Excellent Copper and Silver Recoveries in Historical Metallurgical Testing at Hennes Bay

Key Takeaways

• Copper recoveries exceed 90% on both Dingelvik and Henneviken samples.
• Silver recoveries reach up to 85%, with concentrates around 400‑500 g/t.
• Concentrate grades meet typical smelter specs, low penalty element levels.
• Finer grind sizes improve copper recovery, indicating liberation sensitivity.
• Company will launch modern testwork and drilling to expand resource base.

Pulse Analysis

Copper and silver prices have surged amid supply constraints and the global push for renewable‑energy infrastructure, making high‑grade projects in stable jurisdictions especially attractive. Sweden’s well‑established mining framework and skilled workforce add a layer of political and operational certainty. Arctic Minerals’ Hennes Bay project, situated in the mineral‑rich Nordics, now benefits from historic metallurgical data that demonstrate the deposit’s amenability to standard sulphide flotation—a processing route familiar to most smelters worldwide.

The 1982‑83 testwork revealed copper recoveries of roughly 90% and silver recoveries up to 85%, with concentrate grades hovering around 30% copper and 400‑500 g/t silver. These figures align closely with modern smelter contracts, reducing the risk of penalty clauses that often erode project economics. Moreover, multi‑element assays showed only modest levels of arsenic, antimony, bismuth, lead and zinc, suggesting that the concentrates can be sold under typical custom‑smelter terms without significant discounting. The observed sensitivity to finer grind sizes underscores the importance of liberation, a factor that can be optimized in a contemporary plant design.

Arctic Minerals intends to validate these historic results with a new, larger‑scale metallurgical program and an accelerated drilling campaign to delineate the orebody more precisely. Successful modern testing would not only bolster the company’s resource estimate but also enhance its appeal to equity and debt investors seeking exposure to copper and silver supply chains. In a market where project de‑risking commands premium valuations, the Hennes Bay data provide a compelling narrative that could translate into higher market capitalization and strategic partnership opportunities.