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Element 29 - Advancing the Flagship Elida Copper-Moly Porphyry Project in Peru: Drilling Underway

The KE Report Sep 16, 2026 21:02

Summary

Element 29's Elida copper project in Peru holds a 322-million-tonne resource with an unusually low 0.74:1 strip ratio (waste rock per ore tonne).

CEO Richard Osmond argues low elevation, paved highways, grid power, and a short drive to ports de-risk Andean mining.

A fully funded 12,000-metre, three-rig campaign aims to double the pit-constrained resource ahead of an updated estimate and PEA (mine economics study).

About $47 million raised this year, anchored by Alpayana's 9.9% stake, funds drilling now and a preliminary economic assessment later.

Earlier-stage Flor de Cobre and Paka projects add southern Peru discovery upside, with environmental permits and community access advancing.

Key points on Wheaton Precious Metals

  • The host notes recent news that Randy Smallwood and George Brack, both from Wheaton Precious Metals, may join Element 29's board of directors at the next AGM.
  • Osmond adds that Randy Smallwood was the lead order on Element 29's last financing, with Ross Beatty investing alongside him.

Randy Smallwood's takeaways

  • Top takeaway Per recent news cited by the host, Randy Smallwood may join Element 29's board of directors at the next AGM.
  • Osmond says Smallwood was the lead order on Element 29's last financing, with Ross Beatty investing alongside him.

Cory Fleck's takeaways

  • Top takeaway Fleck argues copper's run is intact, noting a price oscillating between $6 and $7 per pound as of September 2026, and says the world is waking up to the need for copper.
  • He frames Element 29 as a more advanced copper exploration play in Peru and argues the company timed its build-out well, locking down projects years in advance.

Richard Osmond's takeaways

  • Top takeaway Osmond argues Elida can roughly double the resource inside the pit, targeting close to a billion tonnes of open-pittable and underground material, with an upgraded resource hoped for early next year (as of September 2026).
  • He says the company raised about $47 million in 2026 ($35.4 million in April plus a $12 million top-up in August), enough to fund close to 12,000 m of drilling this year with three rigs ramping up, a similar program next year, and eventually a PEA.
  • He argues the project's economics rest on a 0.74:1 strip ratio, less than a third of the 2.8-2.9:1 typical for open-pit copper, on a mostly inferred 322 Mt resource at about 0.32% copper (0.2% cutoff) with higher-grade shells of 143 Mt at 0.41% and 60 Mt at 0.5% copper.
  • He stresses location as a key advantage: about 1,600 m elevation, 75 km from the coast on paved roads, and grid and hydro power within 15 km, in contrast to Antamina's 4,200 m elevation with its pipeline and port.
  • His copper thesis is that most large, easy deposits are already found and many sit in difficult jurisdictions, so electrification will drive a supply crunch, which is why he left a senior geophysicist role at Anglo American to build a copper portfolio in Peru.