CoTec and Battery Mineral Resources Form Strategic Partnership to Expand Copper Output at Punitaqui Mine in Chile

CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV: CTH) and Battery Mineral Resources Corp. (TSXV: BMR) announced a strategic partnership on October 15, 2026, aimed at unlocking additional copper production and growth opportunities at BMR's Punitaqui Mining Complex in Chile's Coquimbo region. The deal pairs CoTec's processing technology and capital deployment expertise with BMR's operating copper mine, which reported first-quarter 2026 copper-concentrate sales of 5,581 dry metric tonnes, up 26% year over year, with C$21.3 million in concentrate revenue and a 49% gross margin.

Punitaqui is a historic copper, gold, and silver producer that Battery Mineral Resources has operated since resuming full mine and mill production. The partnership represents CoTec's second major copper-focused collaboration in quick succession, following its finalized joint venture with Copper Intelligence in September 2026 to process historical copper tailings in the Democratic Republic of Congo. No financial terms of the BMR agreement were disclosed in the initial announcement.