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1) Ivanhoe Electric said that it has seen visible copper in a drill hole at its Texaco Ridge target for the Santa Cruz copper project in Arizona. The hole is about 700 feet west of the closest historic drill hole that is located midway between Phoenix and Tucson. “The recent visual confirmation of additional oxide mineralization at Texaco Ridge is indicative of the upside potential of the area,” Ivanhoe Electric CEO Taylor Melvin said in a news release. Ivanhoe Electric has a trademarked Typhoon exploration technology which uses electromagnetic pulses to look for deposits. BMO Capital Markets said that the finding is a success for the technology adding that: “Adding soluble copper mineralization is a positive for the project, and we would expect further oxide mineralization is likely to be discovered in step-out drilling across the Santa Cruz property.” According to a December 2022 estimate, the project has an indicated resource of 226.7 million tons of copper at a 1.2% grade with an indicated soluble copper grade of 0.8% for 1.9 million tons contained soluble copper.
Source: Ivanhoe’s electro-pulse technology may expand Santa Cruz copper project in Arizona - MINING.COM
2) The Apache Native American group that is trying to stop an effort to build one of the United States largest underground copper mine, told the full federal appeals court panel that the project would prevent Apaches from exercising their religion by destroying land they consider sacred. Attorney Luke Goodrich, arguing for the group Apache Stronghold, that the mine will destroy the land, known as Oak Flat, “barring the Apaches from ever accessing it again and ending their core religious practices forever.” The area is dotted with ancient oak groves and traditional plants the Apaches consider essential to their religion. The US federal government plans for a land swap that will allow for the project to continue, however the Apache group is seeking to stop the swap, while the case plays out in court with a decision coming in the next few months. Resolution Copper, a joint venture from Rio Tinto and BHP, said that it is working with stakeholders, and noted that there is significant local support for the mine. The mine has the potential to supply the US with up to 25% of the demand, adding up to $1 billion a year to Arizona's economy, and creating thousands of local jobs, including hiring the Apache locals.
3) Barrick Gold, in partnership with the Tanzanian government, is pledging $30 million towards the expansion of education infrastructure in the country called the "The Barrick-Twiga Future Forward Education Program." The objective of the program is to build 1,090 classrooms, 1,640 ablution blocks, and 270 dormitories across 161 schools nationwide. “We believe that education is key to the development of the country. Both the Bulyanhulu and North Mara gold mines continue to support the education sector through the building of classrooms and the improvement of education infrastructure around the mines, which has seen some of them consistently feature among the top schools in these regions,” Mark Bristow, Barrick's CEO, said in a news release. Mr. Bristow also said that Barrick has invested more than $10 million in projects to improve healthcare, education, access to potable water and the road infrastructure through the Bulyanhulu and North Mara mine community development communities.