07:19 AM EDT, 10/20/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Arizona Sonoran Copper ( ASCUF ) said Monday that the pre-feasibility study (PFS) for its Cactus project in Arizona outlines a "long-life, economically viable copper conventional operation" using open pit mining and heap leach-SXEW processing to produce London Metal Exchange (LME) Grade A copper cathode onsite.

The PFS estimates initial mineral reserves of 513 million tons at a grade of 0.52% total copper in the proven and probable category for 5.3 billion pounds of contained copper.

Cactus is capable of plating an average of 103,000 tonnes of copper cathodes annually in the first 10 years of the mine, says chief executive George Ogilvie. The project has the potential to be shovel-ready toward the end of 2026 and the Arizona Copper expects to produce its first copper cathodes in the second half of 2029.

The company is now embarking on three key workstreams toward a final investment decision, including a definitive feasibility study, obtaining permit amendments and project financing.