Overview
Apex, USA
The Apex Mine, located in Washington County in southwestern Utah, is part of a historic mining district known for its polymetallic and critical mineral potential. The Apex property hosts a past-producing underground mine with significant gallium, germanium, copper, and silver mineralization, making it one of the few primary gallium/germanium deposits identified in the United States. Blue Moon is evaluating a phased work program to advance the Apex Mine toward potential redevelopment.
- The initial phase will focus on compiling and reviewing historical production data, drill records, underground sampling results, metallurgical test work, and existing geological models.
- This work will support refinement of the geological interpretation and will guide the design of a modern exploration and confirmation drilling program.
- Progress underground permits to re-enter the mine and prepare an underground bulk sample to progress metallurgical test work.
Blue Moon intends to incorporate the Apex Mine into its hub-and-spoke development strategy by advancing high-grade underground critical metals assets in the western United States and utilizing centralized processing solutions where appropriate.
This approach aligns with ongoing U.S. federal government initiatives aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains for critical minerals such as gallium and germanium, which are essential for semiconductors, solar panels, and advanced electronics. The Apex Mine is strategically positioned to contribute to a secure American supply of these technology-critical metals.
History
The Apex Mine has a long production history dating back to the late 19th century, with intermittent mining focused initially on copper and silver before the recognition of significant indium enrichment within sphalerite-rich mineralization. The deposit occurs primarily as carbonate replacement bodies within limestone units, with associated zinc, copper, lead, silver, and critical trace elements. The Apex Property comprises a combination of patented and unpatented mining claims covering the historic underground workings and surrounding prospective ground.
This underground mine became the primary producer of gallium and germanium in the United States when Musto Explorations Ltd. brought it into production in the mid 1980’s and again with Hecla Mining Company in the 1990’s. During its peak year of operations, Apex produced 10,270 tons yielding 1,645 lb Ga, 5,634 lbs of Ge, and 224,800 lbs of Cu.
Hecla completed a feasibility study in 1989, reporting a reserve of 230,200 tons of 0.100% Ge, 0.046% Ga and 1.6% Cu. A historical reserve estimate1 by Ken Krahulec in 2018 estimated 1 MT @ 0.087% Ge, 0.033% Ga, 1.8% Cu and 41 g/t Ag. The Ge and Ga are 10-100x higher grade than most Ge and Ga deposits, with in-situ value per ton similar to 0.5 oz/T gold ores. Beyond the historical reserves, Hecla also identified several additional breccia bodies as prospective exploration targets, including the Paymaster, Cavern, and 500 North pipes, along with further oxide zones in the immediate mine area.
- As at the date of this news release, a qualified person has not completed sufficient work to classify the historical estimates above as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with NI 43-101 and Blue Moon is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. In order to verify the historical estimates, the Company needs to engage a qualified person to review the historical data, review any work completed on the property since and complete a new technical report. Blue Moon views this historical data as an indicator of the potential size and grade of the mineralized deposits, and this data is relevant to Company’s future plans with respect to the property. ↩︎