The latest PFS on the TMM project provides increasing confidence that the proposed underground mine remains hugely attractive in economic terms.
LONDON (MINEWEB) – Duluth Metals, which is working on moving an enormous base and precious metals project to the development stage in a controversial part of Minnesota, USA, has just announced it has received an independent draft feasibility study prepared by a multi-company team led by AMEC.
The draft PFS, part of an NI 43-101 compliant technical report shows the economics of the proposed underground copper/nickel/pgm mine are supported by fundamentals showing a competitive cost position, high margins sustained over time, and capital efficiencies resulting from outstanding regional and local infrastructure and competitive advantages.
The study was carried out on a proposed underground project which involves mining only a relatively small portion of the company’s Twin Metals Minnesota (TMM) resource on the massive Duluth Complex in eastern Minnesota, and the overall project area should support an even bigger, far longer life operation.
The area is environmentally sensitive and Duluth is keen to demonstrate that a smaller project can be developed which meets all environmental criteria while keeping surface disruption to a minimum by underground mining and very strict environmental controls on waste disposal, processing and tailings storage.