Offshore stockpiles offer material company's feed-first strategy for Re-20X hydrometallurgical process in Quebec.

Coniagas Battery Metals Inc. has identified promising offshore stockpiles rich in copper and cobalt that could provide a source of feed for the evaluation and processing using the company's Re-2Ox, a proprietary closed-loop, zero-discharge hydrometallurgical process for the extraction of metals from mined material and black mass battery recycling material.

Extensive market intelligence-gathering provided Coniagas and its associated stakeholders with conclusions early on supporting the decision to access reliable and long-term feed contracts as the most pressing priority in building a critical metals supply chain.

This "feed first" strategy sets Coniagas apart from competitors, putting the company on the fast track to build more robust relationships with downstream partners in the battery manufacturing and high technology sectors, who are the end-users of these materials.

Securing quality feedstock for domestic operations is also a significant step toward establishing a full-scale production facility in Quebec, leveraging the province's robust infrastructure, accessibility to green power, and port access, enhancing the viability of processing these offshore ores locally and positioning Coniagas at the forefront of cornering a closed-loop domestic supply contributing to the long-term sustainability of the EV industry.

Congo offshore stockpiles

The company has currently identified six stockpile opportunities, with a total estimated tonnage of approximately 29.03 million metric tons of material with an average grade of 1.5% copper and 0.5% cobalt, according to Congo Tailings Company in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These stockpiles vary in size from 60,500 to 20 million metric tons.

However, without a technical report yet to support them, Coniagas cautions that these numbers are not considered current and can't be construed as a resource without further due diligence. The company has received a 25-kilogram sample from one of the stockpiles for assay purposes, with preliminary findings being released for copper and cobalt shortly.

The diverse grades and sizes of the six stockpiles will also help demonstrate the overall versatility and efficiency of the company's Re-2Ox hydrometallurgical approach.

Using an additional feedstock of recycled critical metals, Coniagas is poised to disrupt dependency on China by quickly addressing supply chain vulnerabilities and fostering a more sustainable, responsible and ethical North American EV battery supply chain that meets high environmental and labor standards.

"Our feed-first strategy is crucial in establishing Coniagas as a key player in refining and processing high-grade copper, nickel, and cobalt products," said Coniagas Battery Metals President and CEO Frank Basa. "This includes producing cobalt sulfate for the expanding domestic EV cell manufacturing market, a sector that is essential for reducing our dependence on Chinese imports."

Shoring up against change

With North America's hard-learned lessons against depending on too few sources, Coniagas has consequently arrayed its resources to be resilient in the face of price volatility and the potential for geopolitical tensions.

This strategy will dovetail with its efforts in Quebec, where the company's Graal high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt project is located. During the Graal deposit development timeline, feed from additional operations in the Congo can secure the strategic relationships needed to execute the company's long-term strategy.

"Our focus is on accelerating the technological readiness of the Re-2Ox process and demonstrating its capability on a larger scale. The identification of these stockpiles is a pivotal development, and we are determined to advance towards a full-scale production facility that meets the aggressive timelines of the industry," Basa concluded.