Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (TSX:ASCU |
OTCQX:ASCUF) (“ASCU” or the “Company”) provides an update on
metallurgical programs and project management appointments.
Highlights:
- Metallurgy
- Installation of onsite metallurgical and sample preparation
lab
- Parks/Salyer and Cactus Metallurgical Testing Program
(FIGURE 1)
- Eight of the initial 12 constructed 20-foot (ft) (a combination
of 6 & 8 inch in diameter) columns are underway testing the
leachability of the Parks/Salyer and Cactus enriched (secondary
sulphide) and oxide ore types; the remaining 20-ft columns are
scheduled to be online later this month.
- An additional five columns will be constructed to a height of
20 and 30 ft (9 m) to test both oxide and enriched materials from
Parks/Salyer and Cactus
- Appointments:
- Greg Phillips as Project Process Superintendent
- Graeme Hendricks as Senior Mine Engineer
George Ogilvie, Arizona Sonoran Copper Company CEO
commented, “Our company has advanced the company over the past
year at a careful, yet rapid rate. After building out the resource
base to 1.6B lbs indicated and 4.9B lbs inferred from 1.6B lbs
indicated and 1.9B lbs inferred, our teams are now able to focus on
the next step of developing the asset for the feasibility level
studies. We are strengthening the project level team and enhancing
our metallurgical studies for the upcoming PFS at the end of
2023.”
Metallurgical Facility and Metallurgical Program The TruStone
Facility, formerly a block manufacturing plant, is now operating as
ASCU’s sample preparation lab and metallurgical facility. The
preparation lab allows the ASCU team to expedite the assaying
process at the third-party lab, Skyline Assayers and Laboratories,
by removing the crushing and preparation required at the receiving
lab.
The refurbishment conducted by ASCU included new flooring,
ventilation, and equipment installation, including a three-stage
crushing process. The three-stage crushing equipment is used to
enable pulps preparation for assays, while the first two stages
will allow preparation of pulps in addition to material used for
column testing. In addition, permanent water supply from our onsite
wells and power supply from Arizona Public Service (APS) is
scheduled for completion in early 2023.
The Company will be operating a 12-column testing program for
both Cactus, the Stockpile and Parks/Salyer at the Cactus Mine site
under the guidance and assistance of Dr. Martin Kuhn, ASCU’s
metallurgical Qualified Person, Minerals Advisory Group LLC
(Tucson, AZ) and HydroGeoSense, Inc.
The twelve columns are 20 ft in height to closely simulate an
entire bench on a heap leach pad. Currently, eight columns are
running, with the remaining four to be scheduled in the near
future. Each column consists of different rock types, mineralogy
and copper grades that are distinctively prepared (screened or
crushed and sometimes agglomerated), thus collecting critical
leaching information for both oxidized and enriched mineralized
material. Concurrent with the ASCU-led metallurgical testing
program, Rio Tinto’s Nuton Technology is running a similar program
on similar composites in order to ensure comprehensive metallurgy
data is available.
At Parks/Salyer, three metallurgical drill holes are now
complete. A series of Parks/Salyer metallurgical holes will be
applied to the 20 and 30 ft columns. Material will differentiate
between grade and preparation methods.
Appointments Greg Phillips joins the Company as Project Process
Superintendent and is a 40-year veteran with significant experience
in building, operating and maintaining SXEW plants. He was
responsible for the construction, start-up and operation of the
SXEW plant at Carlotta, 2007 – 2012, and most recently at building
Taseko’s Florence Project from the PFS level. Greg’s experience and
knowledge will be key as ASCU completes its own technical studies,
construction decision and pending a positive decision, into
commercial production in the ensuing years.
Graeme Hendricks joins the Company as Senior Mine Engineer on a
part-time basis. He was most recently Project Superintendent for
Thyssen at the New Afton Mine. Graeme also brings significant,
prior engineering experience, having been Chief Engineer at
Nyrstar’s Myra Falls operation, and Chief Engineer at Fire Creek
for Klondex Mines. Graeme also worked for Newmont, UG Carlin Portal
Mines, in charge of underground mine planning and sequencing. He
will join to review the Parks/Salyer internal model to determine
the underground potential of the project, with the added view of
also optimizing the Cactus East underground model.
Quality Assurance / Quality Control Drilling completed on the
project from 2020 onwards, was supervised by on-site ASCU personnel
who prepared core samples for assay and implemented a full QA/QC
program using blanks, standards, and duplicates to monitor
analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site
and shipped to Skyline Laboratories in Tucson AZ for analysis.
Skyline’s quality control system complies with global
certifications for Quality ISO9001:2008.
Technical aspects related to the drilling programs of this news
release have been reviewed and verified by Allan Schappert – CPG
#11758, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument
43-101– Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Metallurgical aspects of this news release have been reviewed
and verified by Dr. Martin Kuhn, who is a qualified person as
defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for
Mineral Projects.
Links from the Press Release FIGURE 1:
https://arizonasonoran.com/projects/cactus-mine-project/press-release-images/
Neither the TSX nor the regulating authority has approved or
disproved the information contained in this press release.
About Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (www.arizonasonoran.com |
www.cactusmine.com) ASCU’s objective is to become a mid-tier copper
producer with low operating costs, develop the Cactus Project that
could generate robust returns for investors, and provide a long
term sustainable and responsible operation for the community and
all stakeholders. The Company's principal asset is a 100% interest
in the Cactus Project (former ASARCO, Sacaton mine) which is
situated on private land in an infrastructure-rich area of Arizona.
Contiguous to the Cactus Project the Company is also exploring on
its 100% owned Park Salyer property that could allow for a phased
expansion of the Cactus Mine once it becomes a producing asset. The
Company is led by an executive management team and Board which have
a long-standing track record of successful project delivery in
North America complemented by global capital markets expertise.
Forward-Looking Statements Forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of
ASCU to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome
include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the
results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to
incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the
properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general
business, economic, competitive, political and social
uncertainties; results of exploration programs; accidents, labour
disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political
instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining
governmental approvals, projected cash operating costs, failure to
obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals.
Although ASCU has attempted to identify important factors that
could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially
from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be
other factors that cause actions, events, or results to differ from
those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking
statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news
release and ASCU disclaims any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or results or otherwise, except as required by
applicable securities laws.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221213005437/en/
Alison Dwoskin, Director, Investor Relations 647-233-4348
adwoskin@arizonasonoran.com
George Ogilvie, President, CEO and Director 416-723-0458
gogilvie@arizonasonoran.com
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