Toronto-listed Taseko Mines is progressing steadily with the development of its Florence copper project in Arizona, reporting that the project has surpassed the halfway mark and remains on track for first production by the end of 2025.

Providing a construction update, Taseko stated that as of December 31, overall project completion stood at 56%. Construction activities are advancing on schedule, with nearly 450 000 project hours logged without any reportable injuries or environmental incidents. About 290 construction and support personnel are currently on site.

Key fourth-quarter milestones include the completion of process ponds and the surface water runoff pond, alongside the placement and welding of solvent extraction settler and launder modules.

Seventeen production wells were fully constructed during the quarter, bringing the total to 51 of the planned 90 wells.

The main pipe corridor from the wellfield to the process plant is nearly complete, and installation of high-density polyethylene piping is ongoing.

Field-erected process and service tanks are under construction, while mechanical and piping installations have progressed throughout the solvent extraction and electrowinning plant. The structural steel erection for the solvent extraction pipe rack is nearing completion, with piping installation under way, and electrical work has also commenced.

Further, the water treatment building has been erected, and preparations are in progress for the electrowinning building.

Taseko president and CEO Stuart McDonald noted that costs remained in line with guidance.

“We are now less than a year from anticipated first copper production and, in addition to construction activities, our site management team is focused on operational readiness, key vendor agreements and recruiting,” McDonald said.

He emphasised the significance of the project amid growing US copper demand and the need for secure supply chains for critical materials. Florence, the only greenfield copper mine under construction in the US, is poised to become the country’s third-largest copper cathode producer.