ventilation system and modifications to the diesel equipment fleet will be necessary in order to adhere to more stringent diesel particulate matter regulations, which have been adopted since the mine was placed on care and maintenance, but the mine was still described as “a low cost fully mechanized operation,” clearing the way for recommencement of mining operations in the months to come.
“The report recommends initiatives we plan to pursue aimed at lowering operating expenses, increasing zinc recovery and concentrate grades and minimizing internal mine dilution,” stated Mark Osterberg, president and chief operating officer of Star Mountain. “We are very encouraged by the report and look forward to developing a strategy to move forward in a timely, cost effective and profitable manner.”
Star Mountain previously announced the acquisition of the Balmat mining complex in November as part of its agreement to acquire Northern Zinc and Balmat Holding Corporation, including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC. The mining complex includes a permitted and equipped zinc mine, a 5,000 ton per day floatation mill, an office complex and the infrastructure necessary to enable to operation of the mine. In total, the acquisition included 2,699 acres of fee simple real estate and over 50,000 acres of mineral rights within St Lawrence County, New York, and its neighboring counties.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Advances from Exploration to Production with Acquisition of Balmat Zinc Mine
Companies in the mining business are frequently exploring new avenues to make the jump from an exploration stage company up to a sought after company with revenue production. Much like a caterpillar has a relatively dull, uneventful life until it reaches the cocoon stage and emerges as a beautiful butterfly with wings to explore and display its magnificence for the entire world to enjoy, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) has been in the dull exploration stage searching for a reliable property to call home before it can reap the benefits of mining operations and revenue production. Well, with the recent announcement of its acquisition of the Balmat Zinc Mine in New York, Star Mountain has emerged from its cocoon, so to speak, and should have a much more eventful life moving forward.
The Balmat mining complex – including a 4,000-foot-deep mine, a 5,000-ton-per day flotation mill, an office building and necessary infrastructure for mine operation – was originally shuttered as a result of declining zinc prices, but forecasts for the coming months are promising. According to Mark Osterberg, president and chief operating officer of Star Mountain, zinc prices are set to increase beginning next year following the closure of several zinc mines with depleted reserves.
Demand is the driving force behind most operational business decisions. Basically, if the demand for zinc increases, the price will go up, and companies with proven reserves and production will be very happy – along with their shareholders. This acquisition and the company’s announcement to begin the hiring process for the Balmat Mine may have given Star Mountain the jolt it needed to attract the attention of new investors and analysts. One thing is for sure: once a company starts producing revenue, more people are going to realize that it has started to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. Making good on your plans and promises is essential for establishing and maintaining your reputation, which, in the small and micro cap space, is worth its weight in gold, or zinc in this case.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Industry Guide 7 report first 2.5 years
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1477168/000149315216007038/ex99-1.htm
SMRS Adheres to Three-Tiered Responsibility Platform for Continued Success
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is a junior exploration and mining company that focuses on obtaining mining claims, mineral leases, mine production, and historic mines for future growth potential. Specifically, the company acquires these base and precious metal mines in North America. At the moment, Star Mountain Resources is recommencing mining activities at the Balmat zinc mine in upstate New York, which is expected to turn the company into an active mine producer (instead of an explorer) with an impressive revenue stream beginning at the end of next year. To achieve its maximum growth through acquisitions, the company balances its core values on a pyramid of responsibility that instills confidence from the community, employees, and shareholders.
Environmental stewardship lays the foundation upon which the company is built. Star Mountain Resources believes in implementing planning and processes that won’t negatively affect the environment. Planning begins with exploration, then construction, up through reclamation. During these processes, the company diligently looks at safe water treatments, sewage systems, energy consumption, and clean air solutions. These continuous programs ensure federal, state, and local regulations are met.
Second, Star Mountain Resources provides a safe environment for employees at each facility. The company and its employees have developed personal work habits and practices that do not put anyone at risk. Then, the third tier involves the maintenance of community ties. Since 2011, the company has volunteered in flood mitigation efforts in Weber County, Utah, which have saved farms, homes, crops, and more. Star Mountain Resources also stands by its promise to hire, outsource, and buy locally in their operation communities.
Star Mountain Resources states that “responsibility to us means much more than operating in a corporate ethical manner.” The company’s responsibility is made up of strong values that provide daily guidance. By sticking to these values, along with its plan of continuous acquisitions, Star Mountain Resources intends to be a leading mining producer.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
Zinc Futures Signal a Bright Future for SMRS
Since Monday, June 29, 2015, a new physically-delivered zinc futures contract (ZNC) of 25 tonnes (metric tons) has been trading on the CME Globex. Its introduction has made it easier for both producers and industrial users to hedge price risk. However, like futures in general, the ZNC is serving another purpose that’s just as important: signaling market sentiment on zinc spot prices. In what is referred to as price discovery, futures prices are used for pricing cash market transactions. They’re everyone’s consensus on where prices on the underlying asset are going, and the consensus is that zinc is on its way up.
At the start of trading, at the time of writing, on Monday, January 25, 2016, the January contract was quoted at $1,511.50. (The ZNC contract expires on the third last business day of the contract month, which, for January, should be Friday, January 29, 2016, since the CME Globex trades on Sundays.) This climbs to $1,522.00 for March delivery; to $1,533.00 for June delivery; to $1,540.50 for September delivery and to $1,548.50 for delivery in December 2016.
What’s driving this optimism? There are a number of factors that might be responsible. One is the news coming out of China. The authorities in China published data recently reporting GDP growth of 6.9 percent in 2015. The response has generally been one of concern, but the growth in China’s economy needs to be put into perspective. World Bank data reports China’s 2014 GDP at $10.4 trillion. A 6.9 percent increase on that, for 2015, amounts to about $714 billion, larger than the size of the economy of Switzerland. In fact, the increase in China’s GDP in 2015 surpassed the size of most of the world’s economies, some 174 of the 193 countries for which the Bank collects data. A 6.9 percent increase is no cause for lament. It’s more than the 10.6 percent growth that was lauded just five years ago when the Chinese economy grew from $5.1 trillion to $6.0 trillion. China’s appetite for natural resources still remains voracious. According to mining giant MMG, citing data sourced from industry analysts Wood Mackenzie, China consumes 47 percent of global refined zinc.
In the longer term, according to data sourced from iHS and Wood Mackenzie in the MMG Market Outlook, the global automobile industry will be one of the main drivers of zinc use over the next 6 years, when some 20 million cars will be produced worldwide. Greater China will account for a little less than half, totaling about 9.5 million, South Asia will add another 5.4 million, Europe 2.8 million, North America 1.9 million, South America 1.4 million, and the Middle East 0.5 million. A decline of 1.5 million is forecast for Japan and South Korea.
On the supply side, mine closures are expected to reduce estimated mine production by about 8.5 percent. MMG has ceased operations at Century in Australia, which at its peak was yielding about 500,000 tonnes per annum. Another 500,000 tonnes is expected to be withdrawn from global supply if Glencore makes good on its threat to cut production at its facilities in Australia, Peru and Kazakhstan. Today, the newspaper Irish Independent reported (http://dtn.fm/D4OCi) that, last week, Vedanta Resources made its final shipment of zinc concentrate from Tipperary’s Lisheen Mine. Mining activity at the Lisheen Mine was concluded in November 2015, whilst milling ceased in December. The report went on to add that the Lisheen facility ‘typically produced 300,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate’ per annum.
Star Mountain (OTC: SMRS) is poised to exploit these changing market dynamics. In October 2015, the company acquired the Balmat zinc mine in New York state. The Balmat mining complex includes a permitted and equipped mine, a 5,000 ton per day floatation mill, an office complex and ancillary infrastructure to enable the operation of the mine. The acquisition of Balmat includes 2,699-acres of fee simple real estate and over 50,000 acres of mineral rights within St. Lawrence and neighboring Franklin counties in New York. It seems Star Mountain is following Abe Lincoln’s old adage: the best way to predict the future is to create it.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
30 is an Atomic Number for SMRS
With its acquisition of the zinc (atomic number: 30) mining operations in Balmat, St. Lawrence, New York, formerly owned by Hudbay Minerals (NYSE: HBM), Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is gearing up to take advantage of tightening supplies in the global zinc market. Since the Great Recession, zinc prices have been in the doldrums. In the U.S., they fell to a low of $0.78 per pound, according to Statista, and, of course, so did both supply and demand. With the global economy under stress, there was very little demand, and depressed prices gave no incentive to invest in new mines.
However, in a sign of things to come, the U.S. price rose, albeit unsteadily, by 38% to about $1.08 during 2015. It has since fallen again. It is now around $0.70 per pound. Yet the winds of change are blowing away output capacity, and so it’s very likely that prices will rise again.
Last year, the Australian-Chinese concern, MMG Limited, in a report on its website, announced it had shuttered its mining operations at Century in Australia. The Century mine was said to be the world’s third largest. In 2014, it produced 465,696 tonnes and accounted for around 3.5% of global zinc output in that year. In 2015, it was expected to yield about 350,000 tonnes. Also, The Economic Times of India reported that Vedanta Resources would close its Lisheen mine in October 2015. To date, it appears the mine is still in operation. Lisheen is Europe’s second-largest zinc mine with a capacity of around 175,000 tons, according to a HardAssetsInvestor story. Quoting Bloomberg Intelligence, the story said Lisheen’s closure will reduce global supplies by another 1.3%, and a Bloomberg Business report in October 2015 stated that Glencore plc would cut output from mines in Australia, Peru and Kazakhstan totalling around 500,000 metric tonnes. That’s an additional roughly 4% of production.
These are substantial falls in production if supply is considered over recent years. Statistics compiled by The International Lead and Zinc Study Group (ILZSG) show that mine production of zinc in 2010 was 12,360,000 tonnes. Mine production refers to volume of ores as opposed to actual refined zinc, referred to in the trade as metal production. In 2014, it was 13,512,000 tonnes. An estimate of 2015 output based on the average monthly output for the first ten months of 2015 comes up at 13,486,000 tonnes. So taken together, the Century and Lisheen mine closures and the Glencore actions would amount to a global supply cut of close to 8.5%.
The wild card on both the demand side and the supply side is China. China leads the world in mine production of zinc, in the production of refined zinc, and in usage of zinc. In 2014, ILZSG data showed that China accounted for 37.6% of global mine production. Mine production in China rose over the 5-year period from 2010 – 2014 by an astonishing 36%. In Australia, the comparable figure was 1.9%; in Europe, it was 2.2%; in the U.S., it was 9.3%; in Canada, output fell by 46%. What happens in China will not stay in China.
Star Mountain’s President, Mark Osterberg, is not fazed. In an interview with North Country Public Radio in December 2015, he said, “The mining cycle is down, which means that assets like Balmat are available at bargain prices. So we think we bought the property at a very good price and we believe the commodity prices are going to come back up.”
Star Mountain also has community backing. Patrick Kelly, CEO of the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency has said the agency is “ready to offer assistance in whatever form and for however long it takes to get this business off the ground.”
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. is a junior exploration and mining company focused on acquiring and consolidating mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines, and historic mines with production and future growth potential. Its operations are currently focused on base metal and precious metal mining acquisitions in North America, and on re-commencing mining activities at the Balmat Zinc mine in upstate New York.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
http://www.e-mj.com/news/us-a-canada/5769-star-mountain-acquiring-hudbay-s-balmat-mine.html#.VnQ82bYrLUI
SMRS
Hudbay taking 550,000 shares of Star Mountain.
Star Mountain is a U.S. junior company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. The company’s total acquisition price for Balmat is 550,000 shares of Star Mountain common stock and up to $17 million in cash, consisting of $1.0 million in cash at closing and future cash payments of up to $15.5 million. A $500,000 payment had already been made to Hudbay at the time of the announcement. Under certain conditions, Star Mountain can accelerate the acquisition payments and reduce the future cash payments to $7 million.
SMRS Prepares to Begin Hiring Process for Newly-Acquired Balmat Mining Complex
In November, Star Mountain Resources, Inc. completed the acquisition of Balmat Holding Corporation – including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of New York – after meeting all of the closing conditions of purchase agreements with both Northern Zinc, LLC and HudBay Minerals, Inc. Following the announcement, the company outlined plans to upgrade and modernize certain infrastructure systems and develop additional access to the newly-acquired mining areas in order to restart production in as little as six months.
Prospective shareholders were given an update on Star Mountain’s progress earlier this week when the Watertown Daily Times
published an article highlighting the company’s recent efforts to prepare to restart zinc production. Though the St. Lawrence Zinc Company mine has been shuttered since 2008, there are no legal or regulatory hurdles impeding the commencement of mining operations, leaving Star Mountain free to move forward on an accelerated schedule. Last week, representatives from the company met with St. Lawrence County officials to determine how local agencies can assist with the hiring process.
“It will be a two-step process, finding the workforce and training them,” Patrick J. Kelly, executive director of St. Lawrence County’s Industrial Development Agency, told reporters following the meetings. “We have agencies that have the expertise to help them identify a potential workforce.”
Initially, Star Mountain plans to hire about 50 employees, but the company expects to staff the Balmat mine with as many as 150 employees in the future. The schedule for additional hires will likely depend on the amount of time it takes to recommence active mining operations at the property. County legislator Joel L. LaPierre estimated that it would take roughly a year to begin extracting zinc from the mine in a recent interview.
The Balmat mining complex – including a 4,000-foot-deep mine, a 5,000-ton-per day flotation mill, an office building and necessary infrastructure for mine operation – was originally shuttered as a result of declining zinc prices, but forecasts for the coming months are promising. According to Mark Osterberg, president and chief operating officer of Star Mountain, zinc prices are set to increase beginning next year following the closure of several zinc mines with depleted reserves.
To read the Watertown Daily Times article, visit http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news05/plans-to-reopen-st-lawrence-zinc-move-forward-20151130
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Approaching Mineral Production following Completion of Balmat Zinc Mine Acquisition
In October, Star Mountain Resources announced that it had entered into three-way definitive agreements with Northern Zinc, LLC and HudBay Minerals, Inc. (NYSE: HBM) to acquire Balmat Holding Corporation – including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. This morning, SMRS provided an update on this transaction, announcing that it had met all of the closing conditions in the purchase agreements, and, as a result, the acquisition has now closed.
“We are delighted to have closed this transaction with Northern Zinc and HudBay and thank the teams at both companies for their help in making this transaction happen,” Joe Marchal, chief executive officer of SMRS, stated in a news release. “The team we have assembled has world class financial and mining experience that we believe will enable the company to grow into a successful global base and precious metals mining group.”
In total, the Balmat mining complex encompasses a permitted and equipped zinc mine, a floatation mill, an office structure and necessary infrastructure related to the operation of the mine. Additionally, SMRS will acquire just under 2,700 acres of fee simple real estate and more than 50,000 acres of mineral rights as part of the transaction.
Although operations at the Balmat mine were suspended in 2008 as a result of low commodity prices, there are no legal or regulatory hurdles preventing the immediate commencement of mining operations following SMRS’s acquisition. The complex’s care and maintenance team has kept mining permits current, MSHA inspections up-to-date and environmental controls and conditions in regulatory compliance throughout the seven-year period.
With the Balmat acquisition now complete, SMRS is in a strong position to move forward with its ongoing transformation from a junior mining company to a producer. The company will also look to benefit from a potentially long-term relationship with Northern Zinc, which employs a full roster of mining industry professionals with decades of valuable technical and managerial experience.
SMRS has previously announced intentions to build on the momentum provided by this acquisition in order to improve its cash flows and initiate efforts to uplist to a national stock exchange. For prospective shareholders, this upside makes SMRS an intriguing investment opportunity.
“Based on data provided to us during our due diligence on this… acquisition, we believe that the [Balmat] base metal mine opportunity presents to us the possibility of outstanding cash flows in the near term,” continued Marchal. “We intend to upgrade and modernize certain infrastructure systems, develop additional access to existing mining areas and restart production at this mine within six to nine months.”
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS
Star Mountain Resources, Inc. to Acquire Balmat Zinc Mine in New York State
The transactions are subject to various customary closing conditions and are expected to close by October 31, 2015.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/star-mountain-resources-inc-acquire-172129658.html
SMRS to Acquire Balmat Zinc Mine, Accelerate Transformation into Production
Star Mountain Resources this morning announced its three-way definitive agreements with Northern Zinc, LLC and HudBay Minerals, Inc., which will result in Star Mountain acquiring Balmat Holding Corp., including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC, and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York.
Together, these transactions will provide Star Mountain the opportunity to shift from a junior explorer into a producer in the near term. Northern Zinc, in particular, brings to Star Mountain a roster of mining industry professionals with decades of technical and managerial experience.
The total acquisition price paid to Hudbay for Balmat will be 550,000 shares of Star Mountain common stock, and up to $17 million in cash consisting of $1.0 million in cash at closing and future cash payments of up to $15.5 million. A $500,000 payment has already been made to Hudbay. Under certain conditions, Star Mountain can accelerate the acquisition payments and reduce the future cash payments to $7 million.
As part of the overall acquisition of Balmat, Star Mountain will issue to the owner of Northern Zinc 10.0 million shares of the company’s unregistered common stock and assume $1.39 million in debts.
Hudbay has held the Balmat mine on care and maintenance since suspension of operations in August of 2008, which has kept mining permits current, MSHA inspections up-to-date, and environmental controls and conditions in regulatory compliance. Star Mountain Resources reports that there are no legal or regulatory roadblocks in place to delay the reopening of mining operations.
The Balmat mining complex includes a permitted and equipped mine, a 5,000 ton per day floatation mill, an office complex, and infrastructure to enable the operation of the mine. The acquisition of Balmat includes 2,699-acres of fee simple real estate and over 50,000 acres of mineral rights within St. Lawrence and neighboring Franklin counties in New York.
“We believe there is an excellent opportunity to upgrade and extend the mineralization through additional surface and underground development and exploration,” Mark Osterberg, president and COO of Star Mountain, stated in the news release.
Joe Marchal, CEO of Star Mountain, added, “We are delighted to reach an agreement with both Northern Zinc and Hudbay to acquire the Balmat mine. The reopening plan for the mine envisioned by Northern Zinc is expected to bring a significant number of jobs to an economically distressed area of northern New York State and jumpstart Star Mountain’s growth into an outstanding new mining company. The team we’ve assembled has world class financial and mining experience that we believe will enable the company to grow into a successful global base metals mining group. I am pleased to welcome Hudbay onto the share register of Star Mountain.”
The transactions are subject to various customary closing conditions and are expected to close by October 31, 2015.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
SMRS Pursues Acquisition Opportunities in North American Mining Sector
Star Mountain Resources, a minerals exploration company focused on acquiring and consolidating mining claims, mineral leases, producing mines, and historic mines with production and future growth potential identified through exploration efforts, announced it is continually pursuing merger and acquisition opportunities for mines, advanced projects and immature projects that are available at opportunistic costs as a result of the current mining cycle downturn.
“As part of our strategy to strategically position ourselves for the inevitable upturn in the commodity markets, we are presently pursuing the previously announced acquisition of an underground base metal mine located in North America subject to completion of financing,” stated Joseph Marchal, CEO of Star Mountain Resources. “The mine is permitted and in compliance with current Federal and State mining regulations and is on care and maintenance status. We intend to upgrade and modernize certain infrastructure systems, develop additional access to existing mining areas and restart production at this mine within 6 to 9 months.”
Marchal continued, “Based on data provided to us during our due diligence on this proposed acquisition, we believe that the base metal mine opportunity presents to us the possibility of outstanding cash flows in the near term, showing a viable net present value and an attractive internal rate of return. By completing this acquisition and raising the capital needed to complete it, we expect to meet the listing requirements for a national stock exchange. We believe that an up-listing to a national stock exchange will further enhance our efforts to raise additional capital needed to identify and complete the acquisition of other quality properties and projects.”
A significant decline in commodity prices has created an environment for opportunistic quality projects at competitive prices. The management team at Star Mountain Resources is fully committed to accessing the capital markets and seek up-listing to a national securities exchange. Coupled with the mining experience of its leadership team, the company is well positioned to recognize quality acquisition opportunities and to operate those acquisitions profitably.
For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com
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Star Mountain Resources Inc. is a micro cap mining company focused on the acquisition of mineral properties and their development into producing mines. We believe the business climate is favorable for the low cost acquisition of high value mineral properties and we intend to grow our company primarily through acquisitions.
We are currently engaged in the activities necessary to re-start our Balmat zinc mining operation in St. Lawrence County, New York, recently acquired from HudBay Minerals. The restart will transform our company from a junior explorer to an active producer with a revenue stream in the latter part of 2016.
Massive sulfide zinc mineralization was first recognized in the Balmat-Edwards district in 1838 and first production began in 1915. Since then, the district has produced in excess of 43 million tons of ore from the Balmat, Edwards, Hyatt, and Pierrepont mine complexes with average grades ranging from 8.6% Zn to 16.4% Zn. The Balmat Mine operated continuously from 1930 – 2003, when production ceased due to depressed zinc metal prices. Production resumed in 2006 to directly address a projected, short term concentrate shortfall at the parent company's smelter. The mine was closed and placed on care and maintenance in the fall of 2008 after the projected smelter need was addressed, in the face of a general economic turndown and resulting fall in zinc prices. The Balmat mine has produced a total of 30.7 million tons grading 8.6% zinc. The mine is fully permitted and in compliance with all current Federal and State mining regulations and is currently on care and maintenance status.
Geology and Mineralization
The Balmat-Edwards district zinc deposits occur in intensely folded, distorted and deformed Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the NW Adirondack Lowlands, subjected to high temperature and high pressure metamorphism during the Grenville Orogeny approximately 1.1 billion years ago. The zinc deposits are hosted in the Upper Marble Formation, a sequence of shallow water carbonate units characterized by siliceous, dolomitic, diopside-rich and evaporate-bearing marbles. Zinc orebodies exhibit tabular or pod-like geometries and occupy zones within the hinges and axial regions of folds and faults associated with the Sylvia Lake syncline, a major regional scale structure recognized at Balmat.
The Balmat deposits are classified as SedEx-type, commonly defined as deposits formed from precipitation of metals from brines generated by evaporation and movement of fluids through carbonate and evaporate-rich rocks in marine sedimentary basins. The fluids/brines leach metals as they migrate through the sedimentary pile along regional and local structures and ultimately reach the sea floor where the metals precipitate as lenses and sheets in favorable structural and stratigraphic settings.
Commodity: Zinc
Location: St. Lawrence County, New York, in the historic Balmat-Edwards Mining District
Ownership: Wholly owned by Star Mountain Resources
Permits: Fully permitted and in compliance with all current Federal and State mining regulations
Historical Production: 30.7 M tons grading 8.6% zinc
Mine Plan: 8.5-year with excellent potential to increase life of mine and mining rate
Mining Method: Modern mechanized underground mining using a combination of room and pillar and long hole stoping
Mine: 4000 tons per day hoisting capacity, rubber tired, mobile mining fleet
Mill: 5000 tons per day zinc concentrator, a tailings facility, a concentrate storage area, and rail and truck transportation infrastructure
BALMAT INVESTMENT HIGHLIGHTS
The Chopar project covers approximately 2000-hectares in the Star Mining district of southern Utah, near the town of Milford. These holdings comprise 116 unpatented mining claims, fee-simple, patented mining claims and mineral leases on State of Utah lands. The Star Mining District is located in the Star Range of southwestern Utah, approximately 200 miles south-southwest of Salt Lake City. The Star Range hosts tilted and faulted, early Paleozoic to middle Mesozoic carbonate and clastic sedimentary rocks with Tertiary intrusive and extrusive rocks. Base metal and silver and gold mineralization is associated with the Tertiary intrusive event and includes vein-fissure type deposits, chimney-manto replacements, skarns and silicified breccia veins and pipes. The Chopar project area and the larger Star Mining District hold significant potential for economic concentrations of skarn and sediment-hosted Au-Ag mineralization. The presence of skarn mineralization in outcrop, in historic mines and in drill core and chips is encouraging. The extent of zones affected by contact metasomatism is potentially large enough to host orebodies of size and grade of interest to junior and major mining concerns.
Southern Utah is a favorable jurisdiction for permitting and operating mines. In particular, the Star Mining District lies near rail and roads with access to national and international goods and products. The climate is mild and amenable to any mining methodology. The normal activist communities associated with Colorado, Arizona and California are substantially underrepresented. The operations of CS Mining, immediately adjacent to the project area are proof that small scale, open pit mining operations may be successfully permitted and operated in Beaver County.
Joseph Marchal - CEO
Joseph Marchal served as chief executive officer for Asia-Pacific Region of Chi-X Global Inc., a subsidiary of Instinet, LLC, from November 2008 to June 2009, where he was responsible for the Instinet platform expansion in the region. Marchal also served as president and managing director of Asia Region at Instinet, LLC, as well as president of Instinet Japan Ltd. from January 2004 to November 2008, where he had strategic responsibility for Instinet's Asian product. Marchal joined Deutsche Bank Securities from 2002 to 2004, and served as senior managing director of Deutsche Bank Securities, where he was responsible for the distribution of Japanese Equities Global Product. Marchal was also its managing director, and was in charge of sales trading, agency execution, program trading, listed futures, and options and connectivity sales. He served as head of Japanese Equity Sales Trading and Execution Services at Salomon Brothers Japan (now Nikko Citigroup) from 1996 to 2002, and previously held senior positions in Asia at Daiwa Securities International and Fidelity Investments Japan as director of trading from 1983 to 1996. Marchal began his career in 1983 at Maruso Securities as a floor trader on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and has more than 25 years of experience in the securities industry, where he was an active member of the Tokyo brokerage community and a regular participant in industry advisory groups and conference panels. Marchal holds a Bachelor of Science from Sophia University, Japan.
Mark Osterberg Ph.D - President/ COO
Mark Osterberg has worked for major gold and base metal mining companies and has over 30 years of experience in the mining business. He has provided high-level technical expertise to projects in the USA and overseas and has managed multiyear exploration and development projects as well. Osterberg has expertise and experience in porphyry copper and molybdenum systems, carlin-type gold systems, shear-zone and volcanic-hosted mesothermal gold systems, magmatic Cu-Ni-PGE and construction materials. His project related experience includes grass-roots, green-fields reconnaissance programs, brownfields exploration and development programs, mine geology and modeling. He has developed innovative mapping techniques for regional and mine scale programs, has excellent computer skills and is an expert GIS for geology practitioner.
Donna Moore - CFO
Donna Moore is a business financial professional with over 29 years of hands-on business experience and has held positions as chief financial officer, controller, and secretary/treasurer of both public and private corporations. Her experience includes general accounting, financial reporting, systems implementation and management, treasury functions, and cost accounting. From 2010 to present, Moore has served as chief financial officer for Summit Capital USA, Inc. in Tempe, Arizona. Previously, Moore served as chief financial officer of: eWellness Healthcare Corporation; Elevate, Inc. in San Clemente, California; Voice Assist, Inc. in Lake Forest, California; and Oraco Resources in Tempe, Arizona. Moore has also served as part-time controller for Skye International, Inc. in Scottsdale, Arizona, and controller for Monarch Brass & Copper Corp. in Waterbury, Connecticut. Moore specializes in executing uniform financial controls so as to improve productivity, reduce costs, and maximize profitability. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, and an MBA in finance and accounting from Brigham Young University.
Thomas Bidgood, Ph.D - Consulting Geologist
Dr. Thomas Bidgood has worked for major gold and base metal mining companies and has more than 30 years of experience in both the exploration and operations side of the mining business. He has provided high level technical expertise to projects in the U.S. and overseas, and has managed multiyear exploration and development projects. Dr. Bidgood has expertise and experience in porphyry copper and molybdenum systems, volcanogenic massive sulfides, shear-zone and volcanic-hosted mesothermal gold systems and magmatic Cu-Ni-PGE systems. His project related experience includes grass-roots, green-fields reconnaissance programs, brownfields exploration and development programs and geological modeling in support of acquisitions and operations. He has developed innovative cross-training techniques for exploration and mine geologists and is an expert geophysics for geology practitioner. From 2001 to 2011 he was professor and chairman of the Natural Sciences and Math Department for Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colorado.
John Heinzig - Operations Manager
John Heinzig has been working in a support position with Star Mountain for the past two years as operations manager. Heinzig has a great amount of experience in managing people and operations and has a varied background in both fields. He was a strategic accounts manager in the circuit board industry for eight years, was production manager for Duraflex Products, and spent 13 years in the automotive industry as a service manager, service advisor, parts manager and sales manager. Most recently he was in the position of director of private equity funds at Summit Capital USA. Heinzig brings organization skills and the ability to follow a project to completion. He is tasked with keeping all of Star Mountain's mining claims on track and up-to-date, as well as any other mining requirements that may include procurement, transport, and will be involved at the ground level in all future and current M&A projects.
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