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Omai seeking EPA approval to conduct gold mining
Kaieteur News – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that Canadian mining company Omai Gold Mines Corp. has submitted an application for approval to conduct gold mining.
Omai
Omai through its wholly owned subsidiary Avalon Gold Exploration Inc., holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License, covering some 4,590 acres or 18.575 square kilometres including the past producing Omai gold mine. Omai’s gold project encompasses two gold deposits: the shear-hosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusive-hosted Gilt Creek Deposit.
Earlier this year, Omai unveiled an enhanced Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for its gold project.
Avalon submitted an application for environmental authorization to conduct gold mining and processing operations in Region Seven, at the confluence of the Essequibo and Seballi Rivers, Omai, Potaro Mining District 2. The project aims to sustainably extract and process gold from the area.
As part of the legal requirements outlined in the Environmental Protection Act, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary due to the potential significant environmental effects of the proposed mining activity. The EPA said it will only decide on the approval or rejection of the project after the EIA is completed. As such, the public is invited to participate in the process by submitting questions and concerns they would like to see addressed in the EIA. These submissions must be made in writing to the EPA within 28 days of the notice issued on September 17, 2024.
Kaieteur News had reported that the results from its first Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Wenot Project revealed that the project is slated to yield over 142,000 ounces of gold annually over a 13-year mine life. At its peak, production is anticipated to soar to 184,000 ounces in a single year, with a total estimated production of 1,840,000 ounces of payable gold. Recently, Omai announced that it is advancing its expansion plans for its gold project in Guyana, with newly released drill results showing potential to increase gold production and extend the life of the Wenot mining pit.
Omai’s planned drill programme for 2024-25 will test several areas, including extensions to Wenot to the east and west. Additional targets on the Omai property will also be drilled as some are near surface and high grade that could bolster the grade profile in the early years of a production scenario.
Moreover, the company disclosed that relative to the other deposits in Guyana, the Wenot MRE of 834,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 1.48 g/t Au and 1,614,000 inferred ounces of gold grading 1.99 g/t Au is quite shallow, with 81% of the 1.9 million ounces within the PEA pit lying above a 330m depth. For the adjacent Gilt Creek deposit, the NI 43-101 MRE is 1,151,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 3.22 g/t Au and 665,000 inferred ounces of gold grading 3.35 g/t Au.
Notably, drilling at Omai’s project is expected to continue until early December at which time the company expects to commence work towards an updated MRE.
In 2020, Omai re-entered Guyana’s mining industry. The company had said that their work completed thus far, has put them on track to become the next large-scale gold mine to open in Guyana. Notably, the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) had announced that it has granted Omai, a new Prospecting Licence providing the exclusive right of occupation and exploration for gold, base metals, precious metals and precious stones. Notably, the licence has an initial three-year term until April 29, 2027 that can be extended to 2029. This licence gives Omai the exclusive rights to apply for a Mining Licence and the company has commenced meetings with government officials that have provided guidance on the process.
Moreover, Project details are available on the EPA’s website or can be obtained from the EPA’s office at a nominal photocopying cost. Public comments and concerns should be sent to the Environmental Assessment Board via email at [email protected].
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