PERTH (miningweekly.com) - Uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) has started the statutory approvals process for its proposed Ranger 3 Deeps underground mine.
The miner on Wednesday lodged a referral with the federal Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, and has separately lodged a notice of intent with the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.
ERA would invest some A$120-million to construct an exploration decline to further define the Ranger 3 Deeps resource, with the decline construction having started in May last year, with closed space exploration drilling expected to start in the second quarter of 2013.
The uranium miner had further allocated an additional A$57-million for a prefeasibility study (PFS) into the potential development of an underground mine at Ranger 3 Deeps.
The PFS, along with the construction of the Ranger 3 Deeps exploration decline and closed space exploration drilling, would proceed in parallel with the statutory approvals process for the proposed underground mine.
A decision on the viability of the Ranger 3 Deeps development was expected by late 2014.