THOMPSON FALLS, MT / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2016 / United States Antimony Corporation ("USAC") (NYSE MKT: UAMY) reported that production testing of the Los Juarez circuits has begun.

The alkaline leach plant in Mexico has been installed, tested, and recoveries are now being verified. Approximately 19.8 metric tons of concentrates from previous milling will be processed during December and the beginning of 2017. Answers to questions from our original application for the cyanide permit to leach the mill tailings have been submitted to SEMARNAT, and the permit is being vigorously pursued. Previously mined mill feed from a 19,000 metric ton stockpile at the Los Juarez property will be hauled to the mill in Guanajuato. The flotation mill will be started during Q1 2017. Mining at greater depths in the pits and in close proximity will commence. USAC will continue operating while the cyanide circuit is added in stages using internally generated cash flows.

The objectives of the production testing are as follows:

  1. To further verify costs, grades, and recoveries of the circuit.
  2. To determine whether rock at greater depth is less oxidized and will yield better recoveries than near surface rock.
  3. To further study the recovery of gold. Mill recoveries of gold have varied from 30% to more than 90%.
  4. To further open up the deposit and perform more drilling.
  5. Cautious production testing will minimize the risk of encountering a fatal flaw.
  6. To determine whether the cyanide leach plant is necessary. Two options are considered. Option 1 is using the floatation mill and the alkaline leach circuit. Option 2 will be the flotation mill, alkaline leach circuit, and the cyanide leach plant for the mill tailings.

Metal

Assay

Option1 recovery

Option2 recovery

Price

Option1 Value

Option 2 Value

Gold

0.044 opmt

50%

90%

$1,175/oz

$25.85

$46.53

Silver

3.0 opmt

70%

90%

$16.60/oz

$34.86

$44.98

Antimony

0.71%

70%

70%

$3.40/lb

$37.25

$37.25

Total

$97.96

$128.76

(opmt = ounces per metric ton)
USAC does not claim any reserves at the Los Juarez deposit in accordance with S. E. C. definitions or per Canadian Institute 43-101.

The Australian concentrates will be finished by the end of December, but the processing of the slag for gold will continue into 2017. Presently, USAC is ramping up production at the Wadley and Soyatal properties in Mexico.

The new BRZ sales representatives have five new truckload customers, and two of them have ordered their second truckload. Most of the new customers are in the dairy business and BRZ is now expanding its focus to poultry and hog producers.

Following are the sales estimates for November 2016:

Product

November 2016

Antimony pounds

240,692

BRZ zeolite tons

1,115

Gold from Australia ounces

90

During November, the average Rotterdam price per metric ton of antimony metal was $7,550.00 ($3.42 per pound); during October it was $7,740.00 ($3.51 per pound), a decrease of $0.09 per pound.

CEO John Lawrence said, "We are excited to begin initial pilot production from the Los Juarez deposit and will determine optimum operating conditions from trials throughout 2017."

About U.S. Antimony

US Antimony is a growing, vertically-integrated, natural resource company that has production and diversified operations in precious metals, zeolite, and antimony.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, including matters related to the Company's operations, pending contracts, and future revenues, ability to execute on its increased production, and installation schedules for planned capital expenditures and the size of forecasted deposits. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties. In addition, other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are discussed in the Company's most recent filings, including Form 10-KSB with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

UNITED STATES ANTIMONY CORPORATION
PO Box 643, 47 Cox Gulch Rd.
Thompson Falls, Montana 59873-0643
406-827-3523
FAX: 406-827-3543
E-Mail: tfl3543@blackfoot.net

SOURCE: United States Antimony Corporation