Update on Acquisition of Klein Aub
Unicorn Mineral Resources Plc has provided an update on its proposed acquisition of a controlling stake in the Klein Aub copper mine in Namibia, now expecting completion by the end of June 2026 due to initial documentation delays. The company is advancing plans to utilize Draslovka's glycine leaching agent for the 5.5 million tonne tailings facility, which has an estimated grade of 0.26% Cu and 7.4g/t Ag, following positive assessments of a similar heap-leaching process in Zambia. Unicorn has also engaged with the Namibian Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, identifying potential opportunities in over 150 additional tailings facilities across the country.
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Unicorn Mineral Resources Plc, (LSE: UMR), is pleased to announce a further update on the proposed acquisition of a controlling stake in the Klein Aub copper mine in Namibia and its 5.6m tonnes of slimes and tailings.
A corporate reorganisation of the vendor's group in April delayed the initial weeks of the legal documentation drafting with the result that the process has taken longer than expected. The work is now well advanced with completion currently expected to occur by the end of June 2026.
In parallel with this activity, the Company has been working to identify the optimal extraction process utilising Draslovka's glycine leaching agent. The team visited a copper mine in Zambia to assess an enhanced heap-leaching process designed for the heap-leaching materials similar to those at Klein Aub. This system has been running successfully at the Zambian copper mine for the last two years with good results. This process has relatively low capital and operating expenditure requirements making it an effective solution for the 5.5m tonne tailings facility at Klein Aub, which has an estimated grade of 0.26% Cu and 7.4g/t Ag.
The Company has also been strengthening its relationships with the Namibian Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy ("MIME") following positive meetings during the field trip in April 2026. MIME has subsequently provided information on an additional 150+ tailings facilities that resulted from mining activity pre-Namibia's independence in 1990. These tailings facilities have left the country with a significant remediation challenge, which starts with the extraction of any remaining metals. This is where the Company's expertise and technologies that will be applied at Klein Aub can be of significant value and provide further opportunities for the Company in Namibia.
Commenting on the recent progress, Paddy Doherty, Chairman, said:
"The Company has used the extended documentation process to bring forward work that would have been necessary post completion and so, overall, little time has been lost. We are particularly pleased with the results of the Zambian site visit and we believe that we have the right technology partners to not only extract the value from the Klein Aub tailings but also, with support from the Namibian Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy, to tackle the enormous opportunities across the country."
Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.