Capstone Mining - Operations

Capstone Mining is focused on generating strong cash flows in all price environments with our multi-asset portfolio of mines and projects. Our goal by 2021 is to deliver 20% copper production growth and 10% lower costs.

Pinto Valley

Flagship copper mine in Arizona, US providing long-life, unrivalled leverage to copper with multi-generational growth opportunities

Cozamin

Recession-proof copper-silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico with sustainable free cash flow and a growing copper and silver production profile

Santo Domingo

Top-quartile, fully-permitted copper-iron-gold project with cobalt opportunity in Region III, Chile

Exploration Excellence

Our exploration team has delivered net asset value creation through the drill bit. Major league results at multiple Capstone assets, both previously and currently owned, has proven the team’s exploration excellence. Success includes:

Since owning Cozamin mine in 2006, the team has three times significantly extended the mine’s life, each time the mine was considered a sunset operation. Each subsequent discovery has resulted in higher grades. Exploration success in 2019/2020 is currently targeting a ~10 year mine life (from ~4 years) at 50% expanded copper and silver output.
Between June 2005-2019 when Capstone owned Minto mine, the team more than tripled resource and reserves, as well as had nine separate discoveries on a property that was deemed well explored.

Innovation

Pinto Valley has successfully demonstrated positive economics by applying a novel patented catalytic technology to existing dump leach. The plan is to increase copper cathode production to 300-350 million pounds from residual and high-grade waste over the next two decades, generating strong cash flow from the mine’s underutilized SX-EW plant, which is currently operating at only 20% capacity.

Pinto Valley intends to significantly expand leaching activity, targeting approximately 280 to 300 million tonnes of historic leach stockpile and 175 to 185 million tonnes of high-grade waste already scheduled for removal over the remaining 19 years of mine life. Potential to increase the mill cut-off grade to bolster copper concentrate production, thereby increasing the tonnage of high-grade waste available for leaching, will be studied during H2 2020. An updated NI 43-101 Technical Report is expected in 2021.

Read the full news release or view the presentation.