EV Resources Advancing Mexican Antimony Hub Toward First Concentrate Production

EV Resources (ASX: EVR) dry-commissioned the grinding circuit at its Tecomatlán processing plant in Mexico during the June quarter, keeping first antimony concentrate targeted for the second half of 2026.

The three refurbished ball mills demonstrated mechanical integrity ahead of wet commissioning and a production-capable proof-of-concept (PoC) campaign to validate the integrated processing route.

Independent test work identified flotation as the preferred route, recovering 81.1% of contained antimony into a concentrate grading 42.4% antimony before subsequent upgrading produced a 62.9% concentrate.

EV also expanded its third-party feedstock pipeline and advanced its 70%-owned Los Lirios antimony project as the potential long-term mine supply for the processing hub.

Plant Route Taking Shape

The flotation-led result compared with a 29.25% recovery and 20.54% combined concentrate grade from gravity concentration alone, prompting EV to combine its original gravity and flotation stages into one integrated circuit.

A significant portion of the required flotation infrastructure is already installed at Tecomatlán, with additional rougher, scavenger, and cleaner cells expected to require relatively low incremental capital expenditure.

The plant owner received the Change of Use of Soil permit in May, while an Informe Preventivo has been submitted and an application lodged for grid interconnection.

EV expects the flotation permitting pathway to take about seven months alongside remaining construction.

Four non-binding memoranda of understanding cover potential feedstock of 2,330–2,430 tonnes a month, equivalent to about 50–60% of the plant’s 150-tonne-per-day nameplate capacity, although definitive supply contracts and logistics arrangements remain outstanding.

Los Lirios Building Feed Base

Initial Phase 1 diamond drilling at Lirios 1 confirmed a shallow carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) system, with four of the first five assayed holes intersecting antimony mineralisation less than 10 metres below surface and a standout result of 3.05m at 2.10% antimony from 8.1m.

The Exploration Target spans 1.8 million tonnes to 5.0Mt containing 70,000t–166,000t of antimony across the Lirios 1 and Lirios 2 CRD zones and the higher-grade Cofradia zone.

Systematic channel sampling across four historical underground workings returned grades up to 25.2% antimony and showed that higher grades are spatially associated with feeder structures, providing a targeting guide for Phase 2 drilling.

“At Los Lirios, our first drill assays uncovered a broad, shallow carbonate replacement system and channel sampling has since returned grades up to 25.2% antimony with a clear structural trend to guide our next phase of drilling,” executive chair Shane Menere said.

Resource modelling is progressing toward a maiden JORC mineral resource estimate, targeted for the September quarter alongside further drilling at Lirios 1, Lirios 2 and Cofradia.

“Each technical milestone completed progressively reduces the operational and commercial risks associated with EVR's transition from explorer to antimony producer, providing a disciplined pathway toward sustainable commercial production,” Mr Menere added.