Arizona-based copper producer Excelsior Mining has made its first copper cathode sale from its Gunnison Copper Project.
The first batch, consisting of 90,000lbs, was sold to Trafigura under a previously signed off-take agreement. The cathodes were of 99.998pc purity.
As per its feasibility study, Excelsior’s copper cathode purity is expected to reach 99.999pc (“five-nines” copper) and production from the mine for the full year 2021 is estimated at 25mn lbs (11,340mt).
Excelsior uses a solution to extract in-situ copper mineralization in Cochise County, Arizona. The company has been permitted to produce up to 125mn lbs of copper cathode per year. Production began on December 22, 2020.