Phoenix Critical Metals Recovery Project (CMR)

Project Highlights:

• LOI signed (Nov 2021) with Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), governing the project .
• Two phase, 15 month, US$2.7M development program established as part of LOI.
• Phoenix Au/Cu Mine is the planned site for critical metals separation and recovery.
• High purity alumina (HPA) is the key product target for recovery and upgrade.
• SCY will lead marketing and sales program for HPA.
• The planned HPA circuit is covered by a US Patent application, filed by SCY.

Key Project Ownership Details.  The November 2021 Letter of Intent (LOI), specifically targets HPA as the primary pay metal from a recovery facility, on-site Phoenix Mine. 

• Project ownership is shared 50:50 between the parties, who then share development funding, to earn rights to share half of the project ownership.
• Mutual consent is required for construction.  On-site operations will be managed by Phoenix Mine staff, and product marketing will be managed by SCY.
• The Phoenix Mine currently produces a copper/gold concentrate, copper cathode and gold dore and is owned and operated by Nevada Gold Mines, a joint venture between Barrick Gold Corporation (61.5%) and Newmont Corporation (38.5%).

Process Plant Design.  The project will be designed to recover aluminum content from recirculating raffinate streams that currently leach oxide copper from Phoenix Mine ore stockpiles.  Portions of the solvent extraction (‘barren’) raffinate will be diverted from a return path to the heap leach system long enough to further recover aluminum, and then returned to the mine leach circuit.  Both ion-exchange (IX) and solvent extraction (SX) systems will be employed in the aluminum recovery system. 

Product Details.  The CMR project will upgrade aluminum recoveries to high purity grades, and will be capable of manufacturing several products as demanded by customers, including HPA, boehmite precursors, or other desired product forms at various purities.

Project Details.  Key project estimates and parameters for a relatively small-scale project include:

• Production:  2,500tpy HPA or equivalent.
• Estimated Capital Cost (100%):  US$70M
• Estimated EBITDA (100%):  US$42M
• The project is scalable (2X+) beyond this initial size, based on marketplace demand.

Additional Project Advantages.  The HPA flowsheet design is supported by a final patent application, filed with the US Patent Office in May 2021, specifically covering aluminum-containing solution feedstocks sourced from oxide copper projects, along with other feedstock sources.

Phoenix Mine can anticipate additional benefits from this project, including improved mine valuations, reserve life extensions, cleaner tailings, and potentially lower reclamation expenses.