QC Copper & Gold Inc., a Canadian mining exploration company, announced the acquisition of the remaining 50% ownership of the Roger Gold-Copper Project, located near Chibougamau, Quebec. This acquisition marks a significant step in QC Copper’s strategy to expand its footprint in Quebec’s rich mining landscape, particularly in the prolific Chibougamau mining district, known for its abundant mineral resources.
The Roger Gold Project is a key asset within the Chibougamau area, which has a long history of mining operations, producing gold, copper, and other valuable minerals. QC Copper’s acquisition from its partner, Pasofino Gold Limited, gives it full control over the property. This development enables QC Copper to spearhead future exploration and development initiatives, enhancing its overall asset base.
Roger Project is strategically located near the Opemiska Copper Complex, another key property in QC Copper’s portfolio. Together, these properties present the company with opportunities to advance both gold and copper production, while benefiting from the area’s established infrastructure.
The project has been the subject of extensive exploration over the past several decades, resulting in a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate. According to the latest resource estimate, the project, having a cutoff grade of 0.45g/tonne, contains:
- Indicated resources of approximately 10.9 million tonnes, grading 0.85 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.8 g/t copper and 0.06% of copper. This estimate equates to an indicated resource of roughly 333,000 ounces of gold-equivalent.
- Inferred resources of 6.569 million tonnes, grading 0.75 g/t gold, 1.18 g/t of silver and 0.11% of copper, translating to 202,000 ounces of gold-equivalent.
The Roger Gold Project is classified as a gold-copper porphyry deposit, meaning that its mineralization is contained within large volumes of rock, with a wide distribution of gold and copper. This type of deposit typically lends itself to bulk mining methods, such as open-pit mining, which is highly favorable due to its cost-effectiveness.
Historical exploration on the Roger Gold Project includes over 50,000 meters of diamond drilling, which has helped delineate the resource estimate. More recent exploration efforts have focused on expanding known mineralized zones and identifying new areas of interest that may host additional gold and copper mineralization.
In addition to past drilling campaigns, the site also benefits from an extensive metallurgical and environmental study, helping to streamline potential development. QC Copper’s technical team plans to update the project’s resource estimate further, leveraging modern geological and metallurgical methods to optimize its mining strategy.
The acquisition is a key milestone for QC Copper as it seeks to establish itself as a major player in Quebec’s mining sector. By securing full ownership of the Roger Project, QC Copper can better align its exploration and development activities with the nearby Opemiska Copper Complex. The synergy between these two projects creates the potential for a hub-and-spoke mining operation, whereby resources from multiple deposits can be processed using shared infrastructure, thereby improving cost efficiency.
QC Copper’s management has expressed a long-term vision for the Roger Gold Project, with plans for additional drilling to expand the current resource base. The company is also exploring the potential for economic prefeasibility studies and the assessment of open-pit mining scenarios, which could lead to production within the next several years.
Given the rising demand for copper and gold, fueled by global electrification trends and the investment appeal of gold as a safe-haven asset, the Roger Gold Project could play a pivotal role in QC Copper’s growth strategy. Its location in a well-established mining jurisdiction like Quebec, with access to skilled labor, infrastructure, and mining services, adds further value to the project.
QC Copper’s acquisition of 100% ownership of the Roger Gold Project is a significant step in its quest to expand its resource base and strengthen its position in the copper and gold markets. With a promising resource estimate and substantial exploration upside, the Roger Project could emerge as a key asset for the company, complementing its existing operations and paving the way for future production. The acquisition reinforces QC Copper’s commitment to building a diversified portfolio of high-quality mining projects in Canada, ensuring long-term value creation for its shareholders while contributing to Quebec’s historic mining industry.
The technical information contained in this article was reviewed and approved by Charles Beaudry, P.Geo and géo., Director and VP Exploration for QC Copper & Gold, a Qualified Person, as defined in “National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.”
