COPPER
Unleashed: Arc Minerals builds momentum with two high-potential assets By Nelendhre Moodley Against a backdrop of tightening copper supply and rising demand underpinned by global electrification, Arc Minerals is fast-tracking exploration programmes across prime ground in Botswana and Zambia. Can the junior miner unlock at least one Tier 1 copper deposit within the next few years?
M odern Mining recently chatted with Arc Minerals CEO, Rémy Welschinger, about the latest developments underway at its Virgo Project in the Kalahari Copper Belt, an emerging copper district and its Kabompo West project, located within the Western Domes region of north- western Zambia, an established copper-producing area with multiple Tier-1 deposits. Over the next two-to-three years, Arc Minerals’ focus is to discover and develop at least one Tier 1 copper resource, says Welschinger. “That means defining a resource of significant size and establishing its economic potential.” A Tier 1 deposit is a world-class mineral resource, featuring massive scale, long operating life (decades), low production costs in the bottom quartile of the industry curve, and robust economics that remain profitable across all commodity price cycles.
Since taking over as CEO in January, Welschinger has played a key role in accelerating the company’s project development. This has included a £3 million fundraise in April, the launch of a drilling campaign in Botswana and the resolution of legal issues surrounding its Zambian project, paving the way for Arc Minerals to resume activities in the country. “We have achieved three major milestones”, says Welschinger. First, we raised sufficient capital to fund a meaningful exploration programme over the next 12 to 18 months. Second, we resolved the longstanding legal issues in Zambia that had been delaying progress on those assets. Third, we have completed the geophysical work needed to move forward with confidence on our drilling campaign, which begins in the coming weeks.” He emphasises that for a junior exploration company, securing funding is fundamental—”not just raising money, but
16 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | OCTOBER 2026
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