Copper developer and near-term producer Arizona Sonoran Copper has entered into a one-year exclusivity period of metallurgical testing with Nuton, a Rio Tinto venture.
Arizona Sonoran said the exclusivity was triggered by successfully modeling the Cactus and Parks/Salyer ore samples and achieving the previously contemplated indicative metallurgical recoveries of at least 72% (copper recovery to cathode), under an investor rights agreement.
Nuton will continue to test the application of its copper heap-leach related technology to the primary sulphide component of the Cactus Mine and Parks/Salyer projects, which are located in Pinal County, Ariz., through column leaching and scoping out capital and operating costs and design parameters.