Emerging miner TMAC Resources has received two water licences for the Madrid and Boston projects, thereby wrapping up permitting for the three new mines that the company is planning near its existing Doris mine, in Nunavut.
The Madrid North, Madrid South and Boston mines will be linked by a 55 km all-weather road to the Doris mine.
“While 2018 has largely been about ongoing ramp-up and implementing significant improvements to the Doris operations, in 2019 we balance optimisation of established operations with the initial steps of broader development of the Hope Bay belt. We are looking forward to initiating development at Madrid North with the potential for first ore to the Doris plant and the commencement of underground development,” said TMAC president and CEO Jason Neal.
In combination, the licences allow for the development and operation of three new gold mines. The amended licence provides for the expansion of the existing Doris camp, expansion of the tailings impoundment area from 2.5-million tonnes to 18-million tonnes for Madrid tailings and the construction and operation of mines at Madrid North and Madrid South.
The new licence for Boston provides development alternatives beyond our established plans, permitting the construction and operation of a fully independent mine site including a new 5.1-million-tonne tailings facility and ore processing plant, allowing TMAC flexibility to evaluate options for what it said should be a growing ore resource.
The permitting strategy has also secured permissions to operate alternative wind power generation, expansion of TMAC’s port and includes surface mining of crown pillars at Madrid and Boston, similar to what is being executed at the Doris mine.