Pebble Would Be A Copper/Gold/Moly MineEconomic mining cut-off grade will be predominately governed by copper and gold with moly consideration. Not rhenium or palladium since these minerals come with bulk mining tonnage. Re and Pd are by-product metals from copper/gold/moly mining and smelting. Economics will be based on copper/gold/moly as they are mineralogcally associated as mined. Lesser amounts of Re and Pd will report to the copper/gold and moly concentrates. The feasbility study will identify Re and Pd as by-product credits (smelted) and so priced in economic sensitivity analysis. Would be great if these metals can be economically recovered by smelting, but by no means does this change any fundamental.
Therefore, Pebble won’t be a rhenium or palladium mine. No mining grade, tonnage and total recoverable Re or Pd metal was identified in the submitted mine plan.
Not much to get excited about unless your a pump spinner.