Capacitor Metals Initiates Metallurgical Program on Upper Fir Tantalum & Niobium Deposit

July 2, 2026 — TheNewswire — Capacitor Metals Corp., a British Columbia-based company focused on tantalum and niobium development, has announced the start of a metallurgical program on material from its Upper Fir Tantalum & Niobium Deposit in British Columbia. The program aims to process raw material from the deposit into a flotation concentrate, with the goal of producing separated final tantalum and niobium oxides for industrial use.

The company plans to transport two tonnes of crushed rock from the approximately 120 tonnes stored in Richmond to SGS Canada Burnaby, where the testing will be conducted under the supervision of Michel Robert, M.Sc. The pilot plant is expected to operate until fall 2026, marking a significant step in the development of the deposit. Historically, flotation concentrate recovery rates from this deposit have exceeded 75%, with recent estimates suggesting overall recoveries of 77.2% for tantalum and 75.1% for niobium, surpassing the 65-70% range indicated in the 2011 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) by AMEC.

The Upper Fir deposit holds one of the world's largest defined resources of tantalum, with an indicated resource of 48.4 million tonnes grading at 197 parts per million (ppm) tantalum and 1,610 ppm niobium, and an inferred resource of 5.4 million tonnes at similar grades. This corresponds to approximately 21 million pounds of tantalum and 171 million pounds of niobium in indicated resources, with inferred resources contributing an additional 2.2 million pounds of tantalum and 21 million pounds of niobium.

Capacitor Metals has invested over CAD$34 million to date, including extensive drilling with over 59,000 meters drilled in 271 holes, as well as conducting preliminary metallurgical and environmental studies and community consultations. The Blue River property, where the deposit is located, features a fully serviced site with accessible rail, paved roads, water, and power, supported by a mineral-rich area with multiple deposits and exploration targets.

SGS, a leading global testing, inspection, and certification company, will oversee the metallurgical testing. Operating with a network of more than 2,500 laboratories across 115 countries and a team of over 100,000 professionals, SGS brings decades of expertise in quality assurance and experimental validation, bolstering Capacitor Metals’ efforts to develop low-cost, long-term supply solutions for tantalum and niobium.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.capacitormetals.com.

Source: Capacitor Metals Corp.