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Gunnison Copper (TSX: GCU)(OTC: GCUMF) SVP Robert Winton on Johnson Camp Mineral Processing Starting with First Copper Sales in September

 

Gerardo Del Real: This is Gerardo Del Real with Resource Stock Digest. Joining me today is the SVP of operations for Gunnison Copper (TSX: GCU)(OTC: GCUMF), Mr. Robert Winton. Robert, it is great to have you on. How are you today, sir?

Robert Winton: I'm doing quite well, Gerardo. Thanks for making some time for us this morning.

Gerardo Del Real: No, listen, your timing couldn't be any better. Copper is touching new all-time highs. I suspect copper continues higher. I suspect we have structural deficits that are going to take years to work through. And you just announced that mineral processing had started, with the first copper sales expected in September at the fully permitted Johnson Camp Mine in southeast Arizona here in the good old US of A. Congratulations, a milestone moment for the company.

Robert Winton: Yes, thank you very much. This is an incredible journey we've been on, a very heavy lift. We broke ground last July, so in one year we've been able to build out that leach pad, get that filled up with some ore, and as you noted on Friday, were able to get leaching commenced, and leaching commenced now means in a couple of weeks that solvent extraction, electrowinning plant can turn itself back on, and as you say, the road to copper production, made in America copper, has us producing and looking to sell that copper in September of this year. Again, incredible milestone, a great deal of effort from all employees at Johnson Camp, and a testament to the support that we've had at Gunnison Copper over the last year, and specifically in the last four months as we've really put our heads down and focused on delivering for our shareholders and for the organization.

Gerardo Del Real: For new eyes and new speculators that are looking for copper production here in the US with all-time high prices, walk me through what you see operationally the next six to 12 months could potentially look like if you execute the way you anticipate.

Robert Winton: Absolutely. So yeah, the first milestone, great milestone, but it's really just the beginning of the path, as you say, for that road for made in America copper. So over the next six months, we will finish constructing the Nuton process. So this is a new sulfide leaching process that our friends at Nuton, who's a 100% Rio Tinto organization, we are demonstrating their technology on this site at Johnson Camp. So our partnership, Gunnison and Nuton, is an incredibly important one, and over the next three months we will finish construction. We will commission all of their equipment and then get them leaching as well. So we'll be leaching a sulfide heap as well as an oxide heap on one pad, delivering copper from both of them, and then putting that into 100% pure cathode that's going to be sold into the American market.

And that will happen before the end of the year. So we'll be producing from both processes by the end of this year, and then it's just a ramp up. So over the next two or three months, once we get both sides operating and operating well, we'll ramp up to our name plate. So Johnson Camp, that's 25 million pound per year copper cathode production, and as you said, at record copper prices, that's some significant earnings that are going to flow into the Gunnison coffers.

Gerardo Del Real: No, look, again, I think your timing's phenomenal. I want to highlight something, and we touched a bit on it off air there, but you've managed to grow, it’s year 11 now with 11 year no lost time accident record at JCM, and that's with over 100 employees and contractors at site. I think that safety obviously, obviously is always top of mind in any mining operation. So kudos and congrats on that front.

Robert Winton: Thank you so much. Yeah, that is probably more important of a milestone than any production goals you can keep, because if you're able to send your employees and all of your contractors home at the end of the day in a state as good or better than they showed up to work in the morning, then you've really created a culture of something that is very special. Because again, those accidents, they really undermine the performance of the organization. They drag on the employees, they drag on the organization. So being able to create that culture where 11 years we haven't had a lost time accident is a testament to all those on our site, all the employees that are working hard and diligently every day.

And really the important thing is the mentoring and the supervision of all those new employees. When you onboard 100+ people in four or five months, being able to bring them on, get them incorporated into the culture, and ensuring they're living those values that you find incredibly important as an organization is, again, a milestone that, again, we look to just grow on that, but that is a significant and important attribute for the Gunnison Copper team.

Gerardo Del Real: No, listen, you just closed an $8.64 million private placement, a placement that it's worth noting was oversubscribed. I don't think that's a coincidence given the appetite for North American and specifically American copper, with talks of potential tariffs and geopolitical risk increasing around the world at a pretty accelerated pace. Again, timing is excellent. I suspect the second half of this year is going to be kind to you and shareholders, and let's do this again soon. I'm looking forward to more updates.

Robert Winton: Very much appreciated, Gerardo, and yes, very exciting times with Gunnison, and yeah, we look to circle back with you and keep sharing our wonderful story.

Gerardo Del Real: All right, absolute pleasure. Chat soon. Thank you again.

Robert Winton: Cheers. Thank you.

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