Tartana Minerals has finished stacking 50,000 tonnes of copper-rich pit fill and is finalising a key plant upgrade, setting the stage for copper sulphate production to resume within weeks.
- 50,000 tonnes of copper-mineralised pit fill restacked prioritising higher-grade zones
- New chiller circuit installation nearing completion to boost plant reliability
- Copper sulphate production restart targeted within three weeks
- First shipment to 100% offtaker Kanins International expected mid-May
- Pricing linked to LME copper price with current realised sales around A$4,500-5,000 per tonne
Heap Restack Targets Higher-Grade Copper Feed
Tartana Minerals (ASX:TAT) has wrapped up a significant restacking of approximately 50,000 tonnes of copper-mineralised pit fill onto its heap leach pad at the Tartana Mining Leases in Far North Queensland. The operation focused on extracting and stacking higher-grade copper zones in the eastern section of the pit, where preliminary pXRF readings suggest copper grades consistent with or exceeding the previously reported 0.22% average, peaking near 1% Cu.
This targeted approach not only boosts the copper content fed to the plant but also clears overburden, progressively unlocking access to the primary copper resource beneath the pit fill. The restack follows a late 2025 optimisation review and test work that identified these richer zones, a strategy that aligns with Tartana’s broader efforts to enhance production efficiency and resource utilisation.
Plant Upgrade to Improve Reliability and Throughput
Complementing the restack, Tartana is advancing a critical plant upgrade centred on fabricating and installing a new chiller circuit for the Solvent Extraction – Crystallisation plant. This component is vital to the crystallisation process of copper sulphate pentahydrate production. Fabrication is well progressed with installation expected imminently and commissioning slated within two weeks.
The upgrade, part of a $0.435 million infrastructure spend announced in early March, aims to enhance plant reliability and support a consistent throughput approaching the nameplate capacity of roughly 350 tonnes per month. This represents a notable increase from earlier production levels and reflects Tartana’s commitment to scaling its copper sulphate output amid favourable market conditions.
Copper Sulphate Production Restart and Offtake Security
With the heap restack complete and plant upgrade installation imminent, Tartana expects to restart copper sulphate production within three weeks. The first shipment is targeted for mid-May 2026, destined for Kanins International, the company’s 100% offtaker. Pricing for Tartana’s copper sulphate pentahydrate product is linked to the LME copper price, reflecting its 25% copper content plus a premium. At recent LME copper prices above US$13,000 per tonne, Tartana’s realised sale price remains in the A$4,500-5,000 per tonne range.
While the company is monitoring global supply chain risks, it currently holds sufficient stockpiles or supplier agreements for key inputs including diesel, V80, sulfuric acid, and LIX, mitigating near-term operational disruptions.
This production restart follows a recent $0.435M plant upgrade announcement, which outlined the initial phase of infrastructure improvements designed to increase capacity and reliability ahead of the current progress.
Bottom Line?
Tartana’s strategic heap restack and plant upgrade position the company to ramp copper sulphate production soon, but actual output and market conditions will be key to watch.
Questions in the middle?
- Will quantitative assay results confirm the preliminary pXRF copper grades from the restacked material?
- How smoothly will the new chiller circuit integrate into plant operations during commissioning?
- Could any emerging supply chain disruptions impact sustained production or input costs?