Candente Copper Corp. announced that Whittle Consulting Ltd. ("WCL") has been engaged to conduct an Enterprise Optimization ("EO") of the Company's Cañariaco Norte Project in Peru. The EO involves a rigorous analytical and computational process using WLC Strategic Mine Planning software and Integrated Strategic Planning concepts.

The analysis will be completed remotely over the course of a few months. The EO will overlap in time with trade-off studies and metallurgical test work that is planned to be completed as part of the Feasibility Study and will contribute greatly to it. WCL works synergistically with other engineering firms including Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc., Knight Piesold and various others who may be part of the Cañariaco Norte Feasibility Study.

WCL has demonstrated in over 180 Enterprise Optimization studies, that the comprehensive application of the "Whittle Integrated Strategic Planning" approach have yielded improvements in the economics estimated by previous studies in many mining projects, even when several conventional optimization approaches have already been applied. WCL has the most advanced Strategic Mine Planning software in the form of "Prober E". The product of 35 years of optimization software development by founder Jeff Whittle, it combines Linear Programming with a sophisticated proprietary Search Algorithm, a Genetic Algorithm, and the ability to harness multiple processors on 200+ in-house servers and dedicated servers in Helsinki.

This allows them to explore complexity and optimize even the largest and most complex multi-variable, non-linear problems that mining involves. WCL is a group of highly experienced industry experts, who have strong technical backgrounds in a range of disciplines including geology, mining engineering, metallurgy, research, mathematics and computing, finance, operational/financial modeling and analysis and a thorough appreciation of practical, organizational, and contextual reality. They are comfortable with complexity, not being bound by conventional thinking, and by being willing to challenge existing paradigms and conventional wisdom which can conceal the real potential of mining businesses.

WCL has solid worldwide experience in optimizing copper/gold open pit mining and mineral processing systems including Boliden's Aitik, Rio Tinto's Kennecott, Mantos' Monteverde, Barrick's Cerro Casale, Gold Fields' Cerro Corona, McEwen Copper's Los Azules and others.