The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has okayed the licence for Stellar Diamonds to proceed with its desire to develop its Kimberlite mine in Tongo, eastern Sierra Leone.
The process now moves to the National Minerals Agency (NMA), which is charged with the responsibility of drawing up a mining lease agreement for the diamond miner, after which the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources appends his signature to make it legal.
The Tongo-Tonguma mines is expected to produce more than four million carats and generate gross revenues in excess of $1.2bn over a mine-life of 21 years.
Stellar Diamonds chief executive Karl Smithson said: “The receipt of the environmental licence marks an important milestone in the proposed development of the Tongo deposit into commercial production.”
Monday October 30, 2017.