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Arizona Sonoran Copper Achieves Average of 87% Extraction Rates of Soluble Copper in the Enriched Material
CASA GRANDE, Ariz. & TORONTO / Dec 10, 2024 / Business Wire / Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (TSX:ASCU | OTCQX:ASCUF) (“ASCU” or the “Company”) an emerging
About this update from Arizona Sonoran Copper Co., Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"CASA GRANDE, Ariz. & TORONTO / Dec 10, 2024 / Business Wire / Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (TSX:ASCU | OTCQX:ASCUF) (“ASCU” or the “Company”) an emerging US-based copper developer, announces results from 12 leach columns completed from its column leach metallurgical testing program at the Cactus Project, Arizona. An average soluble copper extraction rate of 87% over 180 days of leaching was achieved from 6 oxide and enriched composite columns from the Parks/Salyer deposit, inclusive of MainSpring. The other 6 columns represent the final Stockpile columns with an average soluble copper extraction rate of 86% over 100 days. These updated Parks/Salyer extraction results compare well to the soluble copper rates of 92% oxide and 85% enriched, in support of the single pad leach plan as outlined in the 2024 Preliminary Economic Assessment (“2024 PEA”) (see technical report filed on August 27). Following the recommendation from the 2024 PEA, ASCU has begun to implement the $3 million metallurgical program ahead of the H2 2025 Prefeasibility Study (“2025 PFS”), utilizing both Base Met and McClelland Labs. This next program focuses on upgrading the Parks/Salyer deposit metallurgical information. A total of 5 enriched columns, 2 enriched and oxide composites, and 4 primary sulphide (chalcopyrite) columns are planned, all related to conventional heap leaching, as per the 2024 PEA mine plan. Samples from Cactus, Parks/Salyer and the Stockpile were prepped and composited for the 2025 PFS metallurgical test program using both Base Met and McClelland laboratories, overseen by Steve Dixon, ASCU Chief Engineer with Laurie Tahija of M3 Engineering acting as qualified person. Steve Dixon, ASCU Chief Metallurgist commented, “Across the Parks/Salyer, Cactus West and Cactus East deposits, we benefit from similar mineralogies and no deleterious materials as evidenced from four years of metallurgical testing on the three deposits. Test work using standard best practice conditions is ongoing and will continue until we hand off testing to operations, assuming a positive construction decision post-Definitive Feasibility Study. To date, we are encouraged to see the first two columns from the new MainSpring property behaving similarly to Parks/Salyer, as expected. Overall, the Cactus Project oxide and enriched recoveries and leach times perform in...