Mr. Michael McPhie reports
FLORENCE COPPER PROJECT ADVANCES TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT
Curis Resources Ltd. is providing a formal update on activities at the
company's flagship advanced-stage Florence copper project in central
Arizona, United States.
"We are very pleased with our progress in advancing the Florence copper
project (FCP) with the goal of completing the feasibility study and
necessary amendments to permits to enable near-term production," said Michael McPhie, president and chief executive officer of Curis. "A number of significant milestones have been achieved over the past
several months. These have further affirmed the development plan and
timeline outlined by company management earlier this year and
supporting our confidence in the engineering viability of this world-class in situ copper recovery project."
In summary, these developments include:
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Advancing a project feasibility study with targeted completion in fourth quarter of
this year;
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Advancing the engineering and development work including preparing to
issue a request for proposal for an EPCM contract to design and build
Phase 1 of the Florence copper project;
-
Nearing completion of a drill program at the Florence project site that
indicates both the anticipated copper mineralization and geological
structure of the oxide copper zone;
-
Continuing to advance project permitting with Arizona State and Federal
agencies, on track for completion in late 2011/early 2012.
Mr.
McPhie continued: "As copper markets continue to strengthen, our company is one of the few
in the world with the opportunity and ability to advance a low-cost,
high-value copper project in the near term. We expect Curis to be able
to benefit from continued investor interest in pure copper play
companies."
Key milestones and updates for the Florence project are given below.
Feasibility study update
Numerous feasibility-level optimization and design studies for the
Florence copper project are now in advanced stages of engineering
review and are targeted for completion this fall. The studies are
being led by M3 Engineering of Tucson, Ariz., with support from a
number of prominent engineering firms and consultants with extensive
experience in SX/EW technology, hydrogeological engineering and in situ
extraction methodologies (see press release issued by Curis on April
12, 2011). These individual studies will be compiled into a
comprehensive feasibility study report scheduled for completion in fourth quarter 2011.
The focus of the current studies is to provide plus-15-per-cent capital and operating cost estimates based on the new trade-off
studies and updated project plans. These studies build on the
prefeasibility studies completed by Magma Copper Company (1994) and
BHP Copper (1997) and updated by SRK Consulting on Sept. 30, 2010,
with the issuance of "NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment for the
Florence Project." In support of the current design efforts,
particular attention has been focused on optimizing or otherwise
refining:
-
The general plant layout arrangement;
-
Project infrastructure;
- Plant logistical controls;
- Manpower;
-
Construction and operating materials requirements;
-
Acid and energy requirements (including sourcing);
-
Water balance;
- Water treatment;
- Metallurgical processes;
- Well and well field design;
-
Well field operation and controls;
-
Life-of-project copper extraction plans;
- Project schedules;
-
Operating and postclosure land use.
A geological drilling and testing program is also under way at site (see
below) and will provide input into an updated block model which will
support a revised life-of-project copper extraction plan.
Phase 1 -- engineering procurement and construction management contract
The first phase of the project is scheduled to be constructed at the
Florence site beginning in first quarter of 2012, following the receipt of amended
commercial operating permits currently under review by State and
Federal agencies. This would be considered as the project start-up
phase. It will consist of a 24-well copper extraction field
constructed to simulate full-scale operations. Copper-rich solutions
from recovery wells will be piped to a new solvent
extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) facility for copper recovery and the
plating of pure copper cathode. This phase will also allow the
opportunity to field verify several operating parameters and provide
supportive engineering data for inputs into final plant design and
development.
An engineering procurement and construction management (EPCM) bid
package for phase 1 is currently being prepared by Curis staff.
Several prominent Arizona firms that specialize in process engineering
and construction have been identified for inclusion on the bidders
list. Plant designs will include equipment, processes, control systems
and performance factors that will be trialled for acceptance and
inclusion in the design of the commercial plant. Contract award is
expected in August with primary construction to start in early 2012. A
mid-2012 start-up date for the SX/EW plant is forecasted.
Drill program
A six-hole, 8,0000-foot core drilling program was initiated at the Florence
copper project site in late April of this year and is currently in
progress. The program consists of three holes in the area of the proposed
phase 1 development program, two holes on Arizona State land under
mineral lease to Curis, and one hole in the area of the former BHP Copper
in situ recovery well field that was operated in 1997. The program is
expected to be completed by early August.
Results
The copper oxide zone which is the target for extraction by in situ
recovery methods at Florence as observed in the core from this drill
program is 400 to 800 feet in thickness and is characterized by
chrysocolla veins, chrysocolla and tenorite fracture coatings, and
copper clays replacing plagioclase grains in Precambrian quartz
monzonite host rock. The quartz monzonite was mineralized by Laramide
granodiorite porphyry dikes and intrusive bodies similar to those seen
elsewhere in southern Arizona copper porphyry deposits. The host and
intrusive rocks are highly fractured, and hence, suitable to the
in situ copper recovery method.
"The high frequency of prolific fracture patterns and densities observed
during the most recent drilling program further confirm that the
Florence copper oxide deposit represents the ideal conditions for
in situ recovery of copper. The porous nature of the deposit creates
significant hydraulic communication both laterally and vertically
across geologic structures and rock types throughout the oxide deposit," stated Dan Johnson, PE, Curis's manager of environment and technical
services at the Florence copper project.
The drilling program is in support of a feasibility study that is being
completed prior to initiating the first phase of development in early
2012. The core holes currently being drilled in the two alternate
sites are examining the potential ore blocks for geological continuity,
grade, fracture density, rock quality characteristics and other key
geological parameters. Results are being used for geological
characterization, predictive modelling and to provide details for Phase
1 construction bid preparations.
SRK Consulting (SRK) of Tucson, Ariz., is assisting Curis with the
geological and geotechnical logging and sample collection of the drill
core. Samples have been sent to Skyline Assayers & Laboratories in
Tucson for analysis. Visual inspection of the percentage of
chrysocolla mineralization in the drill core by SRK geologists
indicates the estimated grade ranges fall within the ranges noted by
previous operators. Assays are pending.
A single hole has been drilled in the 1997 BHP in situ well field to
analyze geochemical reactions and flow patterns that would have
occurred during the BHP production test.
The drill program was supervised by Robert Cluff, PGeo, Hunter
Dickinson Inc., who is a qualified person and has reviewed the drill
program section of this disclosure.
Project permitting update
State and federal operating permit amendments
Curis began discussions with key state and federal agencies regarding
the need to amend and update permits for the Florence copper project
back in April, 2010. In January, 2011, Curis submitted a comprehensive
application to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
to amend the existing Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) for the Florence
copper project. The submission of this application formally commenced
the amendment review process by ADEQ. In early March, 2011, ADEQ
acknowledged to Curis that it had completed the administrative
completeness review process of the permit documents, and was engaged
in the technical review process.
In March, 2011, Curis submitted a separate application to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to transfer, with amendments, the
BHP Copper's Florence Copper Inc. Underground Injection Control (UIC)
Class III permit to Curis Resources (Arizona) Inc. The submission of
this application formally commenced the amendment review process by
EPA. In May, 2011, EPA acknowledged to Curis that it had completed
its administrative completeness review process of the permit
documents and was engaged in the formal technical review process.
Both the APP and UIC permits were previously granted to BHP Copper for
the Florence copper project in 1997. These two permits are the primary
permits required for an in situ recovery operation and will allow Curis
to proceed toward the Phase 1 development program and ultimately full
commercial production. Curis has been interacting in parallel with
experienced technical individuals of both federal and state regulatory
agencies to address questions and supply all necessary information in a
timely review process to expedite the reissuance of these permits for
public review and comment in the fourth quarter of 2011. As a result
of the positive and respectful relationships that have been developed
between Curis and these two regulatory agencies, the final permits
remain on schedule to be reissued by late 2011/early 2012.
Town of Florence
In May of this year, Curis submitted an application to request a major
amendment to the town of Florence's general plan as well as to rezone
a portion of the company's property that is situated within the
boundaries of the town. The consideration of these applications is now
under way by Town of Florence staff.
Community affairs and outreach
Curis has an extensive community outreach program under way. This
program is being led by an experienced team of professionals employed
by Curis and supported by several well-known Arizona-based consulting
firms.
Curis is committed to full openness and transparency in all of its work
and to date has held five open houses, taken more than 350 people on
personalized site tours and given numerous presentations to community
organizations.
"The Florence copper project has been recognized as a tremendous
opportunity for local communities and the state of Arizona in terms of
near-term economic development and stable, high-paying head-of-household jobs," commented Mr. McPhie. "The project enjoys a strong majority of support within the local
community and region and, as a company and as a management team, we
fully appreciate the need to maintain an active dialogue with all
groups and are fully committed to openness and transparency in all of
our activities."
We seek Safe Harbor.
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