TORONTO (By Orvana, 17.Sep.2026, Words: 527) — Orvana Minerals Corp.’s Bolivian subsidiary, Empresa Minera Paitití S.A. (EMIPA), has successfully produced its first copper cathodes from the processing of oxides stockpiled at its Don Mario site.
This follows the company’s news release dated 8 Sep. 2026 announcing EMIPA’s first gold-silver doré bar from the oxides processing operation (the “OSP“), and marks the second, of the OSP’s 2 metal recovery circuits, to reach operational production.
“The production of copper cathodes marks a second key milestone in the ramp-up of EMIPA’s oxides processing operations. This milestone, together with the doré production previously announced, demonstrates the full metallurgical scope of the expanded Don Mario Plant, recovering both copper cathodes and gold-silver doré from the same oxide ore,” said Juan Gavidia, CEO of Orvana.
“Management is now focused on improving mechanical reliability and operational stability across all processing circuits in order to support higher throughput rates. While initial weeks of the ramp-up have been slower than anticipated, plant performance continues to improve as EMIPA advances toward stable operations at its targeted average processing rate of approximately 1,700 tonnes per day” he added.
Oxides Stockpile Project (OSP)
The Don Mario operation, located in the Don Mario district in southeastern Bolivia, is owned and operated by EMIPA, Orvana’s Bolivian subsidiary. Mining and milling operations at Orvana’s Don Mario operations were temporarily suspended in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 following depletion of mineral reserves at that time.
The company is now completing the OSP to process oxide material that was stockpiled during previous years of mining at Don Mario. The project includes a large expansion for copper cathodes production enablement, and an upgrade of the ADR section of the legacy gold-silver circuit of the Don Mario processing plant.
The high-level flowsheet below illustrates the expanded Don Mario plant and the recovery routes for copper, gold and silver.
As illustrated above, oxide ore is crushed, ground and thickened before acid leaching. The resulting leach solution (PLS) flows to solvent extraction and electrowinning to produce copper cathodes, while the leached residue (cake) is alkalnized and processed through cyanide leaching, ADR circuit and electrowinning to produce gold-silver doré.
Next Operational Milestones
Having now demonstrated that each of the OSP’s 2 product circuits is capable of producing a finished metal product, EMIPA’s next immediate focus is on achieving stable and reliable mechanical performance across the expanded Don Mario processing plant to support higher processing rates. Following the initial production of doré and copper cathodes, which has substantially validated the plant’s metallurgical performance, management is prioritizing operational stabilization, throughput growth, and disciplined cost control.
Based on ramp-up performance to date and the estimated time required to achieve stable operating conditions, management currently expects fiscal 2026 production to be below the guidance provided in Aug. 2026. Accordingly, the company is withdrawing EMIPA’s fiscal 2026 production guidance.
Through the remainder of fiscal 2026, ramp-up activities will continue with the objective of progressively increasing throughput, improving overall plant performance, and advancing toward stable operating conditions. The company expects to provide a further operational update in mid-Oct. 2026.
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