US Copper Corp Announces Results From Moonlight Drilling
US Copper Corp Announces Results From Moonlight Drilling
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 15, 2024) - US Copper Corp (TSXV: USCU) (OTCQB: USCUF) (FSE: C730) ("US Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the 15-hole shallow drill program last fall on its Moonlight deposit at the Moonlight-Superior Copper Project in North-East California.
安大略省多伦多--(Newsfile Corp.,2024年5月15日)-美国铜业公司(TSXV:USCU)(OTCQB:USCUF)(FSE:C730)(”美国铜“或者”公司“)很高兴地宣布去年秋天在加利福尼亚东北部月光-苏必利铜矿项目的月光矿床上进行的15孔浅层钻探计划的结果。
Highlights
亮点
- Mineralized drill hole intercepts were submitted for sequential copper assays, and acid soluble copper was identified in 14 of 15 holes, including one intercept of 205 feet ("ft") of 0.644% recoverable copper;
- Results confirmed a small oxide cap covers the large Moonlight sulfide deposit. This cap had been considered waste rock by previous operators;
- Soluble copper averaged 91% of total copper; and
- Acid soluble copper greater than 0.2% occurs over an area of 2,000 ft by 1500 ft to an average depth of greater than 150 ft.
- 已提交矿化钻孔截获以进行连续铜检测,并在 15 个钻孔中的 14 个孔中发现了酸溶性铜,其中包括一个 205 英尺的截距 (”英尺“) 含有 0.644% 的可回收铜;
- 结果证实,一个小氧化物盖覆盖了大型的月光硫化物矿床。以前的运营商曾将该上限视为废石;
- 可溶性铜平均占总铜的91%;以及
- 大于 0.2% 的酸溶性铜存在于 2,000 英尺 x 1500 英尺的区域内,平均深度大于 150 英尺。
These results are now being reviewed by an independent engineering firm to determine:
独立工程公司目前正在审查这些结果,以确定:
- Parameters for further metallurgical testing;
- A new resource calculation for the oxide mineralization at Moonlight; and
- The economic viability of an oxide mining operation combining both the Engels and Moonlight oxide caps.
- 进一步冶金测试的参数;
- 月光下氧化物矿化的新资源计算;以及
- 结合恩格斯和月光氧化帽的氧化物开采业务的经济可行性。
Management Commentary
管理层评论
"Results from our exploration drill program at Moonlight confirm a near-surface copper oxide cap sits above the larger copper sulfide deposit below. These types of copper oxide deposits are found in the major copper mining districts of the world and can typically be economically extracted, usually through low-impact surface mining, and processed at lower cost than copper sulfide ores. Furthermore, acid leaching of oxide copper produces high grade copper cathodes, with grade A cathode typically selling for a premium," commented Stephen Dunn, President and CEO of US Copper.
“我们在Moonlight的勘探钻探计划的结果证实,近地表氧化铜盖位于下方较大的硫化铜矿床上方。这些类型的氧化铜矿床存在于世界主要的铜矿开采区,通常可以通过低影响的地表开采来经济地开采,并且加工成本低于硫化铜矿石。此外,氧化铜的酸浸会产生高品位的阴极铜,而A级阴极通常以溢价出售,“美国铜业总裁兼首席执行官斯蒂芬·邓恩评论道。
"With the recent addition of copper to the U.S. critical minerals list, we look forward to conducting a preliminary economic assessment to evaluate the viability of a copper oxide mining operation at the past-producing Engels deposit, towards advancing a secure and responsible domestic supply of U.S. mined copper," concluded Mr. Dunn.
“随着最近铜被列入美国关键矿产清单,我们期待进行初步经济评估,以评估在过去生产的恩格斯矿床进行氧化铜开采业务的可行性,以促进美国开采铜的国内安全和负责任的供应,” 邓恩先生总结道。
Table 1: Summary of drill hole data
表 1:钻孔数据摘要
(* Total leachable copper is the total of the sulfuric acid recovery and the cyanide recovery)
(*可浸出铜总量是硫酸回收率和氰化物回收率的总和)
Background
背景
The Moonlight deposit is primarily a copper sulfide deposit hosted in the Lights Creek stock of Quartz Monzonite (QM) which had intruded Triassic - Jurassic metavolcanics. The resource consists of an earlier stage of mineralization with disseminated sulfide minerals in the QM and a later stage structurally controlled mineralization of tourmaline vein and breccia structures of multiple orientations that house sulfides. A small oxide cap, dominantly malachite with some chalcocite and native copper, covers the surface of the deposit. In the 1970s Placer-Amex had estimated a resource for the oxide cap at 12.2 million tons at 0.54% copper. This estimate is historical in nature though and cannot be relied on. With the recent drilling at Moonlight, a new resource estimate will now be calculated for the oxide cap to update the current moonlight resource.
月光矿床主要是硫化铜矿床,存放在 Lights Creek 的 Quartz Monzonite 种群中(QM)它侵入了三叠纪-侏罗纪变火山岩。该资源包括早期矿化阶段,在质量管理中使用浸染硫化物矿物,以及后期结构控制的多向电气石矿脉和容纳硫化物的角砾岩结构的结构控制矿化。沉积物表面覆盖着一个小氧化层,主要是孔雀石和天然铜,主要是孔雀石。在1970年代,Placer-Amex曾估计,氧化物上限的资源为1,220万吨,铜含量为0.54%。但是,这个估计本质上是历史性的,不可靠。随着最近在 Moonlight 的钻探,现在将计算出新的氧化物资源估算值,以更新当前的月光资源。
The Moonlight sulfide deposit hosts a current National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") indicated resource of approximately 252 million tons (154 million tonnes) averaging 0.25% copper and 0.07 oz/silver per ton, and an inferred resource of 109 million tons (62 million tonnes) averaging 0.24% copper and 0.08 oz/silver per ton, both above a US$6.25 net smelter return cut-off. Contained indicated resources are 1.272 billion pounds of copper and 18 million ounces of silver, and inferred resources of 534 million pounds of copper and 9 million ounces of silver. The Moonlight sulfide deposit remains open to the south and at depth. This resource estimate is contained in the NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Moonlight Deposit, Plumas County, California, by Tetra Tech, dated April 12, 2018, available on US Copper's website and on SEDAR.
月光硫化物矿床目前拥有美国国家仪器公司43-101(“NI 43-101”)的指示资源约为2.52亿吨(1.54亿吨),平均每吨铜和0.07盎司/银,推断资源为1.09亿吨(6,200万吨),平均每吨铜0.24%和0.08盎司/银,均高于6.25美元的冶炼厂净回报截止值。所含资源为12.72亿磅铜和1,800万盎司银,推断资源为5.34亿磅铜和900万盎司银。月光硫化物矿床仍然向南和深处开放。该资源估算包含在利乐科技于2018年4月12日发布的加利福尼亚州普拉马斯县月光矿床的NI 43-101技术报告和初步经济评估(“PEA”)中,可在美国铜业网站和SEDAR上查阅。
US Copper had this PEA prepared on its Moonlight deposit in 2018 and it demonstrated positive economics at $3.15 per pound copper. It was also determined that providing higher grade ore from our Superior and/or Engels deposits into the Moonlight mine plan would substantially enhance the Project's economics by potentially increasing cash flows in the initial years of production. The recently completed drill program at Superior in 2021 and at Engels and Moonlight in 2023 were designed to better define any higher grade ore at these deposits for potential starter pits for the Moonlight plant. Ultimately, the updated Engels and Superior resources will be incorporated into a revised Moonlight PEA.
美国铜业于2018年在其月光矿床上准备了该PEA,表现出积极的经济效益,每磅铜价为3.15美元。还确定,向月光矿计划提供来自我们的苏必利尔和/或恩格斯矿床的更高品位的矿石,有可能增加生产的最初几年的现金流,从而极大地提高该项目的经济性。最近于2021年在苏必利尔完成的钻探计划以及2023年在恩格斯和月光号完成的钻探计划旨在更好地定义这些矿床中任何更高品位的矿石,作为月光工厂潜在的起始矿坑。最终,更新后的恩格斯和上级资源将纳入修订后的《月光PEA》中。
Technical Information and Quality Control & Quality Assurance
技术信息、质量控制和质量保证
US Copper personnel regularly observe procedures including the boxing of core at the drill site. Core is then securely delivered to the core logging and storage facility in Crescent Mills CA (~10 miles from the drill sites). The core is logged, magnetically scanned, and photographed. Periodic samples are collected for specific gravity testing and petrographic analysis. The core is then sawn in half. One half is bagged with appropriate documentation and securely transported to the ALS lab in Reno, NV. To ensure that proper QAQC accompanies the analyses appropriate QAQC elements are included in each batch of samples. The QAQC elements consist of certified standards, duplicate analyses and certified coarse blanks or blank material that has been documented to be barren for gold and base metals.
美国铜业人员定期遵守包括钻井现场岩心装箱在内的程序。然后,岩心被安全地运送到加利福尼亚州克雷森特米尔斯的岩心测井和储存设施(距离钻探现场约10英里)。对内核进行记录、磁力扫描和拍照。定期收集样本用于比重测试和岩相分析。然后将核心锯成两半。一半装有适当的文件,然后安全地运送到内华达州里诺的ALS实验室。为了确保分析时有适当的质量质量控制指标,每批样本中都包含相应的质量质量控制元素。QAQC 元素包括经认证的标准、重复的分析以及经认证的粗糙毛坯或空白材料,这些材料已被记录为不存在黄金和贱金属。
Qualified Person
合格人员
The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by George Cole, M.Sc., Director of US Copper who is a "Qualified Person" as defined in NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. George Cole is a Registered Professional Geologist through AIPG (CPG-11687).
本新闻稿的科学和技术内容已经过美国铜业董事乔治·科尔的审查和批准,他是 NI 43-101 中定义的 “合格人士” 矿产项目披露标准。 乔治·科尔是通过AIPG(CPG-11687)注册的专业地质学家。
About US Copper Corp
关于美国铜业公司
US Copper controls approximately 13 square miles of patented and unpatented federal mining claims in the Light's Creek Copper District in Plumas County, NE California; essentially, the entire District. The District contains substantial copper (silver) sulfide and copper oxide resources in three deposits - Moonlight, Superior and Engels, as well as several partially tested and untested exploration targets.
美国铜业公司控制着加利福尼亚州东北部普拉马斯县莱特溪铜区约13平方英里的专利和未获专利的联邦采矿权益;本质上是整个地区。该地区在三个矿床——月光矿床、苏必利尔矿床和恩格斯矿床中含有大量的铜(银)硫化物和氧化铜资源,还有几个经过部分测试和未经测试的勘探目标。
The Superior and Engels Mines operated from about 1915-1930 producing over 161 million pounds of copper from over 4 million tons of rock containing 2.2% copper with silver and gold credits.
Superior and Engels Mines在大约1915-1930年期间运营,从超过400万吨的岩石中生产了超过1.61亿磅的铜,其中铜含量为2.2%,还有银和金积分。
The Moonlight Deposit was discovered and drilled by Placer Amex during the 1960's. Details of the resources on US Copper's property and the parameters used to calculate them can be found in the "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Moonlight Deposit, Moonlight-Superior Copper Project, California, USA" dated April 12, 2018, on both the company's website at or on under the US Copper Corp profile.
月光矿床是Placer Amex在20世纪60年代发现和钻探的。美国铜业财产资源及其计算参数的详细信息可以在2018年4月12日的 “美国加利福尼亚州月光-高级铜矿项目月光矿床的技术报告和初步经济评估” 中找到,该报告和美国铜业公司简介下方均有提供。
The Moonlight PEA, prepared by Tetra Tech Inc., had the following highlights:
由利乐科技公司编写的《月光经济周报》有以下亮点:
- After-tax NPV of US$179M at an 8% discount rate and a $3.15 copper price.
- After tax IRR of 14.6%
- Initial Capital Cost: US$513M, including a contingency provision in the amount of US$71M
- Plant Processing Rate: 60,000 tons per day (STPD)
- Average Copper Recovery: 86.0%
- Mine Life: 17 years, based on the existing Mineral Resource estimate
- Life of mine copper production of 1.5 billion pounds
- 税后净现值为1.79亿美元,折扣率为8%,铜价为3.15美元。
- 税后内部收益率为 14.6%
- 初始资本成本:5.13亿美元,包括7100万美元的应急准备金
- 工厂处理率:每天 60,000 吨(STPD)
- 平均铜回收率:86.0%
- 矿山寿命:17 年,根据现有的矿产资源估计
- 矿山铜产量寿命为 15 亿磅
The Superior deposit is not included in the Moonlight PEA and it hosts a current NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource of 57 million metric tonnes at an average copper grade of 0.41%. Note no silver or gold were included as part of this resource.
Superior矿床不包括在月光PEA中,目前NI 43-101推断的矿产资源为5,700万公吨,平均铜品位为0.41%。请注意,该资源中不包括白银或黄金。
Please note the PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Furthermore, there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Readers are encouraged to read the technical report.
请注意,PEA本质上是初步的,包括推断的矿产资源,这些矿产资源在地质学上被认为过于投机,无法将其归类为矿产储量,因此无法对其进行经济考虑。此外,不确定初步经济评估能否实现。非矿产储备的矿产资源没有显示出经济可行性。鼓励读者阅读技术报告。
For Further Information Contact:
Mr. Stephen Dunn, President, CEO and Director, US Copper Corp (416) 361-2827 or email info@uscoppercorp.com.
欲了解更多信息,请联系:
美国铜业公司总裁、首席执行官兼董事斯蒂芬·邓恩先生(416)361-2827或发送电子邮件至 info@uscoppercorp.com。
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
多伦多证券交易所风险投资交易所及其监管服务提供商(该术语在多伦多证券交易所风险投资交易所的政策中定义)均不对本新闻稿的充分性或准确性承担责任。
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "hopes", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned", "intends" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at . Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements.
本新闻稿包含适用的加拿大和美国证券法律法规所指的前瞻性陈述,包括有关公司未来活动的声明。前瞻性陈述反映了管理层当前的信念和期望,并使用包括 “将”、“希望”、“预期”、“预期”、“计划”、“计划”、“计划”、“打算” 和其他类似词语在内的词语来识别。实际结果可能存在显著差异。前瞻性陈述中表达的业绩的实现存在许多风险,包括公司向加拿大证券监管机构提交的管理层讨论和分析中描述的风险,这些风险可在以下网址查阅。提醒投资者不要过分依赖前瞻性陈述。