Black Bear Minerals Ltd-Ausenco awarded restart studies & EFA engagement

Black Bear Minerals Limited (ASX:BKB) has engaged Ausenco, a global engineering and project delivery firm, to conduct an operational restart assessment at its Shafter Silver Project in Texas, USA. The assessment includes site inspections, dilapidation studies, and capital estimates to evaluate the condition of existing infrastructure and define a high-level restart strategy for the project, which has been on care and maintenance since 2013. The study aims to leverage the project’s substantial surface and underground infrastructure, including a mill, refinery, and administrative facilities, to reduce capital costs and accelerate a potential return to production.

The Shafter Silver Project hosts a high-grade silver resource of 17.6 million ounces at 289 g/t Ag, based on Canada’s National Instrument 43-101 standard. The restart assessment is the first phase of a staged development program, running in parallel with exploration drilling and convert the resource estimate to JORC Code compliance. The project is positioned as a near-term domestic silver production opportunity in a Tier-1 U.S. jurisdiction, with silver designated as a U.S. Critical Mineral.

Black Bear Minerals’ CEO emphasized the strategic importance of the engagement, noting the alignment with U.S. government initiatives to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains. The assessment will also provide a technical foundation for optimizing capital expenditure and stakeholder engagement.