Surge Copper enters environmental assessment process in B.C.

Surge Copper Corp. [SURG-TSXV] said the Initial Project Description (IPD) for its 100%-owned Berg Copper project has been accepted by the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office and the Assessment Agency of Canada.

Berg is a large-scale copper-molybdenum-silver-gold development project located in central British Columbia.

The company submitted the IPD on September 9, 2026. It’s acceptance formally commences the Early Engagement phase of the provincial environmental assessment process and the planning phase of the impact assessment process.

Surge CEO Leif Nilsson said Berg is entering environmental assessment from a strong technical foundation following completion of the preliminary feasibility study (PFS) earlier this year, while substantial environmental baseline, engineering and engagement programs continue. “We look forward to working collaboratively with First Nations, local communities, regulators, and other participants as the project progresses through this next stage,’’ he said.

In a June 15, 2026, press release, the company said the PFS envisages a 28-year mine life with total production of 8.6 billion pounds of copper equivalent (CuEq), including 4.9 billion pounds (2.2 million tonnes) of copper, 602 million pounds of molybdenum, and 89 million ounces of silver.

Life of mine average annual production is estimated at 308 million pounds (140,000 tonnes) of copper equivalent, including 176 million pounds (80,000 tonnes) of copper, 21 million pounds of molybdenum and 3.0 million ounces of silver.

The initial capital cost is pegged at $4.7 billion, with sustaining capital of $1.7 billion. A selected development case is based on a 120,000-tonne-per-day concentrator and a new 230 Kv transmission line connecting the project to the BC Hydro grid and downhill overland conveyor to transport ore to the process plant.

The PFS outlines a simple, stand-along development case, based on a single-phase build conventional open pit mining, and processing with no reliance on phased expansion or third-party major infrastructure.

The study is based on maiden proven and probable mineral reserves of 1.2 billion tonnes, grading 0.22% copper, 0.026% molybdenum, 4.1 g/t silver, and 0.02 g/t gold, containing 5.8 billion pounds of copper, 687 million pounds of molybdenum, 160,000 ounces of silver and 0.8 million ounces of gold.

On Wednesday, Surge Copper shares rose 1.75% or $0.01 to 58 cents. The shares trade in a 52-week range of 92 cents and 17 cents.

The Berg deposit is a calc-alkaline copper-molybdenum porphyry system. The PFS confirms Berg as a significant emerging critical minerals development project, located 28 kilometres northwest of the company’s 100%-owned Ootsa gold-molybdenum-silver project.