TORONTO, ON - TheNewswire - April 26, 2021 – BacTech Environmental Corporation BCCEF, BAC, BAC ("BacTech or the Company"), a commercially proven environmental technology company delivering effective and eco-friendly biomining and remediation solutions, today announced that it has executed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Curatio Gold Limited ("Curatio") to source refractory ores for processing from Eastern Africa.
Curatio was recently established to provide funding to support improved metallurgical processing, with the goal of eliminating the dangerous and environmentally unfriendly use of mercury for gold liberation. The group will initially focus its efforts in East Africa on an active Artisanal and Small-scale mining ("ASM") industry. The principal founders of Curatio have many years of technical mining expertise and are well versed in supporting small and medium-sized businesses in Africa. Curatio CEO Doug Ramsey, R.P.Bio., is a biologist with expertise in environmental mercury concerns and four decades of experience in solving mining related environmental issues. Prior to founding Curatio with Mark Francis, Doug was CEO and VP Sustainability with a junior miner and a consultant to industry and government
"Mark Francis and I have enjoyed a long and positive history," said Ross Orr, BacTech President and CEO. "He's been a devoted supporter of BacTech for many years and was instrumental in stitching this deal together. Nothing is off the table at this stage, but given the relatively modest tonnage from the region, it is anticipated that the concentrates would be shipped to our proposed plant in Ponce Enriquez, Ecuador. The potential to add a new revenue stream, as well as a new processing model for other regions to consider is exciting."
"Our agreement with BacTech is part of positioning Curatio to deal with the critical environmental issues relating to ASM gold recovery in Eastern Africa," said Doug Ramsey, CEO of Curatio. "The ASM gold-mining industry is an important part of the local, and national, economies in Eastern Africa, but has a history of harmful environmental impacts. The introduction of key technologies, like the BacTech bioleaching process, will allow this industry to grow, while significantly reducing its environmental footprint."
More details will be provided as this project advances.
The selection of Ponce Enriquez is driven by the extremely high levels of arsenic that are associated with gold in the +90 small mines in the area which attract high penalties in smelting. Presently, the miners are forced to sell their production at reduced prices to offshore buyers due to the high arsenic values in the concentrates and, consequently, accept lower financial returns. By eliminating financial penalties charged for arsenic, BacTech proposes to pay better prices for the miners' material. East African's ASM industry faces similar challenges.
About BacTech Environmental Corporation
BacTech is a proven environmental technology company, delivering effective and eco-friendly biomining and remediation solutions to commercial operations to smartly process and recover preferred metals (gold, silver, cobalt, and copper) and safely remove and transform harmful contaminants like arsenic into benign EPA-approved products for landfill. Tapping into numerous environmental and economic advantages of its proprietary method of bioleaching, BacTech uses naturally occurring bacteria, harmless to both humans and the environment, to neutralize toxic mining sites with high-pay potential.
BacTech is in early discussions to build its new owner-operated bioleaching facility in Ponce Enriquez, Ecuador where arsenic is well-known to exist alongside gold mining and is investigating the prospects of establishing additional modern mining operations across other areas of Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Central America. Where possible, the Company will partner with national and local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others to assist with the funding of these projects. BacTech is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "BAC" and on the OTC as "BCCEF".
About Curatio Gold Limited
Curatio Gold Limited is a newly launched company created to introduce funding and support for improved metallurgical processes to eliminate the use of mercury and increase metal recovery for gold-oriented Artisanal and Small-scale Miners in Eastern Africa. Curatio has a cross-cultural team with relevant technical expertise, international representation, and experience with investing-for-profit in local entrepreneurs in Africa and elsewhere.
For further information contact:
Ross Orr,
President & CEO, BacTech Environmental Corporation
416-813-0303 ext. 222,
Email: borr@bactechgreen.com
Website: www.bactechgreen.com
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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking information", which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future tailings sites, sampling or other investigations of tailing sites, the Company's ability to make use of infrastructure around tailings sites or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified using words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims, other than as required by law, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, results, future events, circumstances, or if management's estimates or opinions should change, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
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