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Jubilee concludes processing trials at copper projects in Zambia

Diversified metals producer with operations in South Africa and Zambia, Jubilee, has successfully concluded processing trials at its Roan Concentrator (Roan), demonstrating its technical capabilities for processing high-grade shallow transitional copper reefs normally regarded as waste or too complex.

Pursuant to the successful result of this trial, Jubilee has entered into a long-term feedstock supply agreement at Roan, with production commencing this week. This marks a critical step in advancing the company’s Zambian copper strategy and, together with the progress in its mining projects, provides the groundwork for a stable copper production profile moving forward.

Highlights

• Long term supply agreement reached for high-grade copper (Cu) run-of-mine (ROM) supply targeting a minimum grade of 1.4% Cu.
• Ability to treat shallow transitional ‘waste’ copper ores, achieving yields of copper of approximately 65%.
• The successful trial provides further confidence in Jubilee’s large waste project (estimated 260 Mt at surface) which contains vast quantities of similar transitional ‘waste’ copper ore.
• The trials confirm Roan’s capability to maintain a ROM feedstock run rate of between 35 000 to 40 000 t/month on the transitional reefs equating to 240 (at 35 000 t/month throughput and min Cu grade) to 360 t/month of Cu units (at 40 000 t/month and targeted Cu grade).

ALSO READ: Jubilee Metals boosts chrome, PGM production in Q3

Chief executive officer Leon Coetzer comments: “Our work in the recent months has involved continued progress in dedicating our existing processing capacity at Roan to the higher-grade mined material predominantly in the transitional zones, deemed as waste or too complex by many operators. This material contains significantly higher copper grades than the tailings held within Jubilee’s portfolio and is of particular interest against the appreciating copper prices. Our copper operational focus that prioritises the run of mine, historically mined and stockpiled materials closely resembles the business evolution of our South African chrome and PGM operations, where today our world class processing capacity is dedicated to run of mine and previously mined material, with tailings instead traded to other partners.”