Gunnison Copper Announces Johnson Camp Mineral Processing Has Started with First Copper Sales in September
Gunnison Copper (OTCQB: GCUMF) has announced the commencement of mineral processing at its Johnson Camp Mine (JCM) in southeast Arizona, with first copper sales anticipated in September 2025. The company achieved a significant milestone by initiating copper leaching on July 18, approximately one year after beginning leach pad construction.
Key operational updates include: completion of leach pad Phase-2 and Phase-3, construction of conveyors, finished overflow pond construction, and completion of pipelines from leach pads to the SX/EW plant. The company expects first copper cathode production from Run-of-mine (ROM) oxide using conventional leach technology in September, while first copper using Nuton technology is anticipated by year-end.
The project maintains an impressive 11-year no lost time accident record with over 100 employees and contractors on site.
Gunnison Copper (OTCQB: GCUMF) ha annunciato l'inizio della lavorazione mineraria presso la sua miniera Johnson Camp (JCM) nel sud-est dell'Arizona, con le prime vendite di rame previste per settembre 2025. L'azienda ha raggiunto un importante traguardo avviando il processo di lisciviazione del rame il 18 luglio, circa un anno dopo l'inizio della costruzione della piattaforma di lisciviazione.
Aggiornamenti operativi chiave includono: completamento delle fasi 2 e 3 della piattaforma di lisciviazione, costruzione di nastri trasportatori, completamento dello stagno di overflow e realizzazione delle condutture dalle piattaforme di lisciviazione all'impianto SX/EW. L'azienda prevede la prima produzione di catodi di rame da ossidi Run-of-mine (ROM) utilizzando la tecnologia di lisciviazione convenzionale a settembre, mentre il primo rame prodotto con la tecnologia Nuton è atteso entro fine anno.
Il progetto vanta un impressionante record di 11 anni senza incidenti con tempo perso con oltre 100 dipendenti e appaltatori presenti in loco.
Gunnison Copper (OTCQB: GCUMF) ha anunciado el inicio del procesamiento mineral en su mina Johnson Camp (JCM) en el sureste de Arizona, con las primeras ventas de cobre previstas para septiembre de 2025. La compañía alcanzó un hito significativo al iniciar la lixiviación de cobre el 18 de julio, aproximadamente un año después de comenzar la construcción de la plataforma de lixiviación.
Las actualizaciones operativas clave incluyen: finalización de las fases 2 y 3 de la plataforma de lixiviación, construcción de transportadores, finalización del estanque de desbordamiento y finalización de las tuberías desde las plataformas de lixiviación hasta la planta SX/EW. La compañía espera la primera producción de cátodos de cobre a partir de óxido Run-of-mine (ROM) utilizando tecnología de lixiviación convencional en septiembre, mientras que el primer cobre utilizando la tecnología Nuton se anticipa para fin de año.
El proyecto mantiene un impresionante récord de 11 años sin accidentes con tiempo perdido con más de 100 empleados y contratistas en el sitio.
Gunnison Copper (OTCQB: GCUMF)는 애리조나 남동부에 위치한 Johnson Camp Mine(JCM)에서 광물 가공을 시작했으며, 첫 구리 판매는 2025년 9월로 예상됩니다. 회사는 약 1년 전 침출 패드 건설 시작 후인 7월 18일 구리 침출을 시작하는 중요한 이정표를 달성했습니다.
주요 운영 업데이트로는 침출 패드 2단계 및 3단계 완료, 컨베이어 건설, 오버플로우 연못 완공, 침출 패드에서 SX/EW 공장까지의 파이프라인 완성이 포함됩니다. 회사는 9월에 기존 침출 기술을 사용해 Run-of-mine(ROM) 산화물에서 첫 구리 음극 생산을 기대하며, Nuton 기술을 이용한 첫 구리는 연말까지 예상됩니다.
이 프로젝트는 100명 이상의 직원과 계약자가 현장에 있는 상태에서 11년간 무재해 기록을 유지하고 있습니다.
Gunnison Copper (OTCQB: GCUMF) a annoncé le début du traitement minéral à sa mine Johnson Camp (JCM) dans le sud-est de l'Arizona, avec les premières ventes de cuivre prévues pour septembre 2025. La société a franchi une étape importante en lançant la lixiviation du cuivre le 18 juillet, environ un an après le début de la construction de la plateforme de lixiviation.
Les principales mises à jour opérationnelles comprennent : l'achèvement des phases 2 et 3 de la plateforme de lixiviation, la construction de convoyeurs, l'achèvement de l'étang de débordement et la finalisation des conduites des plateformes de lixiviation vers l'usine SX/EW. La société prévoit la première production de cathodes de cuivre à partir d'oxyde Run-of-mine (ROM) utilisant la technologie de lixiviation conventionnelle en septembre, tandis que le premier cuivre utilisant la technologie Nuton est attendu d'ici la fin de l'année.
Le projet détient un impressionnant record de 11 ans sans accident avec arrêt de travail avec plus de 100 employés et sous-traitants sur site.
Gunnison Copper (OTCQB: GCUMF) hat den Beginn der Mineralverarbeitung in seiner Johnson Camp Mine (JCM) im Südosten von Arizona bekannt gegeben, mit den ersten Kupferverkäufen, die für September 2025 erwartet werden. Das Unternehmen erreichte einen wichtigen Meilenstein, indem es am 18. Juli mit der Kupferlaugung begann, etwa ein Jahr nach Beginn des Baus der Laugungsanlage.
Wichtige betriebliche Updates umfassen: Abschluss der Phasen 2 und 3 der Laugungsanlage, Bau von Förderbändern, Fertigstellung des Überlaufteichs und Fertigstellung der Rohrleitungen von den Laugungsanlagen zur SX/EW-Anlage. Das Unternehmen erwartet im September die erste Kupferkathodenproduktion aus Run-of-mine (ROM) Oxid mit konventioneller Laugungstechnologie, während das erste Kupfer mit Nuton-Technologie bis zum Jahresende erwartet wird.
Das Projekt hält eine beeindruckende 11-jährige Unfallfreiheitsbilanz mit über 100 Mitarbeitern und Auftragnehmern vor Ort.
- Project remains on schedule for first copper production in September 2025
- Successful completion of multiple infrastructure components including Phase-2 and Phase-3 leach pads
- Strong safety record with 11 years of no lost time accidents
- Strategic timing with copper trading at all-time high prices
- Partnership with established firms including Nuton, M3, Rango, and Schmueser
- None.
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 22, 2025) - Gunnison Copper Corp. (TSX: GCU) (OTCQB: GCUMF) (FSE: 3XS0) ("Gunnison" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that mineral processing has started with first copper sales expected in September at the fully-permitted Johnson Camp Mine ("JCM"), in southeast Arizona.
"A major milestone for Gunnison Copper has been achieved, as we started leaching copper on July 18, about one year after starting to construct the leach pad," states Robert Winton, SVP Operations of Gunnison Copper. He continues, "Working with our partners, Nuton, M3, Rango, and Schmueser has been a pleasure and the results speak to the incredible dedication and perseverance of the entire team. We have managed to grow our 11 year no lost time accident record at JCM with over 100+ employees and contractors at site. We are just months away from producing finished copper in Arizona, when copper is trading at an all-time high price and when there is an increased need for Made in America solutions to our energy and national security."
Progress as of the Company's last update (see Gunnison news release dated June 9th) includes:
- Stacking and acid curing of mineralized material has commenced (Figure 1).
- Material continues to be stockpiled in advance of the completion of the leach pads (Figure 2).
- Leach pad Phase-2 is complete.
- Phase-3 leach pad is complete and conveyors constructed.
Since the Company's last update, the Company is pleased to report that JCM construction activities continue to progress as planned. The overflow pond construction has been completed ahead of first acid irrigation. The pipelines from the leach pads to the SX/EW plant are complete, and Phase-1 pad leaching has started, with first copper cathode from Run-of-mine (ROM) oxide production using conventional leach technology scheduled for September. First copper using Nuton technology is expected before the end of the year.
Figure 1 – Stacking mineralized material from the JCM pit in panels for leaching on the ROM pad.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2744/259568_5abace0f64a49900_002full.jpg
Figure 2 – Leach Pad Overhead View, 8 million square feet with dimensions of approximately 1220m by 640m. Phase-1 shows 4 panels of material that have started leaching and Phase 2 shows the crusher pad and Nuton process equipment area. Phase 3 in the upper right corner is the Nuton heap location with overliner being installed above the liner.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2744/259568_5abace0f64a49900_003full.jpg
Figure 3 – Drip line delivering acidified solution to copper rich material on the ROM pad.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2744/259568_5abace0f64a49900_009full.jpg
Figure 4 – Drip lines feeding acidified solution to leach copper from mineralized material on the ROM pad.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2744/259568_5abace0f64a49900_010full.jpg.
ABOUT GUNNISON COPPER
Gunnison Copper Corp. is a multi-asset pure-play copper developer and producer that controls the Cochise Mining District (the district), containing 12 known deposits within an 8 km economic radius, in the Southern Arizona Copper Belt.
Its flagship asset, the Gunnison Copper Project, has a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource containing over 831,6 million tons with a total copper grade of
The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that the conclusions reached in the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
In addition, Gunnison's Johnson Camp Asset, which is under construction with first copper production expected in Q3 2025, is fully funded by Nuton LLC, a Rio Tinto Venture, with a production capacity of up to 25 million lbs of finished copper cathode annually.
Other significant deposits controlled by Gunnison in the district, with potential to be economic satellite feeder deposits for Gunnison Project infrastructure, include Strong and Harris, South Star, and eight other deposits.
For additional information on the Gunnison Project, including the PEA and mineral resource estimate, please refer to the Company's technical report entitled "Gunnison Project NI 43-101 Technical Report Preliminary Economic Assessment" dated effective November 1, 2024 and available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Dr. Stephen Twyerould, Fellow of AUSIMM, President and CEO of the Company is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Dr. Twyerould has reviewed and is responsible for the technical information contained in this news release.
For more information on Gunnison, please visit our website at www.GunnisonCopper.com.
ABOUT NUTON
Nuton is an innovative venture that aims to help grow Rio Tinto's copper business. At the core of Nuton is a portfolio of proprietary copper leaching technologies and capability. Nuton has the potential to economically unlock copper from hard-to-leach ores, including primary sulfides and, in doing so, increase domestic production of critical minerals to support the energy transition. Nuton technologies can achieve market-leading recovery rates and boost copper production in new, ongoing and historical operations, increasing resource utilization and maximizing value.
With significantly lower energy and water needs than conventional concentrating and smelting, and the ability to produce copper cathode at the mine site, Nuton offers a reliable source of domestically produced copper, with a short mine-to-metal supply chain and the ambition to set industry-leading ESG credentials.
One of the key differentiators of Nuton is the ambition to produce the world's lightest environmental footprint copper while having at least one Positive Impact at each of its deployment sites, across its five pillars: water, energy, land, materials and society.
For more information, please visit https://nuton.tech.
For further information regarding this press release, please contact:
Gunnison Copper Corp.
Concord Place, Suite 300, 2999 North 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85018
Melissa Mackie
T: 647.533.4563
E: info@GunnisonCopper.com
www.GunnisonCopper.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" concerning anticipated developments and events that may occur in the future. Forward-looking information contained in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the intention to deploy the Nuton® technology at the Johnson Camp mine and future production therefrom; (ii) the continued funding of the stage 2 work program by Nuton; (iii) the details and expected results of the stage two work program; (iv) timelines for future production and production capacity from the Company's mineral projects; (v) timelines for continued construction at JCM; (vi) the results of the preliminary economic assessment on the Gunnison Project; and (vii) the exploration and development of the Company's mineral projects.
In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, Nuton will continue to fund the stage 2 work program, the availability of financing to continue as a going concern and implement the Company's operational plans, the estimation of mineral resources, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, copper and other metal prices, the timing and amount of future development expenditures, the estimation of initial and sustaining capital requirements, the estimation of labour and operating costs (including the price of acid), the availability of labour, material and acid supply, receipt of and compliance with necessary regulatory approvals and permits, the estimation of insurance coverage, and assumptions with respect to currency fluctuations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims, and other similar matters. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.
Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks related to the Company not obtaining adequate financing to continue operations, Nuton failing to continue to fund the stage 2 work program, the breach of debt covenants, risks inherent in the construction and operation of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined including the possibility that mining operations may not be sustained at the Gunnison Copper Project, risks related to the delay in approval of work plans, variations in mineral resources and reserves, grade or recovery rates, risks relating to the ability to access infrastructure, risks relating to changes in copper and other commodity prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of copper and related products, risks related to increased competition in the market for copper and related products, risks related to current global financial conditions, risks related to current global financial conditions on the Company's business, uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources, access and supply risks, risks related to the ability to access acid supply on commercially reasonable terms, reliance on key personnel, operational risks inherent in the conduct of mining activities, including the risk of accidents, labour disputes, increases in capital and operating costs and the risk of delays or increased costs that might be encountered during the construction or mining process, regulatory risks including the risk that permits may not be obtained in a timely fashion or at all, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks, risks related to disputes concerning property titles and interests, environmental risks and the additional risks identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's reports and filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/259568
FAQ
When will Gunnison Copper (GCUMF) begin copper sales at Johnson Camp Mine?
What is the current status of Johnson Camp Mine's leach pad construction?
How many employees does Gunnison Copper have at Johnson Camp Mine?
What technology is Gunnison Copper using for copper production at Johnson Camp?
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