Ann: Excellent Metallurgical Results - Greater Duchess Project, page-26

Hi hongkie, yep that's a very difficult question at this stage tbh, as plough mentions all the unknown variables and as you noted the lack of suitable direct comparisons – many of the examples that may end up being in the ballpark are also yet to have the economic numbers put out (i.e. Cayley Load, Mallee Bull etc).
I’m assuming that when you say ‘operating costs per pound for a processing plant’ that you are interested in a ballpark estimate of C1 or AISC? Or are you actually trying to separate the unknown mining related variables and just look at the opex of the potential processing stages post drill/blast/haul i.e. once ore enters the plant.
Either way as plough stated its too early to tell. Need to also keep in mind it way well end up being split into an initial open-pit MRE followed by a subsequent underground MRE, in which case you would likely end up with different opex numbers attached to both.
As a few examples (not comparisons in terms of grade, tonnage, deposit type etc)
- Rex Minerals Hillside stage 1 open-pit is forecasting AISC of US$ 1.44 per lb Cu
- Hillgrove Resources Stage 1 Kanmantoo underground (limited to 250m in depth) forecast of US$ 2.04 per lb Cu
- Aeris Resources Tritton operations september22 quarterly actuals AISC US$ 4.43 per lb Cu

part of the reason why the scoping study (and maiden MRE) is eagerly awaited.