Kutcho Copper Provides Interim Metallurgical Update
VANCOUVER, March 14, 2019 - Kutcho Copper Corp. (TSXV: KC) (OTC: KCCFF) (“Kutcho Copper” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an update to its metallurgical program based on work led by Mr. Len Holland of Holland & Holland Consultants, UK, an internationally recognized metallurgical consultant and Ausenco Limited, a multinational engineering company. Results to date suggest a simplified reagent suite that could achieve similar recoveries and concentrate grades, but at lower capital and operating costs compared to the 2017 Kutcho Prefeasibility Study (Please see the Company’s website www.kutcho.ca for the 2017 NI 43-101 Technical Report or SEDAR www.SEDAR.com)
“The revised metallurgical program test results reveal potential for an important value addition to the Kutcho project,” said Vince Sorace, President and CEO of Kutcho Copper Corp. “The Kutcho team continues to identify opportunities to enhance the value of the project through previously reported resource increases, operational efficiencies through areas such as this enhanced metallurgical performance and progressing towards completion of the Feasibility study.”
Optimization Program
Kutcho’s team, led by Mr. Holland, identified an opportunity to improve on the historical metallurgical work conducted by previous owners of the Kutcho project. The Company has developed an improved reagent scheme based upon an optimized primary grind and standard zinc depressor reagents to obtain selectivity between the copper and zinc at a relatively high pH in the copper float. The flowsheet and reagent scheme presently developed is both simpler and lower operating cost when compared to previous proposed systems. In addition, lower levels of zinc reporting to the initial copper concentrate should assist in improving the overall zinc reporting to the zinc circuit.
Grind parameters are typical of those used for polymetallic deposits similar to Kutcho, with a primary grind anticipated at 60 microns. A regrind on the copper rougher concentrate will be required and is presently anticipated as +/-25 microns, while the zinc circuit does not require a regrind.
The 2017 Prefeasibility Study utilized life of mine average recoveries of 84.7% copper, 75.7% zinc, 48.0% silver and 41.2% gold, with the copper concentrate anticipated to grade 27.6% copper and the zinc concentrate anticipated to grade 55.1% zinc.
“The metallurgical test work is presently in the regrind and cleaner phase to optimize the separation of the value metals into their respective concentrates. Regrind and cleaner phase test work is anticipated to be complete within 2 weeks, with lock-cycle test work to be performed thereafter to establish the overall metallurgical parameters for the feasibility study. It is anticipated that the results of the present test work will be comparable to previous metallurgy, but with lower plant operating and capital costs,” commented Mr. Holland.
Mr. Holland is an experienced mineral processing engineer with considerable expertise in the recovery of metals from polymetallic ores spanning several decades on deposits around the world. Mr. Holland has more than 50 years of experience in world-wide operations and consulting, in association with, but not limited to, BP Minerals, Glencore, SNC Lavalin, and First Quantum. The metallurgical test work is being carried out in the Bureau Veritas laboratories in Richmond, BC, Canada, under the direction and supervision of the Kutcho metallurgical team.
Qualified Person
Leonard Holland, of Holland and Holland Consultants holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Extraction Metallurgy from the University of Wales, Swansea, United Kingdom, is a Fellow of the Institution of Materials Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Minerals Engineering Society and is a Chartered Engineer. Leonard Holland is an independent technical consultant with over 50 years of global experience in mine development and metallurgy. Mr. Holland is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43 -101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" of the Canadian Securities Administrators and has reviewed and approved this press release.
Rory Kutluoglu, B.Sc. P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information contained in this news release. Mr. Kutluoglu is the Company’s Vice President, Exploration & Development.
About Kutcho Copper Corp.
Kutcho Copper Corp. is a Canadian resource development company focused on expanding and developing the Kutcho high grade copper-zinc project in northern British Columbia. Committed to social responsibility and the highest environmental standards, the Company intends to progress the Kutcho Project through feasibility and permitting to a positive construction decision.
Vince Sorace
President & CEO, Kutcho Copper Corp.
For further information regarding Kutcho Copper Corp., please email info@kutcho.ca or visit our website at www.kutcho.ca.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “projects”, “potential”, “indicates”, “opportunity”, “possible” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will”, “would”, “may”, “could” or “should” occur. Although Kutcho Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop the Kutcho project or its other projects, to repay its debt and for general working capital purposes; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associates with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of copper and other metals, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the potential for new discoveries, the potential to convert inferred resources to indicated or measured resources, the potential to optimize the mine plan, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the Kutcho project and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company’s plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company’s operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation, dependence on key management personnel and general competition in the mining industry. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.