“I firmly believe that we have the next emerging gold and silver discovery in Arizona.”- Mike Stark

Can you introduce Arizona Silver Exploration and present the management team?

Arizona Silver Exploration owns 100% of its four properties. Our flagship property is our Philadelphia project, located north of Bullhead City, Arizona, in the quickly emerging Oatman district: there are two operating mines within 10 miles. The jurisdiction has been missed by explorers for years: everybody believed Nevada has gold and Mexico has silver, while our VP of exploration Greg Hahn said for years that what happens in the middle should have been a blend of both minerals, and that is what we are seeing at Philadelphia.

Our management team’s experience is invaluable when it comes to running four early-stage projects. To date, the three geologists in our decision-making team have over 30 million ounces of gold to their credit.

You hit high-grade gold and silver at Philadelphia in June 2022. What are the most recent updates there?

Philadelphia was a past-producing mine. It mined approximately 44,000 oz/Au, strictly high-grade mining. Greg Hahn has been watching that property since the early 1980s, and in late 2019, the opportunity came for us to pick that project up. This management team is very patient about how we approach projects. We formed an agreement with the original package owner, and since then, we have bought out all remaining lease payments and the NSR on the property.

Some of our results have been as high as 41 g/t Au, 82.6 g/t Ag on a high-grade vein. Philadelphia will likely go into development, but we do not plan on developing this property. We intend to sell it to mid-tier or major.

Can you expand on your Silverton project in Nevada?

Silverton is permitted for 12 exploration holes. The property is located 45 minutes from Newmont’s Long Canyon mine, and we feel comfortable stating that the geology we are seeing at Silverton is similar to theirs. All 62 samples to date have shown strong indications that we have an ore body there. There are ongoing discussions with other companies to do a JV with us there, which would be exciting and allow us to move two projects forwards for our investors.

How easy is it to navigate the regulatory framework in Arizona and Nevada?

It is getting more difficult. We have about a year’s worth of drilling at our Philadelphia property on the patented property, which has been easier to get permitting on. Our turnaround has been less than 2-3 weeks for permitting there. We are in the process of permitting a large area where we will be drilling in 2023. The process needs to be anticipated early on to get the ball in motion as soon as possible.

How do you maintain capital expenditure with current inflationary pressures?

About 84% of every dollar we raise goes into the ground and into advancing value. We are willing to accept a 10% increase in costs there as we are a small company and as our exclusive area for large expenditure is drilling. To mitigate the pressures, we employ new technologies and where possible use RC drilling programs, as these are less costly and provide faster turnaround.

What is your outlook for silver and copper demand amid the current energy transition?

With current mandates, I cannot imagine how economies will be fully electrified by 2025. Solar panels, EVs, and cell phones all require silver. This continues to make the demand extensive. The world needs to find and produce more silver.

Can you expand on the share structure of the company?

We have 64 million shares out and have done some small capital raises to keep the share structure tight. Management owns 28% of our total shares, and family and friends own 42%. An institutional buyer has recently taken down 9% of the company. There are not a lot of offerings for sale, which is delightful.

Why is Arizona Silver Exploration an exciting story for investors in the coming months?

I firmly believe that we have the next emerging gold and silver discovery in Arizona. It is a strong statement, but our drill results speak for themselves. We are approaching this methodically, designing programs strategically. We know how to spend shareholders’ money beneficially from the earliest stages.

GB Reports Interview Courtesy of Arizona Silver