Kutcho Copper updates project enhancements at Kutcho copper-zinc project, British Columbia

Kutcho Copper Corp. [TSXV: KC; OTCQX: KCCFF] provided positive updates on metallurgical and geological understanding and looks forward to the next steps planned for 2025 at its feasibility stage, high-grade copper-zinc development project located in north-western British Columbia. The Kutcho property is located approximately 120 km east of Dease Lake and consists of one mining lease and 46 mineral exploration claims covering an area of approximately 17,060 hectares.

Vince Sorace, President & CEO of Kutcho Copper stated: “Kutcho Copper finished 2024 with several fundamental accomplishments, and we anticipate that 2025 will be another year of progress for the company. We are uniquely positioned with a feasibility-stage, high-grade, low-cost copper-zinc development project located in a Tier 1 jurisdiction that has potential for significant exploration upside and continued engineering optimization. We will continue to explore and expand on opportunities for the Kutcho project on our path towards a construction decision.”

Since completion of the 2021 Feasibility Study (FS), Kutcho Copper has been attending to improvement recommendations and risk reduction studies documented in the FS. Kutcho Copper is pleased to report a number of additional milestones from its optimization program, including a simple oxide model was included in the 2021 Mineral Reserve; one of the recommendations was a detailed review of the extent and intensity of oxide mineralization. Oxidation of mineralization can lead to poorer recoveries of metals to concentrates and operational complexity. Understanding degree of oxidation and precise location of it, is important for project performance.

Since 2021, detailed logging of existing core photographs from the Main deposit was completed using a six-point scale for the degree of weathering. Results of this detailed logging indicate that the indurated massive sulphide mineralization at shallow depths has minimal weathering which is generally limited to oxidation along late faults and fractures.

In practical terms, it appears that the massive sulphide mineralization was protected from weathering due to its generally massive nature. Surface water infiltration, which causes weathering, preferentially travelled down through the rock along faults and planes in north dipping, fissile hanging wall schists parallel and above the sulphide horizon.

A cut through the weathering profile overlying sulphide mineralization of approximately 1 metre of moderately weathered material overlies weakly weathered zinc sulphide of the Main deposit, confirming the new detailed modelling, this is a significant reduction from the average oxide thickness of 20 metres predicted in the 2021 oxide model.

The Mineral Reserve currently includes 0.44 Mt of Probable category oxide ore. It is expected that a future statement of the Mineral Reserve will restate most of this material as sulphide ore.

Kutcho Copper, in partnership with PMC Laboratory (Maple Ridge, BC), continues to investigate optimizing the flotation flowsheet.

The optimized rougher flowsheet being evaluated uses conventional techniques to produce two distinct rougher copper concentrates. The optimization work has now clearly shown a “fast-floating” copper concentrate, that is low in entrained zinc, and a “slow-floating” component that is more complex. Several cleaner and regrind strategies are being evaluated in a methodical manner. Three major groups of cleaner strategies are evolving each of which are showing promise to lead to improvement in overall economic metallurgical performance.

A detail of this investigative work has also demonstrated that changing the pH control reagent from lime to soda ash eliminates the production of gypsum whilst maintaining projected copper and zinc recoveries.

We look forward to sharing more updates as we progress with the development of the cleaning circuit and move closer to realizing the full potential of our optimized flotation process.

Looking ahead into 2025, Kutcho Copper intends to showcase the Project’s upside potential through advancing both near-resource and greenfields exploration targets; evaluating and, if warranted, executing on a number of accretive and strategic opportunities; continuing to evaluate project opportunities identified in the Feasibility Study through detailed engineering and executing on, or incorporating, accretive opportunities and continuing to de-risk and advance the Project towards a production decision.

In addition, the company entered into a service agreement with Resource Stock Digest (RSD) of Round Rock, Texas. Under the terms of the agreement, among other things, RSD has agreed to provide certain promotional services to the company.

RSD has been engaged for up to an 18-month advertising and marketing program for a cash fee of US$10,000 every three months payable upon receipt of approval of the agreement by the Exchange.

Kutcho Copper is focused on expanding and developing the Kutcho Project, its feasibility stage, high-grade copper-zinc development project located in north-western British Columbia.