Name of the Project
Pebble copper/gold/molybdenum project.

Location
Alaska, US.

Client
Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP), wholly owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals.

Project Description
The project proposes to construct a large openpit mine; an on-site milling facility; on-site storage for rock, ore and tailings; a port facility; an access road connecting the mine site to the port; an on-site water supply for the mill; and to provide electrical power for the mine site, in south-west Alaska.

In addition, the project plans to include an on-site 378 MW gas-fired turbine plant, a 138 km transportation corridor to Cook Inlet for road and pipeline rights of way and a new deep-water port at Cook Inlet.

The current resource estimate includes 6.44-billion tonnes in the measured and indicated categories containing 57-billion pounds of copper, 70-million ounces of gold, 3.4-billion pounds of molybdenum and 344-million ounces of silver; and 4.46-billion tonnes in the inferred category, containing 24.5-billion pounds of copper, 37-million ounces of gold, 2.2-billion pounds of molybdenum and 170-million ounces of silver. The deposit also contains quantities of palladium and rhenium.

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
Capital expenditure on Pebble will reach between $6-billion and $8-billion.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
PLP and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have filed a joint motion in federal court to extend a stay of proceedings in ongoing litigation under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to May 4, in the interest of resolving the matter.

Northern Dynasty took the EPA to court in November 2014 over the EPA’s alleged violation of the FACA in advancing the EPA's Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment study and the subsequent pre-emptive veto process under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of the company’s flagship Pebble copper/gold project.

The company has reported “substantial progress” made in recent discussions with the EPA and intends to continue negotiating the matter directly, rather than through mediation.

According to a press release issued by Northern Dynasty, US government representatives are actively engaged in these discussions and, along with PLP, are focused on achieving a resolution that will be agreeable to both parties.

In the meantime, the court's preliminary injunction of November 25, 2014, will remain in effect for the duration of any stay.

Northern Dynasty has recently appointed regulatory and permitting consultant HDR Alaska to start preparing the necessary documentation to initiate permitting under the CWA and the National Environmental Policy Act by the end of the year, in anticipation of success for Northern Dynasty in its implementation of a multidimensional strategy to address the EPA’s preemptive regulatory veto under Section 404(c) of the CWA.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Wardrop Engineering (preliminary assessment report).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
PLP, tel +1 907 339 2600, fax +1 877 450 2600 or email receptionist@pebblepartnership.com.