Cobre Ltd. (ASX: $CBE) has achieved a significant milestone in its Ngami Copper Project (NCP) located in Botswana's Kalahari Copper Belt. Along with the discovery of very high-grade copper, the company also checked the box for In-Situ copper recovery. Cobre completed the initial phase of a program testing the feasibility of an In-Situ Copper Recovery (ISCR) process. This method offers an environmentally friendly and potentially cost-effective way to extract copper and silver from the mineral deposit.

This test was a huge success for Cobre for two reasons:

1. Results say that the project has over 40 kilometers of drilled test copper-silver mineralisation with a consistent grade. The company has an exploration target exceeding 100 million tonnes at 0.5% copper.

2. The company is feasible for the In-situ process at the site.

But why is the In-situ process so important and how Cobre is going to benefit from it? And most importantly before that, what is the In-Situ process?

In-Situ Copper Mining

We can say that compared to the traditional mining methods, the In-Situ process is a new method. In-situ copper mining, also known as In-Situ Leaching (ISL), offers an alternative approach compared to traditional methods. It bypasses large-scale excavation by injecting a solution through wells that dissolve copper underground. This solution is then pumped back to the surface for processing. 

Now interesting thing is that this method has several advantages:

• Potentially lower costs: Requires less infrastructure and manpower compared to traditional mining.
  
  
• Reduced environmental impact: There's minimal land disturbance, dust generation, and noise pollution.
  
  
• Safer working conditions: Eliminates the need for workers to be present in deep mines or operate heavy machinery.
  
  
• Suitability for specific deposits: Can effectively extract copper from deep or fragmented ore bodies.

Beneficial for Cobre

Now you might have understood how Cobre is going to benefit from this process. The in-situ recovery process is important because it will require low OpEx, low CapEx and is environment friendly too. The CEO of the company in a recent interview said that with the in situ process, the company can produce a green copper cathode on site. Cobre in the site possesses a good amount of high-grade copper that neighbours at the site don't have, extracting it with an In-Situ process will be a major added benefit for Cobre.

This method for Cobre is the way for a future where copper extraction can be both commercially viable and environmentally conscious. As Cobre progresses with its pilot tests and feasibility studies, the industry will be closely watching the potential of this innovative approach to unlock the riches of the Ngami Copper Project sustainably.

Bottom Line

Cobre has hit the jackpot with the 40 km long high-grade copper that no competitor has found in their site in Kalahari Copper Belt and the In-Situ will work as an economic advantage for the company. Cobre's progress with ISCR also signifies a potential long-term strategic advantage in the copper mining industry. 

Sandfire, one of the competitors of Cobre went from discovery to resource to production in 4 years. This is around three times faster than the global average. The government supports this as well through infrastructure such as roads, and power; with their investment as a government. Yet, another advantage for Cobre. 

All of these developments and opportunities are exciting prospects for investors and this could be a great potential chance for an investor to be a part of a company which both has the resources and the right tools to become the next multi-billion dollar mining company in the Kalahari Copper Belt.