Highland Copper identifies multiple optimisation opportunities at Copperwood ahead of updated feasibility
While TSX-V-listed Highland Copper Company undertakes an integrated mine plan review and optimisation works towards an updated feasibility study on the Copperwood project, in Michigan, the company is confident it will strengthen the project's economics and technical feasibility.
The company is evaluating lower cut-off grades to expand the mineable resources on site, a simplified process flowsheet for increased recoveries and bulk ore sorting technologies to potentially incorporate the Upper Copper Bearing Sequence resource.
The results of current optimisation work, including previous process plant redesign work, are expected to be incorporated into an updated feasibility study, which, in turn, will support project development planning and financing initiatives.
The lower cut-off grades are based on a long-term copper price of about $4.80/lb, with the potential to convert additional measured and indicated mineral resources into mineable reserves.
Highland explains the Upper Copper Bearing Sequence resource hosts 10.2-million tonnes grading 1.1% copper in the measured and indicated category, which, through ore sorting technologies being evaluated, can increase operational flexibility and expand the Copperwood project's economic resources base.
Meanwhile, updated geotechnical interpretations, combined with conventional room-and-pillar mining methods, may enable optimisation of mining heights and pillar dimensions while allowing dilution to be sourced from the mineralised hanging wall rather than the floor, Highland states.
The updated feasibility study is also expected to incorporate a simplified process flowsheet that is designed to reduce secondary milling requirements, lower energy and reagent costs, decrease plant footprint and, most importantly, increase copper recoveries to 87.6% - compared to 86% envisioned in the original 2023 feasibility study.
Highland plans to publish the updated feasibility study in the first quarter of 2027.
"Given the improvement in the long-term consensus copper prices since the 2023 study, the updated study will incorporate more resources and reserves, optimised mine and process initiatives and updated capital and operating cost estimates, reflecting significant advancement on the Copperwood project," Highland CEO Barry O'Shea says.
He adds that front-end engineering design is advancing toward 40% this year, which further readies Copperwood for project financing and technical due diligence activities.
