Canadian firm to have 3 to 6 flights per week to move gold, workers out of Mahdia

Apr 21, 2026 News

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– says in EIA confident Eagle Mountain Project can provide substantial economic benefits, including job creation

(Kaieteur News) – A Canadian-backed gold project in one of Guyana’s interior location will rely on up to six flights per week to support operations, according to its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EIA for the Eagle Mountain Gold Project was prepared by Environmental Resources Management (ERM), for Stronghold Guyana Inc. – a subsidiary of Mako Mining Corp.

The documents details that air transport will play a central role in moving personnel and gold output. The report states, “There is a working airstrip in Mahdia with commercial flights currently arriving from Georgetown and other parts of Guyana four days a week. This airstrip will be utilised for the Project.”  It was stated that the Mahdia airstrip will be used, with approximately 3 to 6 flights per week, averaging three to four flights in the dry season and four to five during the rainy periods due to road access challenges. The Mahdia airstrip, located 7.5 kilometres north of the project is suitable for small commercial and charter aircraft.

Gold doré bars produced at the project’s processing plant will be transported by air either from the Mahdia airstrip or from the project site to Georgetown. “From there, it is expected that the doré will be exported to foreign refineries pursuant to standard terms and conditions of Mineral Agreements with the Government of Guyana. This transport method is consistent with standard industry practices for gold export and sales in the region,” the company noted.

The Eagle Mountain gold project is located about eight kilometres south of Mahdia in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).  While Mahdia is accessible by road within six to eight hours, the EIA highlights ongoing limitations in overland transport, particularly during inclement weather.

In addition, the EIA outlines that the project will require a growing fleet of trucks to facilitate operations. During the initial phase, approximately 15 trucks are expected to be deployed, increasing to 22 by the fourth year and averaging 25 trucks over the life of the mine. Daily activity is projected at around five trucks during operations and up to nine during the construction phase.

The Eagle Mountain gold project is in the advanced-stage gold exploration stage. The Project plan considers an open pit gold mine over a 15-year period. Stronghold Guyana holds a prospecting license on the Eagle Mountain Property, referred to as the Eagle Mountain Prospecting Licence (EMPL). The Property includes the Eagle Mountain Prospecting Licence totalling 11,820 acres.  The medium-scale permit is held by Kilroy on which Stronghold Guyana has a long-term lease with a 2% royalty.  In October 2020, Stronghold Guyana also entered into an option and purchase agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the 24.4-acre located within the EMPL boundary.

Mako Mining said it is confident that the Eagle Mountain Project can provide substantial economic benefits, including job creation, infrastructure development, and increased revenue for the region.

Mako acquired the project through its 2024 takeover of Goldsource Mines Inc., inheriting a resource base of nearly 1.2 million ounces of gold (indicated) and 582,000 ounces (inferred). The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) had renewed the project’s prospecting licence in September 2024 for a three-year period, with options for extension.

The project is planned to be an open pit mining operation, utilising standard mining techniques to extract gold ore. It was stated in the EIA that the project will be developed in a phased approach, starting with a higher proportion of the soft rock saprolite material and then transitioning to the harder fresh rock in the fifth year of operation.

“The Project will employ conventional techniques for mining and processing. The mine will consist of several shallow and medium depth open pits distributed along the north-south mineralised trend and along the north-east trend in several interconnected pits within the Eagle Mountain deposit, extending up the lower slopes approximately 400 metres in elevation higher than the valley floor. The processing plant will employ conventional crushing, grinding, leaching, carbon adsorption and detoxification equipment and processes to maximise gold recovery,” it was detailed.

The EIA which was submitted to the EPA on March 25 outlines baseline studies across environmental, social, cultural and engineering areas, along with anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures.  However, the ongoing exploration activities do not form part of this EIA report. Also, development of future deposits will be subject to separate EIA and authorisation processes.

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• Eagle Mountain Project, EIA, gold, Gold miners, Mahdia

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