The Albany Gazette - American Critical Minerals Applauds US Presidential Executive Order to Increase / Expedite Domestic Critical Mineral Extraction & Processing - Specifically including Potash

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESS Newswire / April 1, 2025 / American Critical Minerals Corp. ("American Critical Minerals" or the "Company") (CSE:KCLI)(OTCQB:APCOF)(Frankfurt:2P3) applauds the historic March 20, 2025, Executive Order signed by United States President Donald J. Trump to accelerate the domestic production of Critical Minerals, including Potash.

Highlights for the Green River Project:

• Executive Order adds Potash to the list of Critical and Strategic Minerals - Lithium already included;

• Executive Order invokes the use of the Defense Production Act as part of a broad U.S. Government effort to expand Domestic Critical Minerals Production on National Security Grounds;

  • Includes facilitating buyer agreements for critical minerals and expediting procurement;

• Executive Order also includes provisions to accelerate access to Private and Public capital for Domestic Critical Mineral Projects, including the creation of a "Dedicated Mineral and Mineral Production Fund for Domestic Investments" to be administered by the Development Finance Corporation ("DFC");

• Executive Order also states that "Priority Projects will be identified that can be immediately approved or for which permits can be immediately issued and take all necessary or appropriate actions…to expedite and issue the relevant permits or approvals; and

• For full details of the Executive Order please see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/immediate-measures-to-increase-american-mineral-production/

The Company is also very encouraged by the recent announcement by Anson Resources that the Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") Pilot being run by Anson and Koch Technology Solutions ("KTS") on contiguous land to the North of American Critical Minerals' Green River Project (the "Project") has been successfully completed with Industry Leading Results.

Key Findings from the Anson / Koch Pilot Program*:

• DLE achieved an average lithium recovery rate of 98%;

• Key brine contaminants average rejection greater than 99%, resulting in low purification production costs;

• Industry leading concentration achieved, with a Li:TDS ratio of up to 0.129, averaging 0.126, significantly above the target Li:TDS of 0.08, expected to lower costs due to less evaporation during the EV battery grade purification process;

• 43,500 gallons (165,000 litres) of high purity lithium chloride was produced that meet or exceed the specifications required by downstream processors; and

• For details of the full announcement by Anson Resources please see: https://wcsecure.weblink.com.au/pdf/ASN/02928398.pdf

These results are extremely encouraging given the proximity to the Company's Green River Project and the fact that historic oil and gas wells across the Project confirmed that the combined Mississippian Leadville Formation and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation brine-bearing clastic layers also underlie American Critical Minerals' entire project area. Wells within the American Critical Minerals Green River Project reported lithium up to 500 parts per million ("ppm") from brine samples (Gilbride & Santos, 2012). These results are also very positive for the potential of the Paradox Basin to serve as a major source of domestic lithium for critical minerals supply chains.

Simon Clarke, President and CEO stated,"we are delighted that Potash is now being officially treated as a Critical Mineral in the US. Given the growth in domestic agriculture, and the fact that potash is the major ingredient in all key fertilizers, it is clear that being reliant on foreign powers for over 92% of the potash it consumes (Source: USGS) is a threat to US Food Security. With Potash and Lithium now both benefiting from expedited permitting and the various sources of capital being brought to bear through the March 20^th Executive Order, the Green River Project is even better positioned for ongoing development and to be a major source of these 2 Critical Minerals for the US Supply Chain.

We are also extremely pleased with the recent Lithium Pilot Results published by Anson and Koch. These are excellent results which validate the potential for the Paradox Basin to also be a major source of domestic lithium and the proximity to our Green River Project further reinforces the large-scale and economic potential of our Project."

About American Critical Minerals' Green River Potash and Lithium Project

The Green River Potash and Lithium Project is situated within Utah's highly productive Paradox Basin, located 20 miles northwest of Moab, Utah and has significant logistical advantages including close proximity to major rail hubs, airport, roads, water, towns and labour markets. It also benefits from close proximity to the agricultural and industrial heartland of America and numerous potential end-users for its products.

The history of oil and gas production across the Paradox Basin provides geologic data from historic wells across the Project, and the wider Basin, validating and de-risking the potential for high grade potash and large amounts of contained lithium. Wells in and around the project reported lithium up to 500 ppm, bromine up to 6,100 ppm and boron up to 1,260 ppm (Gilbride & Santos, 2012). This data is reinforced by nearby potash production and the advanced stage of neighbouring lithium projects. The Paradox Basin is believed to contain up to 56 billion tonnes of lithium brines, potentially the largest such resource in US.The Company also has a 43-101 Exploration Target of 600 million to 1 billion tonnes of sylvinite (the most important source for the production of potash in North America) with average grades ranging from 19% to 29% KCl.**

The Company holds a 100% interest in eleven State of Utah (SITLA) mineral and minerals salt leases covering approximately 7,050 acres, 1,094 federal lithium brine claims (BLM Placer Claims) covering 21,150 acres, and 11 federal (BLM) potash prospecting permits covering approximately 25,480 acres. Through these leases, permits and claims the Company has the ability to explore for potash, lithium and potential by-products across the entire Green River Project (approx. 32,530 acres). The Company is authorized to drill a total of 7 exploratory drill holes across the Project (pending bonding the recently approved 4 drill holes).

Intrepid Potash Inc. (NYSE: IPI) is America's largest potash company and only U.S. domestic potash producer and currently produces potash from its nearby Moab Solution Mine, which the Company believes provides strong evidence of stratigraphic continuity within this part of the Paradox Basin (www.intrepidpotash.com). Anson Resources Ltd. (ASX: ASN) has advanced lithium development projects contiguous to the northern boundary of our Green River Project and neighbouring to the south. Anson has a large initial resource, robust definitive feasibility study and has recently completed successful piloting operations through its partnership with Koch Technology Solutions, as well as an offtake agreement with LG Energy Solution. The Anson exploration targets encompasses the combined Mississippian Leadville Formation and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation brine-bearing clastic layers, which also underlie American Critical Minerals' entire project area (www.ansonresources.com).

In 2022, the U.S. imported approx. 96.5% of its annual potash requirements with domestic producers receiving a higher sales price due to proximity to market (intrepidpotash.com/ August 15, 2024, Investor Presentation). In March 2024, the US Senate introduced a Bill to include key fertilizers and potash on the US Department of Interior list of Critical Minerals which already includes lithium. Recent market estimates suggest that the global potash market is over US$50 billion annually and growing at a compound annual growth rate ("CAGR") of close to 5%. Annual Lithium demand is now estimated to be over 1 million tonnes globally and continuing to grow Rapidly.***

Qualified Person

The Technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P.Geo., the Chief Operations Officer ("COO") of the Company and a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Simon Clarke, President & CEO

Contact: (604)-551-9665

*American Critical Minerals' management cautions that results or discoveries on properties in proximity to the American Critical Minerals' properties may not necessarily be indicative of the presence of mineralization on the Company's properties.

**A report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report - Green River Potash Project, Grand County, Utah, USA", prepared by Agapito Associates Inc., and dated effective September 12, 2012, quantifies the Green River Potash Project's potash exploration potential in the form of a NI 43-101 Exploration Target. The Exploration Target estimate was prepared in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). It should be noted that Exploration Targets are conceptual in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define them as Mineral Resources, and, while reasonable potential may exist, it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral Resource under NI 43-101. The Exploration Target stated in the Agapito Report is not being reported as part of any Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve. A copy of the report can be accessed on the corporate website for the Company: www.acmineralscorp.com

***United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2024 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2024/mcs2024-potash.pdf).

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: believe, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding future confirmation drilling and its intended outcomes and the intended use of proceeds from the oversubscribed financing. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and information.

SOURCE: American Critical Minerals Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

(L.Thomas--TAG)