Solaris Resources at Mining Forum Americas 2026: warintza advances
On September 28, 2026, Solaris Resources (SLS) utilized Mining Forum Americas 2026 to promote its Warintza copper project in Ecuador. The mining company highlighted the project's major long-life asset status, strong economics, and untapped growth potential. Management detailed several de-risking steps already accomplished, but also emphasized that additional work remains on permitting, consultation, and financing before a final investment decision.
Solaris shared that Warintza boasts a 55-year-plus mine life, with an annual production capacity of 242,000 tonnes of copper equivalent. The company's pre-feasibility study revealed a $4.6 billion net present value and a 26% internal rate of return at conservative metal prices. At current spot prices, the project could potentially generate about $10 billion in NPV and a 41% IRR. Royal Gold recently provided a $200 million financing package, and the company anticipates key permitting and study milestones by 2027.
The Warintza project is considered Solaris' flagship asset and one of the largest undeveloped copper opportunities globally. Its pre-feasibility study demonstrated the project's scale and quality, with a life of mine estimated at 55 years-plus and annual outputs reaching 242,000 tonnes of copper equivalent. The project's capital intensity of $15,400 per tonne of annual production capacity is lower than industry norms of around $21,000 per tonne, and its strip ratio stands at 0.53 to 1, far better than the median of 2.5 to 1 for large porphyry projects.
Warintza's resource base is also described as unusually extensive, with a total endowment of 5.8 billion tonnes, including 5.2 million tonnes of copper reserves and over 16 million tonnes of total copper resources. The company's Phase 1 mine plan life spans 22 years, limited by tailings capacity of 1.3 billion tonnes, while the potential mine life extends beyond 55 years-plus with room to extend operations by 25 to 30 years beyond the initial plan.
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