TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Toronto-based Chariot Resources has “essentially completed” an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for its Mina Justa copper project, in Peru, the firm reported on Tuesday.

CEO Ulli Rath and a delegation from Marcobre SAC, Chariot's 70% owned subsidiary, plan to meet soon with senior officials of Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines to review the highlights of the ESIA before the document is formally submitted to the government.

The ESIA will then be subject to the new regulatory review process in Peru, including public hearings.

"We have said for some time that Chariot would undertake initiatives to enhance Mina Justa, and that we do not want the project to slow down as a result of the process to sell the company, which is now well under way,” Rath said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The submission of the ESIA and the associated commencement of the permitting process will move the project closer to shovel-ready status."

Earlier this month, Chariot shareholders re-elected the company's incumbent board of directors, rejecting a rival slate of nominees proposed by shareholders Lukas Lundin and Brian Edgar.

Rath said at the time that a process would begin to seek a buyer for the company.

Advisor RBC had told Chariot it may be wiser to wait for markets to improve, but shareholders clearly said that they wanted the sale process to move forward, Rath said at the company's annual general meeting.

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