Interview with Jon Deluce, Founder & CEO of Abitibi Metals Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/abitibi-metals-cseamq-unlocking-an-185mt-copper-gold-asset-hidden-for-20-years-7224

Recording date: 26th August 2025

Abitibi Metals Corp. is advancing a high-grade, Quebec-based polymetallic development anchored by the B26 deposit, an asset optioned from SOQUEM, that combines scale, exceptional metallurgy, and infrastructure advantages within a premier mining jurisdiction. 

The company’s updated resource now totals roughly 18.5 million tonnes at about 2.17–2.18% copper equivalent, providing a robust platform for continued growth and technical de-risking within a well-understood volcanic massive sulfide system near the historic Selbaie mine, just 7 kilometers away. With a balance sheet showing approximately $17–18 million in cash and a plan fully financed through Q1 2027, Abitibi is executing an aggressive multi-rig drill campaign to expand the footprint and demonstrate economic scale, targeting a pathway to strategic investment or acquisition by a major.

Strategically, Abitibi’s partnership with the Quebec government delivers alignment, validation, and capital efficiency, as the company inherits about $25 million of prior investment and leverages existing power and road infrastructure that reduce capital intensity and support year-round operations. 

The deposit’s metallurgy stands out: reported recoveries approach 98% for copper alongside strong gold, zinc, and silver performance, complementing significant gold credits that enhance copper-equivalent grades and improve project optionality across commodity cycles. This combination of grade, recoveries, and infrastructure positions B26 competitively against peers in stable jurisdictions at a time when copper demand from electrification is intensifying and large-scale, high-grade polymetallic inventories are increasingly scarce.

Abitibi’s current and planned drilling—on the order of ~17,000–20,000 meters this year with an additional ~25,000 meters in 2026—prioritizes step-outs to test continuity at depth and along strike, aiming to grow the deposit toward a 30–50 million tonne profile while advancing toward a preliminary economic assessment targeted within the option earn-in timeline. 

Management’s endgame is clear: prove scale and economics to attract **major-company interest**, capitalizing on Quebec’s mining-friendly framework and the district’s processing legacy near Selbaie to shorten development pathways and unlock **value** in a critical metals market.

View Abitibi Metals' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/abitibi-metals

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