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Special Report: True North Copper hopes to unlock scale, grade and project economics at the Cloncurry copper project in Queensland after acquiring Renegade Exploration's 22% stake in the Carpentaria Joint Venture.

The acquisition includes a 35% stake in mineral permit (EPM 8588) that hosts the Mongoose copper-gold resource adjacent to TNC's Taipan deposit.

While True North Copper's (ASX:TNC) primary focus remains on advancing near-term development of the Cloncurry copper project, the consolidation provides scope to grow the resource.

Renegade Exploration's (ASX:RNX) Mongoose adds near-mine resource tonnes adjacent to Taipan, which may enable a larger, optimised pit and improved production profile, while also providing immediate upside through near-pit and down-dip resource growth potential.

"This transaction is a deliberate step in consolidating the Cloncurry Copper Project into a larger, more coherent and development-ready asset," TNC managing director and CEO Andrew Mooney said.

"By bringing Mongoose and Taipan together, we are improving scale, grade and overall project optionality," he said.

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The Carpentaria JV is a long-standing joint venture with Glencore's Mount Isa Mines, supporting a clear pathway to near-term production and processing in a very supportive mining jurisdiction.

Glencore is still gunning for global copper leadership as the energy transition accelerates.

Positioning itself as a near-term producer, TNC is pushing for Cloncurry to become a significant mining hub and contribute to Australia's copper supply into the global value chain.

"Our alignment with Glencore provides a clear pathway from resource to processing, with the potential to support near-term copper production into the Mt Isa smelter," Mooney said.

The CJV tenements are within the Cloncurry district and will form part of TNC's Cloncurry copper project on completion of the binding sales agreement with Renegade.

The deal brings a tenement package of 121km2, supporting further copper-gold exploration and resource growth.

Currently divided by a tenement boundary, the Carpentaria JV tenure includes the Mongoose inferred resource of 3.1Mt at 0.55% Cu and 0.07g/t Au, which lies adjacent to TNC's Taipan deposit hosting 5.21Mt at 0.57% Cu and 0.13g/t Au.

"Importantly, this allows us to take a more integrated approach to development as we move through PFS, optimising mine planning and defining the most efficient pathway to production," Mooney said.

"More broadly, this strengthens our position in the Cloncurry district and enhances our flexibility across development, financing and partnership pathways as we unlock value for shareholders."