Infinity Mining Demonstrates Near-Perfect Copper Recovery from Historic NSW Tailings

Breakthrough in Unlocking Century-Old Copper Tailings

Infinity Mining (ASX:IMI) has reported a significant metallurgical breakthrough, extracting nearly 100% of copper from historical smelter waste stockpiles at its Cangai site in New South Wales. Using state-of-the-art technology developed by joint venture partner Orivium Global, laboratory tests conducted at the University of Sydney demonstrated rapid and efficient copper recovery from tailings that were inefficiently processed over a century ago.

The original Cangai mine operated between 1904 and 1916 using wood-fired smelting methods that lacked modern temperature control and chemical precision. This resulted in high-grade copper; up to 45% in some cases; remaining trapped in iron- and silica-rich slag dumps. Infinity and Orivium’s collaboration targets this overlooked resource, unlocking value from what was previously considered waste.

Rapid Extraction and Plant Development Plans

Tests led by Orivium’s Chief Technology Officer, Professor Andrew Harris, showed copper extraction rates of effectively 100% within days, a significant improvement over traditional timelines that span weeks. These laboratory-scale results carry an estimated error margin of ±3% and were achieved under controlled conditions, with further work needed to confirm scalability and economic feasibility.

Encouraged by these results, Infinity is advancing design and permitting for a processing plant capable of treating both the Cangai tailings and e-waste feedstock. The company is also exploring additional sources of feedstock to maximise plant utilisation. This follows the company’s recent expansion of its partnership with Orivium, which now includes processing of e-waste alongside ore recovery, aiming to tap into the $1.5 billion Australian e-waste recycling market.

Cautious Optimism Amid Pending Evaluations

While the metallurgical results are promising, Infinity cautions that the tests remain at laboratory scale. Further metallurgical testing, engineering studies, and economic evaluations are required to determine whether commercial extraction is technically and economically viable. The company also notes that samples tested may not fully represent the entire historical stockpile, introducing some uncertainty around resource consistency.

Infinity’s Executive Chairman, Cameron Petricevic, highlighted the potential upside given the company’s modest market capitalisation of $3.36 million as of 30 June 2026. He emphasised that the combination of high extraction efficiency and speed demonstrated by Orivium’s technology could unlock significant value from the Cangai site, subject to successful scale-up and commercialisation.

Next Steps in Resource Verification and Plant Development

Infinity and Orivium are continuing to verify resource estimates and supply additional samples for testing. They are also progressing scoping studies on plant design and optimisation, alongside discussions on site selection and permitting for construction. Testing for extraction of other base and precious metals from the stockpiles is also underway, potentially broadening the project’s economic scope.