Arizona Sonoran Copper Co. has released an updated and expanded Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Cactus brownfield copper project, located 45 miles south of Phoenix, Ariz. The MRE is inclusive of a conversion drilling program that targeted the near surface material from the MainSpring property, part of the Parks/Salyer deposit, and step out and conversion drilling from the Cactus West and Cactus East deposits.
“Today’s updated mineral resource estimate reflects the work completed over the past year to upgrade the 2024 PEA to the PFS level. Today’s Cactus project update reported a significant conversion of Inferred mineral resources, resulting in a 51% increase of the copper resource estimate in the M&I classification to 550 million short tons of contained copper or 11.0 billion pounds in all Project deposits, of which 75% is leachable material and 25% is Primary Sulfide material,” said George Ogilvie, Arizona Sonoran president and CEO.
“Drilling successfully incorporated Parks/Salyer South’s near surface and lower grade material into to the broader Parks/Salyer deposit at the Indicated classification. This material was previously included into the 2024 PEA as an Inferred mineral resource,” Ogilvie continued. “With this latest mineral resource estimate update, Parks/Salyer M&I classified material forms 57% of the total Cactus project MRE with 514 million short tons at a grade of 0.49% Cu TSol, comprising almost 90% of total leachable tons. While the overall M&I grade at Parks/Salyer has decreased, the addition of shallow Indicated mineral resource estimates has continued to demonstrate the highly compelling nature of an open pit scenario.”
Ogilvie said that the miner will add these MREs to its pending pre-feasibility study, expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. A final investment decision can come as early as Q4 2026.