Volta Delivers Positive Initial Metallurgical Results at Springer
Press Release
TORONTO, Ontario, Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA) (FSE: D0W) (OTCQB: VOLMF) (“Volta” or the “Company”) is pleased to report results from the first metallurgical flotation test program completed on material from its Springer Rare Earth Element (“REE”) Deposit in Ontario, Canada (“Springer”). The testwork was conducted by SGS Canada Inc. (“SGS”) at its Lakefield, Ontario facility, one of the world’s premier metallurgical laboratories with extensive experience in rare earth element project development. The early-stage results confirmed several important milestones for the project:
1. Springer’s rare earth elements can be successfully recovered using conventional froth flotation, a well-established and widely used industrial processing method.
1. The processing pathway is straightforward and potentially cost-effective relative to many other rare earth projects globally.
1. Gallium, a critical mineral essential to semiconductors, telecommunications, and defense technologies, might be economically recovered as a by-product alongside the rare earths.
These results represent the first phase of metallurgical testing, with additional and more advanced testwork planned as the Springer project advances future engineering and economic studies. Metallurgical results are a critical milestone for any mining project, whether ore can be economically processed into a saleable product. Today’s results provide the first independent confirmation that Springer’s rare earth ore can be processed using proven, cost-effective methods, a foundational step in establishing the project’s economic viability.
HIGHLIGHTS
⦁ 13x REE enrichment achieved in initial bench-scale testing, significantly exceeding typical industry benchmarks: Springer mineralization demonstrated approximately 13 times enrichment from feed to concentrate, compared to the commonly accepted 5–10x range considered strong performance for REE flotation circuits.
⦁ 88.2% total rare earth elements (“TREE”) recovery achieved in initial flotation testing: A strong result for early-stage work; comparable REE projects typically target 70–85% recovery at this stage, confirm that Springer mineralization responds well to conventional flotation methods. Cleaner-stage testing in this initial program produced concentrate grades of up to 26.4% Total Rare Earth Oxides (“TREO”) at 65.8% recovery, with additional optimization work planned to further enhance grade and recovery performance.
⦁ Results materially exceed the historic Marino (2012) recovery assumptions: initial test results significantly exceed the conservative recovery assumptions in the Company’s existing NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate. All individual rare earth elements tracked consistently through each flotation stage.
⦁ Gallium identified as a potential by-product opportunity utilizing REE flotation streams: With China controlling ~80% of global gallium supply, recovery of this critical mineral as a North American by-product alongside rare earths would be strategically significant. Gallium reports to the REE concentrate via the same host mineral, with additional testwork required to establish definitive recovery rates.
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“These results represent a genuinely important milestone for the Springer project. Confirming that our ore responds well to conventional flotation — the same technology used at some of the world’s leading rare earth operations — significantly de-risks the processing path and improves our confidence in the project’s economic potential. The early indication of gallium recovery as a by-product, from a North American deposit at a time when China controls approximately 80% of global gallium supply, adds a strategically important dimension to what is already a well-located critical mineral asset. We are moving quickly into the next phase of optimization work.”
— Kerem Usenmez, President & CEO, Volta Metals Ltd.
Metallurgical Recovery Review Webinar
Volta Metals will be hosting a webinar to discuss the results of the Springer REE Project Initial Metallurgical Recovery results, during which members of the Volta Metals’ leadership team will be on the call. Participants will be able to submit questions or email them in advance to info@voltametals.ca.
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 4:30 p.m. EST / 1:30 a.m. PST
Link: https://www.gowebcasting.com/14736
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