Nevada Organic Phosphate Reports Clean 10.89% P2O5 Drill Result

Nevada Organic Phosphate Inc., a British Columbia-based company focused on organic sedimentary phosphate exploration, has reported another encouraging drill result from its Murdock Mountain project in Nevada. The company said heavy-metal assays from the Upper Phosphatic Zone in drill hole MM26-10 continue to show contaminant levels well below thresholds generally used for organic fertilizer certification.

Drill hole MM26-10 represents a 1.5-kilometre step-out along strike at Murdock Mountain and returned an intersection grading 10.89% P2O5 over 3.60 metres. The result adds to the company’s confidence that the Upper Phosphatic Zone contains consistent phosphate mineralization with low concentrations of potentially harmful heavy metals.

Nevada Organic Phosphate CEO Robin Dow said the latest intersection demonstrates that the Upper Phosphatic Zone continues to deliver predictable phosphate grades and very low heavy-metal concentrations. According to the company, these characteristics could support the development of phosphate products suitable for the organic fertilizer market and provide a differentiated position as the company advances its project.

In the United States, organic fertilizer certification falls under the USDA National Organic Program. The USDA-NOP does not establish specific numerical heavy-metal limits for mineral fertilizers such as rock phosphate. Instead, certification generally considers whether soil and plant amendments could contaminate soil or crops. State fertilizer regulations also play an important role, with many states using the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials’ SUIP #25 Heavy Metal Rule as a framework for evaluating fertilizer contamination.

For organic agricultural applications, rock phosphate generally needs to be mined rather than chemically processed and must avoid prohibited synthetic additives. Its heavy-metal profile must also remain sufficiently low to prevent contamination concerns. Meeting applicable state and certification requirements can therefore improve the potential marketability of phosphate products for organic agriculture.

The company said all sample preparation and analytical work was conducted by ALS Laboratories, an independent commercial laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Samples were prepared in Elko, Nevada, before being sent to ALS Geochemistry in Vancouver for analysis.

Heavy metals were analyzed using the ME-MS61 trace-element method, which applies a near-total four-acid digestion followed by ICP-MS and ICP-AES analysis. The method allows detection of elements such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead at trace concentrations.

Nevada Organic Phosphate also implemented a quality assurance and quality control program consistent with NI 43-101 reporting standards. The program included blanks, certified reference materials and duplicate controls. Blanks were inserted approximately every 11 samples, while BAM 826-1 certified reference material was included approximately every 22 samples. The company said these controls support the reliability and integrity of the reported assay results.

Product and Chemical Commodity Price Impact

The latest drill result is bullish for phosphate rock because the combination of 10.89% P2O5 mineralization and very low heavy-metal concentrations could improve Nevada Organic Phosphate’s prospects in the premium organic fertilizer segment. If additional drilling confirms consistent grades and clean chemistry, the project could support future phosphate supply and reduce reliance on higher-contaminant deposits. However, the immediate impact on phosphate rock prices should remain limited because the project is still in the exploration and development stage and does not yet add meaningful commercial supply. For Chemanalyst-tracked commodities, phosphate rock and potentially phosphoric acid/fertilizer prices could face longer-term downward pressure if substantial new production eventually enters the market.