Blackrock Silver Acquires Tonopah East Project Increasing Landholdings by 45% in Tonopah Mining District
Blackrock acquires 45% of the Tonopah land package, expanding its holdings in the Nevada silver project.
Blackrock Silver Corp. (via subsidiary Blackrock Gold) entered a purchase agreement to acquire the "Tonopah East" project from Nevada Select Royalty, Inc. The transaction covers 146 unpatented mineral claims spanning 12.1 square kilometres along the eastern margin of the Fraction caldera in west-central Nevada. Consideration consists of approximately US$48,344 in cash, payment of annual maintenance fees, and a 3.0% net smelter returns (NSR) royalty on future production.
The acquisition increases the company's total land package in the Tonopah Mining District by roughly 45%, bringing it to nearly 39 square kilometres. The new claims are located approximately five kilometres from the planned mill and process plant at Tonopah West. Closing is anticipated on or about September 30, 2026.
Blackrock Silver Corp. (BRC) has executed a strategic land assembly to consolidate its position along the structurally controlled eastern margin of the Fraction caldera, a known silver-gold mineralization trend. The acquisition carries a negligible financial cost relative to the company's treasury and market capitalization, with a 3.0% NSR royalty that is standard for early-stage claim acquisitions in Nevada.
This move follows a clear historical pattern of incremental land purchases and drill expansions aimed at de-risking the Tonopah West project ahead of the 2027 underground development decision. The news does not alter the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) economics, as Tonopah East is not yet included in the resource model or mine plan, serving instead as forward-looking exploration optionality rather than immediate production value. Given the low cash outlay and the expected nature of district-scale land consolidation, the market impact is incremental and aligns with routine development milestones.
Blackrock Silver Corp. (BRC) is a pre-revenue silver-gold developer focused on the 100%-owned Tonopah West project in Nevada. The project sits on the western margin of the historic Tonopah district, which has produced over 174 million ounces of silver and 1.8 million ounces of gold.
An updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) filed in May 2026 outlines an 11.2-year mine life with average annual production of 7.1 million silver-equivalent ounces. The PEA projects an after-tax NPV of US$437 million at a 5% discount rate and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 28%, based on conservative metal price assumptions.
The company is advancing permitting and hydrological studies, with an exploration decline, test mining, and bulk sample extraction targeted for the second half of 2027. A secondary early-stage asset, the Silver Cloud Project in Elko County, Nevada, sits adjacent to Hecla's Hollister mine and remains in the exploration phase.