Atico Produces 3.73 Million Pounds of Cu and 2,874 Ounces of Au in Second Quarter 2024
Atico Produces 3.73 Million Pounds of Cu and 2,874 Ounces of Au in Second
Quarter 2024
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 18, 2024 -- Atico Mining Corporation (the “Company” or “Atico”) (TSX.V: ATY | OTCQX:
ATCMF) announces its operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2024 from its El Roble mine. Production for the
quarter totaled 3.73 million pounds of copper and 2,874 ounces of gold in concentrates, an increase of 33% for copper and
25% for gold, respectively, over the same period in 2023.
“The El Roble mine continued to operate within set expectations for this quarter as we saw improvements in most metrics over
the previous quarter and especially over the same period last year” said Fernando E. Ganoza, CEO. “In the second half of the
year, we are anticipating a continuation of good production results as we gain further access to the newly discovered areas of
high-grade ore. In parallel, we will continue looking for opportunities to improve metal output to take advantage of the higher
metal price environment, as well as the continuation of the near mine exploration program aimed at replenishing resources and
extending the life of mine.”
Second Quarter Operational Highlights
• Production of 3.73 million pounds of copper contained in concentrates; an increase of 33% over Q2 2023.
• Production of 2,874 ounces of gold contained in concentrates; an increase of 25% over Q2 2023.
• Average processed tonnes per day of 852, an increase of 7% over Q2 2023.
• Copper head grade of 2.59%, an increase of 27% over Q2 2023.
• Gold head grade of 1.94 grams per tonne; an increase of 9% over Q2 2023.
• Copper and gold recovery of 92% and 65%; an increase of 1% for copper and 11% for gold, respectively, over Q2 2023.
Second Quarter Concentrate Shipment
The Company had scheduled one large concentrate shipment of around 9,100 dry metric tonnes for this period. Due to poor
weather conditions and shipping delays, the vessel had arrived considerably later than scheduled and as a result
approximately 60% of the planned tonnes of concentrate were loaded by the June 30 th cutoff date. The remaining 40% of the
planned second quarter shipment was loaded on the following two days. In accordance with our accounting policies, the
revenue derived from tonnes loaded after June 30 th will be recognized in the subsequent quarter along with the expected
revenue from the shipment planned for the third quarter.
Therefore, the second quarter financials will be impacted by lower recognized revenues from this concentrate shipment which
will then be offset by higher recognized revenue for the third quarter.
Second Quarter Operational Details
Q2 2024 Total Q2 2023 Total % Change
Production (Contained in Concentrates)
Copper (000s pounds) 3,728 2,804 33%
Gold (ounces) 2,874 2,294 25%
Mine
Tonnes of ore mined 70,826 72,340 -2%
Mill
Tonnes processed 71,079 68,471 4%
Tonnes processed per day 852 800 7%
Copper grade (%) 2.59 2.04 27%
Gold grade (g/t) 1.94 1.78 9%
Recoveries
Copper (%) 92.0 91.1 1%
Gold (%) 65.2 58.7 11%
Concentrates
Copper and Gold Concentrates (dmt) 9,200 6,784 36%
Payable copper produced (000s lbs) 3,505 2,639 44%
Note: Metal production figures are subject to adjustments based on final settlement. The reported results are preliminary in
nature and are awaiting independent lab verification.
Concentrate Inventory
The number of shipments the Company can export in any given quarter depends on several variables some of which the
Company does not control, hence there may be an inherent variability in tonnes shipped quarter to quarter.
Q2 2024 Total
Amounts in dry metric tonnes
Opening inventory 7,002
Production 9,200
Sales (5,603)
Adjustments 28
Number of shipments 1
Closing inventory 10,627
Note: Concentrate figures are subject to adjustments based on final settlement.
El Roble Mine
The El Roble mine is a high grade, underground copper and gold mine with nominal processing plant capacity of 1,000 tonnes
per day, located in the Department of Choco in Colombia. Its commercial product is a copper-gold concentrate.
Since obtaining control of the mine on November 22, 2013, Atico has upgraded the operation from a historical nominal
capacity of 400 tonnes per day.
El Roble’s reserves estimate, with an effective date of March 12, 2024, includes Proven and Probable mineral reserves of 828
thousand tonnes averaging 2.49% Cu, 2.20 g/t Au and a life of mine until Q1-2027. A full NI 43-101 technical report is available
on SEDAR+. For more information on the reserves estimate refer to SEDAR+ and on the Company’s website.
Mineralization is open at depth and along strike and the Company plans to further test the limits of the deposit. On the larger
land package, the Company has identified a prospective stratigraphic contact between volcanic rocks and black and grey
pelagic sediments and cherts that has been traced by Atico geologists for ten kilometers. This contact has been determined
to be an important control on VMS mineralization on which Atico has identified numerous target areas prospective for VMS
type mineralization occurrence, which is the focus of the current surface drill program at El Roble.
Qualified Person
Mr. Thomas Kelly (SME Registered Member 1696580), advisor to the Company and a qualified person under National
Instrument 43-101 standards, is responsible for ensuring that the technical information contained in this news release is an
accurate summary of the original reports and data provided to or developed by Atico.
About Atico Mining Corporation
Atico is a growth-oriented Company, focused on exploring, developing and mining copper and gold projects in Latin America.
The Company generates significant cash flow through the operation of the El Roble mine and is developing its high-grade La
Plata VMS project in Ecuador. The Company is also pursuing additional acquisition of advanced stage opportunities. For more
information, please visit www.aticomining.com .
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Fernando E. Ganoza
CEO
Atico Mining Corporation
Trading symbols: TSX.V: ATY | OTCQX: ATCMF
Investor Relations
Igor Dutina
Tel: +1.604.633.9022
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The securities
being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
‘‘U.S. Securities Act’’), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to, or for the
account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act) unless pursuant to an exemption
therefrom. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an
offer to buy any securities of the Company in any jurisdiction.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This announcement includes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation the use of net proceeds, are forward-
looking statements. Forward- looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and
assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company’s expectations include uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology,
continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs; the need to obtain additional
financing to maintain its interest in and/or explore and develop the Company’s mineral projects; uncertainty of meeting
anticipated program milestones for the Company’s mineral projects; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the
heading “Risk Factors” in the prospectus of the Company dated March 2, 2012 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory
authorities on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.com