Santa Cruz Copper Project

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

The Santa Cruz Copper Project includes a cluster of porphyry deposits buried under deep cover, part of the larger Arizona porphyry copper belt. Indicated mineral resources total 227 million tonnes grading 1.2% total copper with estimated copper production at 1.6 million tonnes over a 20-year mine life. The Initial Assessment base case assumes that onsite renewable energy infrastructure will generate 70% of the electric power required for the Santa Cruz Project to minimize CO2 equivalent emissions.

Scope of Services

LCG has been engaged to support the Santa Cruz Project in the following activities:

• Conduct materials characterization testing for overburden and bedrock waste, borrow materials, all ore types, and paste-cemented neutralized processing residues towards assessing long-term acid rock drainage (ARD) and metals leaching potential
• Identify unique water quality fingerprints associated with baseline overburden and mineralized bedrock, fractured wallrock in underground excavations, and paste backfill using unsupervised analysis methods
• Develop predictive water quality models associated with long-term operational and post-closure underground and surface water management
• Support the development of volume estimates of materials with various environmental characteristics for mine planning, using an array of unsupervised and supervised machine learning methods
• Assist Ivanhoe Electric with technical studies, engineering design, and long-term permitting support under the Arizona Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) program using Best Available Demonstrated Control Technology (BADCT)

Notable Accomplishments

The innovative data-driven methods developed by LCG are a step change improvement in mine materials and water management during the entire mine project life cycle, contributing to long-term CAPEX and OPEX reduction.

Ivanhoe Electric is being supported by LCG to meet all permitting objectives and deadlines, and LCG is collaborating with Ivanhoe Electric as they ensure proactive and transparent engagement with all project stakeholders.