White Cliff Minerals has announced metallurgical test results from its Danvers deposit in Nunavut, Canada, showing copper recoveries exceeding 95% and high-grade concentrates produced via conventional flotation without regrinding. These findings support a lower-cost, scalable processing route and coincide with ongoing exploration along the Teshierpi Fault Zone.
- Copper recoveries above 90%, peaking at 95.4%, across all tested composites
- Silver recoveries up to 93.3%, enhancing by-product credits
- High-grade concentrates (~40% Cu, 150 g/t Ag) achieved without regrinding
- Simplified flotation flowsheet reduces processing complexity and costs
- Concurrent drilling targets expansion along the Teshierpi Fault Zone
Metallurgical Testwork Highlights
White Cliff Minerals Limited (ASX: WCN; OTCQB: WCMLF) has released metallurgical testwork results from its Danvers deposit within the Rae Copper Project in Nunavut, Canada, demonstrating high recoveries of copper and silver using conventional flotation processing. The tests, conducted by Sepro Laboratories, achieved copper recoveries exceeding 90% across all composites, with a peak recovery of 95.4%. Silver recoveries reached up to 93.3%, supporting valuable by-product credits.
The flotation tests produced high-grade copper concentrates with final grades around 40% copper and 150 grams per tonne silver. Notably, saleable concentrate grades exceeding 28% copper were achieved early in the cleaner circuit, eliminating the need for a third cleaning stage. The simplified flowsheet requires no regrinding, which could reduce both capital and operating costs while supporting scalability.
Implications for Project Development
These metallurgical outcomes materially de-risk the development pathway at Danvers by confirming that premium concentrate grades and high recoveries can be attained through a straightforward flotation process. The absence of significant deleterious elements suggests the potential for a clean, smelter-friendly concentrate with favourable commercial terms. Managing Director Troy Whittaker highlighted that the dominance of high-grade chalcocite–bornite mineralisation enhances the project's credentials and its potential to deliver a high-value copper product.
Concurrent with these results, White Cliff has recommenced reverse circulation drilling at Danvers, focusing on the highly prospective Teshierpi Fault Zone. This exploration campaign aims to unlock additional chalcocite-dominant vein and breccia systems, which the company believes could materially expand the scale and quality of mineralisation at Danvers.
Context and Historical Resource
The Rae Copper Project hosts multiple high-grade copper occurrences, including a historic resource estimate at Danvers of 4.16 million tons grading 2.96% copper. However, this historic estimate, based on drilling from the 1960s, is not compliant with current JORC standards and requires further verification. White Cliff plans to undertake verification drilling and resource re-estimation to upgrade confidence in the deposit.
These metallurgical results complement the company's recent operational activities, including the restart of drilling at Rae Project to expand high-grade sedimentary copper mineralisation along key fault zones. The ongoing exploration and metallurgical advances position White Cliff to potentially enhance the project's value proposition, as detailed in their recent update on mobilising for a major copper expansion at Rae Project.
Technical Details and Methodology
The metallurgical testwork involved creating master and variability composites from reverse circulation drill samples representing fresh sulphide mineralisation dominated by chalcocite and bornite. Flotation tests were conducted at natural pH using a Denver D12 flotation machine with various reagent schemes. Cleaner flotation tests demonstrated that regrinding did not materially improve concentrate grade or recovery, supporting a simplified processing flowsheet.
Particle size analysis indicated a crushed sample p80 of 969 microns, with 26.6% of particles below 38 microns. The mineralogical profile, with a high proportion of sulphide-hosted copper and minor oxide content, is favourable for conventional flotation processing.
Environmental and Operational Considerations
White Cliff holds the necessary permits and agreements to conduct exploration and drilling activities, including a type B water license and Class A Land Use Permit in Nunavut. The company acknowledges environmental factors such as the arctic environment and permafrost, which will be considered in future studies. The low content of deleterious elements in the concentrate is expected to facilitate smelter acceptance and reduce potential penalties.
Bottom Line?
While these metallurgical results reduce processing risks and support a cost-effective development pathway, further drilling and resource validation are needed to confirm the deposit's scale and economic potential.
Questions in the middle?
- How will ongoing drilling along the Teshierpi Fault Zone influence the scale and grade of the Danvers deposit?
- What timelines does White Cliff Minerals anticipate for completing resource verification and updating the JORC-compliant resource estimate?
- How might the simplified flotation flowsheet impact the overall capital and operating costs in a full-scale processing plant?