Antipa Minerals Confirms High Gold Recoveries and Enhanced Open Pit Design at Minyari Dome

Metallurgical Test-Work Validates Conventional Processing Route

Antipa Minerals (ASX:AZY) has delivered a reassuring technical boost for its Minyari Dome Gold-Copper Development Project with Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) metallurgical test-work confirming the deposit’s amenability to a conventional gold-copper processing pathway. The test-work demonstrated robust gold recoveries ranging from 89% to 98% across oxide, transitional, and primary ore types, aligning with or exceeding prior scoping study expectations. Rapid leach kinetics were observed, with effective gold extraction achieved within 24 to 36 hours depending on ore type, and reagent consumption remained low, particularly cyanide usage.

Significantly, the primary ore was confirmed as free milling and non-refractory, supporting a Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) process to produce gold doré. Beyond gold, flotation of the CIL residue yielded a commercial-grade copper concentrate grading approximately 22% copper, with arsenic levels below typical smelter penalty thresholds. This dual-product potential could enhance project economics by capturing copper credits alongside gold production.

Geotechnical Advances Enable Deeper, Steeper Open Pit Design

Parallel geotechnical investigations have revised the open pit slope design parameters for the transitional and primary mineralisation zones, supporting steeper overall slope angles than previously assumed. The updated parameters suggest an increase from 37° to 41.2° for transitional material and from 50° to 51.3° for primary material down to 250 metres depth, potentially allowing for deeper open pit mining. This shift could materially reduce the project’s strip ratio and lessen or even remove the need for underground mining in the development schedule.

Such a change in mining approach could simplify the mine plan and reduce upfront capital intensity, though economic assessments remain ongoing. The geotechnical work was conducted through 32 diamond drill holes totalling nearly 7,000 metres, providing a solid data foundation for mine design optimisation.

Integrated PFS Workstreams Progressing on Track

Antipa’s Managing Director Roger Mason emphasised that these metallurgical and geotechnical outcomes materially strengthen the project’s technical foundation. The company is integrating these results into mine planning, processing flowsheets, capital and operating cost models, and development schedules ahead of the PFS completion targeted for Q3 2026.

Meanwhile, Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) activities have commenced, focusing on detailed variability test-work and grade composites to refine processing assumptions. The project’s 100%-owned Minyari Dome currently hosts a 2.5 million ounce gold resource with significant copper, silver, and cobalt credits, situated in Western Australia’s prolific Paterson Province near major mines and development projects.

What This Means for Minyari’s Development Pathway

The confirmation of a conventional processing route with high gold recoveries and the potential for a commercial-grade copper concentrate product bodes well for Minyari’s economic prospects. Coupled with geotechnical parameters that support steeper pit walls and deeper open pit mining, Antipa could see a more streamlined development plan with reduced underground mining reliance, which often carries higher costs and risks.

These technical advances come amid ongoing resource growth efforts and exploration success in the region, positioning Minyari as a compelling standalone gold-copper project. However, the absence of declared Ore Reserves and pending economic modelling mean investors should await the final PFS and DFS outcomes for a clearer picture of capital requirements and project viability.