Metallic Minerals Reports Successful Electrochemical Recovery of 99.9% Pure Copper Metal from La Plata Sulphide Mineralization

The most recent news (February 26, 2026) announces successful laboratory-scale results from a research collaboration with Columbia University. The study achieved a 99.9% pure copper metal recovery from sulphide mineralization at the La Plata project in Colorado. Key technical milestones include: - 70% of copper solubilized within four hours at ambient temperature. - Elimination of traditional, high-cost stages such as flotation, roasting, or pressure oxidation. - A closed-loop system where leaching reagents are regenerated in situ. - Direct production of high-purity copper metal rather than a concentrate.

This news is Material - Positive. While it is currently at the "proof-of-concept" laboratory scale, it addresses the primary economic hurdle for many porphyry deposits: the high capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) associated with traditional smelting and refining. - Strategic Value: Producing 99.9% pure copper on-site would allow the company to bypass third-party smelters, retain more value-added profit, and appeal to U.S. domestic "critical mineral" supply chain initiatives. - Resource Validation: This follows the January 26, 2026, news of a 23% increase in the La Plata Inferred Resource (now 1.3 billion lbs Cu and 17 Moz Ag). The ability to process this resource efficiently significantly enhances the project's Net Present Value (NPV). - Timing: The results arrived exactly when management predicted (Q1 2026), demonstrating execution consistency.

Metallic Minerals is a dual-asset explorer focused on: - La Plata (Colorado): A large-scale copper-silver-PGE porphyry system. It hosts an Inferred Resource of 181.4 Mt at 0.36% CuEq. - Keno Silver (Yukon): Adjacent to Hecla Mining, hosting 18.2 Moz AgEq. - Alluvial Royalties: A portfolio of gold royalties in the Klondike providing non-dilutive cash flow.