Ecuador court gives green light for Silvercorp, Salazar’s El Domo project
The ruling removes the last major obstacle for the $250 million project, located 150 km northeast of Guayaquil.
NorZinc has received the draft permits for an all-season road to its Prairie Creek zinc-lead project 200 km west of Fort Simpson, in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The permits were issued by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.
The draft permits are to be distributed to government and other reviewers shortly for comments. Interested parties have until August 29 to respond, and NorZinc has an additional seven days to respond. The land and water board has another six weeks to finalize the permits. Parks Canada is also expected to conclude its responses during this time. Then the final road permits would be issued before year end.
The road is to be built in two phases. The first is the construction and operation of a winter road to the mine site for the delivery of equipment and materials in 2020. The second will be the establishment of the permanent all-season road.
In 2021 and 2022, NorZinc plans to refurbish the existing equipment, accommodation and site infrastructure. The company plans to install a new dense media separation circuit, new backfill plant, electrical facilities, and flotation circuits.
Underground development will also go forward to access the high grade ore for the initial years of mining. The bulk of the underground development as laid out in a 15-year mine plan is to be completed between 2021 and 2024.
The first concentrates from the Prairie Creek mine are to be shipped in the second half of 2022.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
