Queensland Copper Powerhouse, Austral Resources (ASX:AR1) to Unlock Additional Copper at Mt Kelly Using Patented Hydro-Jex® Technology

Austral Resources Australia Ltd (ASX:AR1), a company focused on building Australia’s next mid-tier copper powerhouse, delivering sustained value through disciplined consolidation, low-cost production and responsible growth across Queensland’s world-class copper belt, has identified an opportunity to unlock additional copper from its existing Mt Kelly heap leach stockpiles through the evaluation of patented Hydro-Jex® in-heap leaching technology.

The opportunity follows Austral’s 28 October 2024 Mt Kelly Heap Leach Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), which identified approximately 45kt of residual copper metal remaining within the Mt Kelly heap leach stockpiles (22.6Mt @ 0.20% Cu Inferred MRE containing 44.6kt Cu) The residual copper inventory provides potential for further recovery from material that is not accessible through conventional surface leaching methods.

Austral is evaluating the Hydro-Jex® system, a patented technology provided by JEX Tech Aus Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Nevada-based JEX Technologies Corporation. Hydro-Jex® is a proven in-heap leaching system with more than 20 years of global operating history, having demonstrated significant recovery uplift and accelerated leach kinetics across multiple international operations

Unlike conventional surface leaching methods, Hydro-Jex® is applied internally within heap structures. By injecting solution directly into the heap, the technology alters internal chemistry and enables access to copper inventory that has become trapped due to physical changes occurring within heaps over time. This approach has been shown to elevate total metal recovery by accessing zones that would otherwise require heap remining and restacking.

The potential application at Mt Kelly provides an opportunity to enhance copper recovery while minimising disturbance and capital intensity, as it may allow recovery of residual copper without physically dismantling and rebuilding the heaps.

Hydro-Jex® has been employed globally for over two decades and has significantly enhanced the leaching of copper and precious metals at various operations compared to conventional extraction methods

About Austral Resources Limited:

Austral Resources Australia Ltd is an Australia-based copper producer, developer and explorer located in the Mt Isa District of northwest Queensland. The Company’s projects include Anthill Project, Lady Annie Project, Cameron River Project, and Miranda Project. The Anthill Project area lies within the Lady Annie Project, and it is located 45 kilometers (km) from the Mt Kelly processing facility. The Lady Annie Project tenements are in the Western Fold Belt of the Mount Isa Inlier. The Cameron River Project tenements lie within the Eastern Fold Belt of the Mount Isa Inlier with the northern most tenement close to the boundary with the Central Kalkadoon-Leichardt Belt. The tenements are prospective for copper, gold and rare earths. The Miranda Project tenements lie predominantly within the Central Kalkadoon-Leichardt Belt of the Mount Isa Inlier, with one tenement (EPM 17646) occurring within the Mary Kathleen Group of the Easter Fold Belt. 

Jane Morgan 
Jane Morgan Management
Investor & Media Relations
jm@janemorganmanagement.com.au