Toronto-listed Arizona Sonoran Copper has strengthened its Cactus project’s position among the top copper development assets in the US with an updated mineral resource estimate.
The project, located south of Phoenix, Arizona, has total measured and indicated resources of 445 700 t at a grade of 0.58% for 5.17-billion pounds of copper and total inferred resources of 233 800 t at a grade of 0.472% for 2.21-billion tonnes of copper.
The resource estimate represents a 221% increase of measured and indicated resources, and a 9% decrease of grade, resulting in a 55% decrease of inferred resources.
“Our team has completed yet another key milestone in the process of reactivating the Cactus mine. Driven through textbook infill drilling programmes at Parks/Salyer and Cactus, our team readies an already significant copper asset in Arizona, USA for the next step in technical reporting,” said Arizona Sonoran’s George Ogilvie.
He pointed out that 3.6-billion pounds of copper were added and converted to the measured and indicated category for a new measured and indicated mineral resource of 5.2-billion pounds.
The leachable copper measured and indicated category now stands at 4.4-billion pounds of copper and will act as the foundation for the upcoming prefeasibility study (PFS).
The PFS, which will be published in the first quarter of 2024, is targeting a 45 000 t/y to 50 000 t/y copper cathode heap leach and solvent extraction and electrowinning operation.