Aurora Cu-Mo-Ag Project PEA: $2.70B NPV, 18.5% IRR
DLP Resources Inc.'s Aurora Cu-Mo-Ag Project in Yanatile District, Calca Province, Cusco Department, Peru has a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlining an after-tax NPV of $2.70B and an after-tax IRR of 18.5%. The proposed mine plan runs 19 years.
DLP Resources Inc.'s Aurora Cu-Mo-Ag Project has reported Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) results for the copper project in Yanatile District, Calca Province, Cusco Department, Peru. The study headlines an after-tax net present value of $2.70B at a 8% discount rate. It reflects DLP Resources Inc.'s (DLP.V) latest disclosed economics for the asset.
Economics. The after-tax NPV is $2.70B using a 8% discount rate. After-tax IRR is 18.5%. The study models a payback period of 5.2 years. Economics are based on Cu $4.37/lb, Mo $22.10/lb, Ag $37/tr.oz. (resource estimate prices); PEA base-case price deck not explicitly stated in provided text.
Production and mine plan. The project envisions an open-pit & underground operation. Life of mine is 19 years. Metallurgical recovery averages 85.5%.
Resources and ownership. The company holds a 99.99% interest in the project.
These figures are extracted from DLP Resources Inc.'s technical disclosures and reflect the most recent PEA on file. Compare this project against other developers and producers in our project economics database, and always verify the numbers against the original technical report before making any investment decision.
Reserves & Resources
| Category | Tonnage | Grade | Contained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indicated | 382.58 Mt | 0.24% Cu, 0.020% Mo, 2.55 g/t Ag | 1,985.32 Mlb Cu, 165.39 Mlb Mo, 31.42 Moz Ag, 3,118.21 Mlb CuEq |
| Inferred | 537.86 Mt | 0.25% Cu, 0.023% Mo, 2.96 g/t Ag | 2,905.93 Mlb Cu, 266.95 Mlb Mo, 51.14 Moz Ag, 4,737.91 Mlb CuEq |
| Indicated | 232.27 Mt | 0.12% Cu, 0.134% Mo, 1.32 g/t Ag | 628.59 Mlb Cu, 688.03 Mlb Mo, 9.82 Moz Ag, 4,379.31 Mlb CuEq |
| Inferred | 580.94 Mt | 0.11% Cu, 0.117% Mo, 1.02 g/t Ag | 1,407.47 Mlb Cu, 1,492.91 Mlb Mo, 18.98 Moz Ag, 9,527.32 Mlb CuEq |
Our Analysis
- IRR after-tax
- 18.5%
higher than 32% of 34 projects we track
- NPV after-tax
- $2.70B
higher than 90% of 41 projects we track
- Payback
- 5.2yrs
slower than 85% of 33 projects we track
- Mine life
- 19yrs
- Discount rate
- 8%
- Study price assumption
- Cu $4.37/lb, Mo $22.10/lb, Ag $37/tr.oz. (resource estimate prices); PEA base-case price deck not explicitly stated in provided text
- Spot copper today
- $6.57/lb
The direction of travel matters more than the level. This filing moves the project from a resource estimate to a PEA, and the headline economics now rest on a 19-year mine life: a duration that speaks to durability rather than a quick payback story. Against that, the 5.2-year payback ranks below 85% of the copper projects we track, so the cash comes back slowly even if it keeps coming for nearly two decades.
The return profile is the tension. An 18.5% after-tax IRR sits in the lower half of our copper peer set, above only 32% of the 34 projects we track, and against the practical hurdle it is thin: developers typically want roughly 15% to attract project finance and 20%+ where the developer is a higher-risk junior with little else in the portfolio, which fits this company. The after-tax NPV of $2.70B ranks above 90% of the 41 copper projects we track, but that figure is doing a lot of work on a study whose capital estimate carries a plus or minus 50% band and may lean on inferred resources. A PEA is scoping-level; it does not deserve feasibility-grade confidence.
The gap between that NPV and a US$34M market cap, roughly 79.9x, cuts both ways. It can mean the market has not priced the asset, or that it is discounting financing, dilution, permitting and jurisdiction risk in Peru, plus the fact that this is one of four projects the company carries. Capital intensity is the sharpest version of that concern: a build of this scale cannot be quietly financed by a nano-cap. The study's copper assumption of $4.37/lb sits well below today's $6.57/lb spot, so the returns may carry upside if prices hold, though the PEA base-case deck is not explicitly stated.
The question that decides this: can a US$34M company fund a multi-billion-dollar build without crushing the equity that the NPV gap implies is already cheap?
Our take, benchmarked against the project economics in the Mining Stocks database. Figures are estimates drawn from company technical reports — not investment advice; always verify against the source filing.
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