Salazar Resources (TSX-V: SRL) and Adventus Mining (TSX-V: ADZN) continue to expand their footprint in Ecuador with the government approving the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for their Curipamba-El Domo gold and copper project.
The technical endorsement paves the way for the citizen participation process, final environmental licence issuance and construction decision in the second half of the year, the miners said.
The achievement is the product of a $5-million, multi-year program focused on environmental and community work, Adventus Mining chief executive Christian Kargl-Simard said in a statement.
The Curipamba-El Domo project has also received a technical feasibility certificate from the energy and mining ministry for the construction of the tailings and waste rock facilities at the El Domo deposit, a key requirement for the environmental licence.
The miners noted El Domo has been singled out by Ecuador as a strategic project that will provide economic investment opportunities for the country.
If built, it will be the third operating mine considered key by the Andean country, together with the Mirador copper mine, run by China-backed Ecuacorriente and Lundin Gold's (TSX: LUG) Fruta del Norte gold mine.
Domo's benefits for Ecuador include the employment of locals during the construction and development phases, with nearly 400 permanent jobs during operations.
The project is also expected to bring $376 million in taxes and royalties into the state's coffers over the 10-year mine life outlined by the completed feasibility study on El Domo, which does not include the additional development of underground resources identified.
Pre-construction work is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year and full-scale construction in the second quarter of 2023.