St George Mining Limited has lodged the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Report (RIMA) with the State Environmental Foundation of Minas Gerais (FEAM), marking the start of the multi-stage licensing process for the Araxá Project. The EIA and RIMA were prepared on the basis of a greenfields development and cover the proposed open-pit mine and a new industrial complex that comprises mineral processing, refining and metallurgical plants, waste and tailings facilities and supporting infrastructure.
Material actions and disclosures
The EIA and RIMA were prepared on the basis of a greenfields development and cover the proposed open-pit mine and a new industrial complex that comprises mineral processing, refining and metallurgical plants, waste and tailings facilities and supporting infrastructure. The baseline studies address the physical environment, radiological/NORM characterisation, biological environment, and socio-economic environment. The project is expected to align with environmental best practices and sustainability goals.
The project has undergone extensive fieldwork and studies over the past 14 months, including environmental baseline characterisation, technical studies covering the physical, biological and socio-economic environment, an impact assessment of a potential mining and industrial operation, and the design of corresponding control and monitoring programs.
St George Mining Limited has commenced the first licensing stage for Araxá, the Preliminary Licence (LP), which is the first of the three stages of the licensing process. The company expects the LP and Installation Licence (LI) stages to be completed within 12 months, with the Operation Licence (LO) granted following completion of construction, estimated to occur in the second half of 2029.
The project is anticipated to have a comparatively small footprint due to high-grade mineralisation that starts at surface, minimising the environmental impact. The company has also designed robust operating procedures to ensure best sustainable mining practices.
St George Mining Limited is currently undertaking additional metallurgical testwork on representative material from the recent drilling program, including modern flotation testwork, assessment of both sulphuric acid bake and caustic crack procedures, and evaluation of downstream product options.
St George Mining Limited is progressing the Araxá Project feasibility study, led by Worley, and evaluating the potential alternative use of existing regional processing plants.
St George Mining Limited has commenced the environmental permitting process for the Araxá Project, marking a significant milestone in the project’s development.