Name of the Project
Pebble copper/gold/molybdenum/silver/rhenium project.

Location
South-west Alaska, in the US.

Project Owner/s
Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP), a subsidiary of copper and gold developer Northern Dynasty Minerals.

Project Description
A new preliminary economic assessment (PEA) published in September 2023 has provided new cost and price estimates and details an infrastructure plan that uses the “southern route” for the project access.

The 2023 PEA updates the Environmental Protection Agency’s final determination and the US Army Corps of Engineers’ record of decision appeal processes.

The 2023 PEA provides production, financial and cost estimates for a proposed 20-year, 180 000 t/d openpit operation with conventional processing producing two concentrates for the Pebble project.

The project will be capable of processing 1.3-billion tons of mineralised material over the life-of-mine at a strip ratio of 0.12:1.

On average, the mine will produce 320-million pounds a year of copper; 368 000 oz/y of gold; 15-million pounds a year of molybdenum; 1.8-million ounces a year of silver and 10 000 kg/y of rhenium.

Potential Job Creation
The project could create 750 to 1 000 direct jobs for Alaskans and 2 000 jobs overall.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at a 7% discount rate, of $2.23-billion and an internal rate of return of 16.25%, with a payback of 4.6 years.

Capital Expenditure
Initial capital costs for the design, construction, installation and commissioning of the proposed project are estimated to be $6.77-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Northern Dynasty Minerals has asked a federal court in Alaska to move forward with a summary judgment schedule in its lawsuit over the veto of its project during the Biden Administration.

The company, along with subsidiary PLP, is challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) use of its Clean Water Act authority to block the development of the copper/gold/molybdenum resource.

“While discussions with the EPA have taken place, we have not reached a settlement. As such, today we asked the court to set a briefing schedule for summary judgment motions, as we now believe that will be the quickest, most direct avenue to get the veto removed,” Northern Dynasty CEO Ron Thiessen has said.

“The withdrawal of this egregious and unsubstantiated veto of the largest undeveloped copper project in the world would go a long way towards achieving this goal”, he has indicated.

Northern Dynasty has maintained that the project can be developed responsibly and that it will be critical to US efforts to secure domestic sources of metals needed for energy transition and technological competitiveness.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Northern Dynasty Minerals, tel +1 604 684 6365 or email info@northerndynasty.com.
PLP, tel  +1 907 339 2600 or email receptionist@pebblepartnership.com.