Canadian copper miner World Copper has raised the mineral resource estimates at its Escalones mine in the Chilean Metropolitan Region.
The company’s revised inferred projections now estimate copper reserves of 426mn mt at 0.367pc grading, of which 1.5mn mt will be used for heap leaching to provide copper oxide. The company has therefore redefined the scope of this project as a copper oxide mine instead of a sulfide flotation one which would also increase its value.
The company explained that it will be able to use more environmentally friendly extraction and refining processes, in addition to being able to produce copper cathode at the site, avoiding concentrate handling.
Nolan Peterson, chief executive officer at World Copper anticipated that its most recent surface samplings indicate greater reserves at other points of the Escalones development.