04 Jun Proactive – Cobre tests display ideal conditions for in-situ copper recovery at Ngami
Hydrogeological tests demonstrate ideal conditions for in-situ copper recovery at the Ngami Copper Project of Cobre Ltd (ASX:CBE) in the Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana while new intersections highlight the potential for further high-grade mineralisation.
The test work program was designed to demonstrate the viability of an in-situ copper recovery (ISCR) process to extract copper-silver from the significant strike of mineralisation at Kalahari, which is estimated at 103-166 million tonnes at 0.38-0.46% copper.
Injection tests conducted on the production well demonstrate that the aquifer is suitable for injection and, therefore, potential ISCR operations.
Potential “game-changer”
Cobre says that with more than 500,000 tonnes of contained copper in this target, proof of the method presents “a game changer” for the district.
Given the success of the results to date, the injection test will be extended to operate at higher injection and pumping rates. These results will be used to develop a numerical model, calibrated to trial data, to simulate the hydraulic response to an ISCR operation.