Alligator Energy Invests into South Australian In-Situ Recovery Copper

Alligator will make an initial investment of A$0.9m for 7.8% of ECL, with the exclusive option to make further staged strategic investments to increase its ownership in ECL to 50.1%.

ECL is currently advancing ISR trials for environmentally sustainable copper extraction at its flagship Kapunda copper project and has similar plans at its Alford West copper project to help meet copper demand for the green energy transition.

BHP Ltd (previously OZ Minerals) continues to fund part of ECL’s field investigations, including a Site Environmental Lixiviant Trial (“SELT”) of Copper ISR at Kapunda (AIM/ASX: 9 August 2022).

ISR has been successfully (and economically) used to extract copper in several projects both in Australia and the US. It offers distinct economic advantages and environmental benefits over conventional open pit/crush/heap leach for shallow oxide copper projects.

ECL’s experienced ISR team has undertaken significant research and exploration funded under aCommonwealth Govt CRC-P grant of A$2.8m, for R&D and approvals for test work into ISR of shallow fractured rock aquifer hosted oxide copper deposits.

A technical advisory committee will be formed, enabling Alligator to assist ECL with its planned In-Situ trial work across all projects and an ability to jointly apply any intellectual property (“IP”) that is developed.

The South Australian Government’s copper strategy of targeting 1Mtpa of copper production per annum provides a positive backdrop to the potential of ISR copper test work.

Following the initial investment by Alligator of A$0.9m, and also taking into account the dilution deriving from the announcement also made this morning of the agreement by ECL with Andromeda Metals Ltd, Thor’s 30% holding in ECL will be diluted to 26.5%.