Ausenco Update for Conceptual Desk Top Study on Cañariaco Norte

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Candente Copper Corp. (TSX:DNT, BVL:DNT) ("Candente Copper”, “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Desk Top Conceptual Study (“Study”) that is being conducted by Ausenco is advancing well. The mandate of the study is to identify opportunities for Cañariaco Norte to be built as a smaller higher grade project with a lower initial capital expenditure (“CapEx”) and accelerated payback period.

In addition to seeking a higher copper grade for the starter pit, we are investigating other opportunities to lower the CapEx and operational expenditures (“OpEx”) and consider better environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices.  All of the Desk Top work considers the potential for expansion into a larger project over time.

“While the work has taken up more time than we initially anticipated, the opportunities already identified by Ausenco to improve the project are well worth the wait.” says Joanne Freeze, President and CEO. “A more comprehensive Desk Top Study will allow the Company to follow it with a preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”) on the best possible project and we are already seeing detailed optimizations that should make substantial improvements to the project”.

Work to date has focused on:

1. Geometallurgical modelling which identifies both a wider range of metal contents in the different rock types and a wider range of metal recoveries to concentrate from the various rock types.  Combining these two aspects allows the forecast of concentrate quality followed by production that offers more flexibility and the ability to plan mine scheduling to optimize project value.  
2. The identification of current markets for our unique copper concentrate which indicate higher potential revenues due to a decrease in treatment costs.

For more details about the Study, please see News Release No. 127 (dated February 25^th, 2021): https://www.candentecopper.com/news-releases/news-releases/2021/ausenc ....

Ausenco has a 30-year track record and is recognised as specialists in end-to-end solutions which are proven to lower capital and operating costs, reduce construction time and improve plant efficiencies. They perform consulting studies, project delivery, and asset operations to the international mining sector including high performance copper processing and infrastructure projects.   Project experience ranges from small conceptual studies for new developments through to the construction of large scale minerals processing facilities.