Dart Mining will re-start the pre-feasibility study of the Unicorn mine project near Corryong in Victoria’s north east and could potentially have the project up and running by 2019.
Yesterday’s announcement comes after the company examined the results of revised scoping studies that indicated some issues, previously thought to have been ‘project defeating challenges’, could be addressed with conventional industry-proven techniques.
In a statement the company said, “The Unicorn Project holds the potential to become the focus of a major Victorian mineral province.”
The Resource comprises 203 million tonnes of mineral – a mix of copper, molybdenum and silver as well as the rare, high value specialty metal Rhenium.
In November of last year Dart Mining announced they had decided to, “…defer or slow down certain steps in the pre-feasibility study and approvals process”
However in February of this year, “…the new Board, comprising industry veterans experienced in bringing large scale projects into production, commissioned a range of revised scoping studies into techniques used elsewhere to address similar challenges. It is the successful outcome of these revised scoping level studies that has led the Board to re-commence the pre-feasibility study.
The project’s Environmental Effects Statement (EES) is being re-examined for approval and will be implemented in Spring of this year, with approval expected by mid 2015.
The company said they would now, “…communicate a more comprehensive understanding and liaison with communities in the Corryong, Thowlga and Biggara Valleys, as well as regional business with products and services required at Unicorn.”
Dart Mining Chairman, Mr Bruce Paterson, stated: “All the above steps will be undertaken and accomplished in
an incremental, intermediate-outcome(s) responsive manner. This is necessary to ensure that evaluation
and development of the Unicorn Project is undertaken in the most technically, cost and sustainably
efficient manner possible.”
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