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 has received approval for a miscellaneous land use permit (MLUP) from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for its ongoing activities at the Pebble project.

"The Alaska DNR and other state agencies have had an active oversight presence at the Pebble project site for more than a decade, and have confirmed that Pebble is a well-managed exploration project. We will continue our site operations in 2017 in full compliance with the state's permit conditions, and in a manner that protects the broader public interest in the lands and resources surrounding the Pebble property,” PLP CEO Tom Collier has stated.

The PLP is reviewing the MLUP it has received; however, Collier has confirmed that Pebble will advance a programme of work in Alaska in 2017 to prepare the project to initiate permitting under the Clean Water Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

The 2017 MLUP includes a requirement for a performance guarantee of about $2-million pertaining to any potential reclamation liability.

The PLP maintains an operations base in Iliamna, Alaska, with full-time staff responsible for the care and maintenance of Pebble project equipment, facilities and installations. Each year, Pebble staff undertake a programme of inspections and, where necessary, make repairs to ensure public safety and enhance reclamation at the 1 300-plus borehole sites on the property.

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

On Budget and on Time?
The long-stalled Pebble project has garnered significant interest from speculators lately, as they bet on the controversial project getting approval from the administration of US President Donald Trump.

The Pebble deposit has inspired intense controversy, as a broad and bipartisan coalition, including environmentalists, Alaska Natives, and commercial fishermen, have fought its planned development, leading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2014 to stop the project. The election of Trump, however, has fuelled hopes that a more mining-friendly EPA will allow the project to progress.

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