The awarding of the first mining licence in 14 years in Oman marks a new chapter for copper mining in the Sultanate, Mineral Investment Affairs director-general Dr Salim Al Mahrougi has said.
According to Australian junior Alara Resources, Al Mahroughi said at an event marking the official launch of the Al Hadeetha mining licence, that the issuing of the mining licence signalled further opportunities for working together to develop copper opportunities.
Alara and joint venture (JV) partner Al Naba Group have recently been granted a mining licence for their Al Hadeetha project, in which they have invested about $11-million so far.
Moving forward, Alara said that the company was focused on the appointment of the engineering, procurement and construction contractor and the execution of financing terms.