Chilean copper extraction technology company Ceibo says an agreement with Glencore to scale up testing of its sulphide-copper recovery process at Lomas Bayas “opens a significant commercial avenue” for the start-up.
Under a recently signed memorandum of understanding after two years of initial testing said to have validated Ceibo’s technology, Glencore will extend work on site at 100%-owned Lomas Bayas via its Lomas Lab test facility.
Lomas Bayas, 115km north-east of Antofagasta in Chile, is producing oxide copper and molybdenum through heap and dump leaching and SX-EW hydrometallurgy. At the end of 2023 Glencore reported measured and indicated sulphide copper resources of 539 million tonnes grading 0.33% copper, plus 159Mt at 0.35% of “mixed sulphides” (measured and indicated).
Ceibo says its leaching agents extract copper in all sulphides using existing leaching circuits.
Its process “more quickly and effectively catalyses the oxidation in the ore through electrochemical reactions, resulting in higher recovery rates in shorter operational cycles,” the company says.
“In recent industrial testing on over 20 chalcopyrite-rich ores the technology has recovered over 75% of copper, a significant increase compared to traditional leaching.
“Ceibo’s technologies can be used in many ways including increasing the output of existing operations, extending the life of a mine, and enabling new brownfield and greenfield projects.”
Lomas Bayas general manager Pablo Carvallo said the site would assess the feasibility of a project using Ceibo’s technology and make a decision in the third quarter of 2025. It could be deployed at other Glencore mines.
“Ceibo’s ability to produce copper from sulphide-rich ores brings a huge value for assets like Lomas Bayas to sustain production while transitioning from oxides to sulphides,” Carvallo said.
Ceibo CEO and co-founder Cristobal Undurraga said Lomas Lab results were expected by May next year.
Founded in 2021, Ceibo raised US$30 million last year via a B series private equity raising backed by BHP Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, CoTec Holdings, Audley Capital, Orion Industrial Ventures, Unearth Capital and Opalton (Pincus Green), Khosla Ventures and Aurus Ventures.
