Antipa Minerals (ASX:AZY) expects to release its Prefeasibility Study (PFS) for the Minyari Dome Gold-Copper Development Project in November, following completion of detailed option studies.
The company completed processing and mine scheduling studies to determine the optimal configuration for the 100%-owned project in Western Australia’s Paterson Province.
Five processing configurations and multiple mining sequences were assessed against project value, capital efficiency, operating performance, and payback.
The preferred pathway comprises carbon-in-leach (CIL) gold doré production, followed by flotation of CIL residue to produce a separate copper concentrate.
Managing Director Roger Mason says the studies allowed the company to “optimise Minyari before we locked in the development configuration”.
“We have had several credible processing pathways and mine development sequences available to us,” Mason notes.
“So the option studies ensured the proper assessment of how we can maximise value from the gold and copper resource, bring higher-grade material into the schedule earlier, reduce early waste movement, and optimise the timing of capital.”
The processing options ranged from gold doré-only production through to combined gold doré and copper concentrate. Alternatives included CIL only with no copper recovery, gravity and CIL, and a copper concentrator producing a concentrate containing gold.
Mine scheduling studies assessed earlier access to ‘higher-grade’ ore, reduced pre-production waste movement, and optimised capital deployment.
Optimisation includes the timing and integration of open-pit and underground mining and the sequencing of oxide, transitional, and sulphide material.
Antipa is now finalising detailed processing and mine schedules and economic model updates, which will determine operating and capital costs for the preferred configuration.
The Minyari Project hosts total mineral resources of 2.9 million ounces of gold, 91,000 tonnes of copper, 880,000 ounces of silver, and 13,000 tonnes of cobalt across a 4,500km2 tenement holding.
Antipa Minerals is an Australian explorer advancing a portfolio of gold, copper, and critical minerals assets.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Antipa Minerals
