Surge Copper Evaluates Energy-Saving HPGR Technology for Berg Project
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Surge Copper Corp.
Tue, April 15, 2025 at 4:00 AM PDT 4 min read
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Vancouver, British Columbia, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) (OTCQB: SRGXF) (Frankfurt: G6D2) (“Surge” or the “Company”) is pleased to highlight results from an industrial energy efficiency study investigating the potential benefits of incorporating high-pressure grinding rolls (“HPGR”) into the comminution circuit at its Berg Project in central British Columbia. The study, conducted by Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC with input and support provided by BC Hydro, evaluates the energy efficiency impacts of an HPGR-based circuit compared to a traditional semi-autogenous grinding (“SAG”) and ball milling configuration. The study incorporates updated breakage test work data from the ongoing metallurgical test program conducted by ALS Metallurgy Kamloops (“ALS”).
Study Highlights
- Laboratory comminution tests confirm the amenability of Berg mineralized material to HPGR technology.
- The HPGR configuration has the potential to reduce grinding power requirements by approximately 25% compared to a comparable baseline SAG milling configuration.
- Overall annual energy consumption in the grinding circuit may be reduced by approximately 20% with the HPGR configuration.
Leif Nilsson, Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are pleased to see early indications that HPGR could be a viable option for improving energy efficiency at Berg. While many trade-off studies remain ahead of us, this data suggests that alternative milling configurations may provide additional strategic flexibility as the project advances. Power supply is often a primary bottleneck for large-scale milling operations at porphyry copper mines, so evaluating options that could reduce energy demand is an important aspect of our project planning.”
The study provides a conceptual-level assessment of the energy use and operating cost benefits of an HPGR circuit while recognizing the potential for offsetting capital costs relative to a traditional SAG milling configuration. The study does not directly consider additional factors such as environmental impact, carbon footprint, or regional energy supply dynamics over the life of the project. Given these additional considerations, further trade-off analysis is warranted as the Company progresses its technical studies toward a potential pre-feasibility assessment, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of project development options.
Additional Updates on the Berg Project
- The ALS metallurgical test program is progressing well and nearing completion, with results expected to be reported in a future update.
- Results from six additional core holes drilled during the 2024 program for downhole geotechnical analysis will be reported following completion of laboratory analysis and reporting, expected in the coming weeks.
- Planning and preparations for the 2025 field program are underway, with details to be provided once finalized.
Qualified Person
Dr. Shane Ebert P.Geo., is the Qualified Person for the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 41-101") and has approved the technical and scientific disclosure contained in this news release.
Mark Wheeler, P.Eng., VP of Projects at the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.
About Surge Copper Corp.
Surge Copper Corp. is a Canadian company that is advancing an emerging critical metals district in a well-developed region of British Columbia, Canada. The Company owns a large, contiguous mineral claim package that hosts multiple advanced porphyry deposits with pit-constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, gold, and silver – metals which are critical inputs to modern energy infrastructure and electrification technologies.
The Company owns a 100% interest in the Berg Project, for which it announced a maiden PEA in June 2023 outlining a large-scale, long-life project with a simple design and high outputs of critical minerals located in a safe jurisdiction near world-class infrastructure. The PEA highlights base case economics including an NPV8% of C$2.1 billion and an IRR of 20% based on long-term commodity prices of US$4.00/lb copper, US$15.00/lb molybdenum, US$23.00/oz silver, and US$1,800/oz gold. The Berg deposit contains pit-constrained 43-101 compliant resources of copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories.
The Company also owns a 100% interest in the Ootsa Property, an advanced-stage exploration project containing the Seel and Ox porphyry deposits located adjacent to the open pit Huckleberry Copper Mine, owned by Imperial Metals. The Ootsa Property contains pit-constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, gold, molybdenum, and silver in the Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
“Leif Nilsson”
Chief Executive Officer
For further information, please contact:
Riley Trimble, Corporate Communications & Development
Telephone: +1 604 639 3852
Email: info@surgecopper.com
Twitter: @SurgeCopper
LinkedIn: Surge Copper Corp
https://www.surgecopper.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This News Release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will", "may", "should", "expects", "plans", or "anticipates" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the commencement of drilling at the Berg Project and the timing thereof; the surface exploration work at the Berg Project and the timing thereof; the size and focus of the exploration drill program at the Berg deposit; the potential for program expansion based on initial results of the exploration drill program; the objectives of the drill hole design; the use of proceeds from the Top-Up Offering; and the Company’s plans regarding the Berg Project and the Ootsa Property. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks may include, among others, actual results of the Company's exploration activities being different than those expected by management, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals, the ability to obtain adequate financing to conduct its planned exploration programs, inability to procure labour, equipment, and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis, equipment breakdown, impacts of the current coronavirus pandemic, and bad weather. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggestions herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.
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