Taseko Mines has inked a deal with Taurus Mining Royalty Fund that would allow the Canadian miner to speed up construction of its Florence copper mine in Arizona, US.

The $50 million agreement with Taurus is for the sale of a 1.95% gross-revenue royalty generated from Taseko’s Florence copper project, the company said, adding it expects to receive the funding in early February, subject to customary closing conditions. 

The Vancouver-based miner also anticipates receiving the first $10 million of the $50 million Mitsui earmarked in December for the project’s development later this month.

Construction activities to date have been mainly focused on site preparations, earthworks and civil work for the commercial wellfield, which Taseko expects to start drilling in February. 

The company also plans to sign a fixed-price contract with TIC Kiewit as general contractor for building the SX/EW plant and related surface infrastructure. All the major plant components are already onsite and the construction will begin in the second quarter of this year, Taseko said.

Chief executive Stuart McDonald said the company is “eager” to ramp up the construction activities at Florence, which will soon become “a major new source of low-carbon copper cathode for the US market.”

The project, being built with in situ recovery rather than conventional open pit or underground methods, is expected to begin production in early 2025. Tuesday’s announcement could bring the date forward to late 2024, the company said.

The 43-101 report of March 2023 detailed a 22-year mine life with an annual production capacity of 85 million pounds of copper. When the report was written, there was $232 million remaining to be spent to reach commercial production.

Florence has proven and probable reserves of 290 million tonnes grading 0.36% copper.