August 3rd, 2017, VANCOUVER, B.C. – ASHBURTON VENTURES INC. (ABR-TSX:V) (ARB-FRANKFURT) (“Ashburton” or the "Company”) is pleased to announce that the evacuation order at the Z-1 Zeolite Quarry has been rescinded. Quarry operator ZMM Canada Minerals Corp. has recommenced mining processing activities at the Z-1 Zeolite Quarry.
On July 8, 2017, the property located three kilometers NE of Cache Creek, BC, was placed under an evacuation order due to the Elephant Hill fire. There was no fire on the property and no damage to any of the equipment, Quarry or stockpiled zeolite.
Crews will remove 15,000 cubic yards of overburden to improve site access. Prior work on the property involved extracting approximately 9000 tons of zeolite which was crushed and placed in a stockpile. Crews will open the stockpile to check for moisture content and spread the pile as necessary for rapid dehydration. Crushing will then reduce the 3/4 minus zeolite to a 1/4 minus particle size. 1/4 minus zeolite has a maximum diameter of 1/4 inch but contains a range of particle sizes down to fine fractions.
The zeolite will be loaded into one-ton bulk bags and stacked in a location protected from the elements, ready to be trucked directly to customers, to distribution hubs or for further processing and packaging at an off-site location.
LuVerne Hogg, Operations Manager of the Z-1 Quarry jointly operated by Ashburton and ZMM Minerals Canada Corp, stated “The point of this work is to get us to where we can sell and deliver products. Operations will be twelve hours a day, six days a week until the entire stockpile of zeolite is crushed and bagged. We estimate that this phase of operations will be completed by the end of August.”
Ashburton President David Gdanski stated, “We are extremely pleased to have crews back at work in a safe environment. This is a historic moment for the Z-1 Quarry as we approach making our products widely available. This work also brings Ashburton a significant step closer to earning a 100% undivided ownership interest in the mineral claims of the Z-1 Quarry according to the terms of the January 23rd Option Agreement between ZMM and ABR.”
Gdanski added, “We continue to monitor the wildfire situation in the BC Interior. We at Ashburton extend our deepest sympathies to families and workers impacted by the fires.”
The technical contents of this release were approved by LuVerne E.W. Hogg, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The properties have not been the subject of a National Instrument 43-101 report.
Ashburton Ventures Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on Canadian mineral projects in Quebec and British Columbia, Canada. If you would like to be added to the news release distribution please get in touch with us at info@ashburtonventures.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Signed “Michael England”
Michael England, CEO
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Telephone: 1-604-683-3995; Toll Free: 1-888-945-4770; www.ashburtonventures.com
Cautionary Note:
The Company cautions that the project does not contain a current resource or reserve. In addition, the Company advises that its decision to commence mining processing activities on the project is not based on a feasibility study. The Company further cautions that production decisions not supported by a feasibility study have increased uncertainty and higher risks of technical failure and there is no certainty that the project will be found to be economic.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Some of the statements in this news release contain forward-looking information that involves inherent risk and uncertainty affecting the business of Ashburton Ventures Inc. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.