Trilogy Metals has received positive results from the feasibility study (FS) for its US Arctic project that covers, copper, zinc, lead, and other metals in the Ambler mining region within Northwestern Alaska.
The full development is owned by Ambler Metals the company operating as a 50:50 joint venture between Trilogy and South32.
The study has defined the mechanical and economic feasibility of creating a standard open pit mining and mill center involving copper, zinc, lead, and other metals, for a 10,000mt per day process over a 12-year minimum mine life.
According to the FS, the annual ore production will average over 155mn lb (70,306mt) of copper, 192mn lb of zinc, and 32mn lb of lead. The overall output over the 12-year lifecycle of the mine is expected to reach 1.9bn lb for copper, 2.3bn lb for zinc, and 388mn lb for lead.
The study encompassed an open-pit mine with customary milling and flotation methods that produce copper, zinc, and lead concentrates. Based on the viability of metallurgical work on its sulfide mineralization process, the recoveries are projected to average around 89.9pc for copper, 90.6pc for zinc, and 79pc for lead, all per corresponding concentrates.
The complete capital spend is assessed at $1,020mn and includes a preliminary expense of $906mn and supporting capital of $114mn. Moreover, closure and reclamation costs are appraised at $205mn.
The study also offers an advantageous capital intensity ratio on the opening capital of roughly $6,400/mt of average copper equivalent that is produced yearly, assessed on initial capital of 2.4 years and 2.6 years, correspondingly.