The Amapá iron ore mine in Brazil has progressed with the grant of licences expected in less than half the normal period and a lower risk rating for the tailings storage facility (TSF).
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Cadence Minerals plc, with a 33% interest, said that the re-rating followed maintenance, reporting, drilling and compliance work carried out since 2019.
The company intends to improve the risk rating by completing a dam break study, installing video monitoring, and continuing inspection and remediation of associated infrastructure.
Following discussion with the state authorities, the expected licensing time for the mine, railway and port at Amapá has been reduced to 12 to 16 months compared with a typical timeline of up to 36 months.
The grant of a mine installation licence over the wholly owned port, railway, beneficiation plant and mine is expected during 2024, followed by an operational licence after construction is completed.
Amapá will then need a mine extraction and processing permit to begin operation.
“We are delighted with the progress we saw first hand in our recent visit to Amapá,” said chief executive officer Kiran Morzaria.
“Agreeing a shortened route to the operational licence is key to getting the Amapá project back into production in the shortest time possible.”