New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals has granted Federation Mining the Mining Permit for the Snowy River Mine near Reefton on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. The approval grants the right to mine gold and silver from the site for a 20-year period.
The Snowy River Mine project holds all necessary consents and permits to move the operation into production and allow for onsite processing. Resource consent applications were submitted to West Coast Regional Council and Buller District Council in June 2022 and following stakeholder and regulator consultation, District and Regional Consents were granted in January 2023.
Federation Mining has established an underground mine at the site of the historic Blackwater mine. The mine has a small surface footprint with an access point and infrastructure located on private land several kilometres away from the historic mine site. Sulphide ore Tailings from the operation will be stored underground within the mine and waste rock will be stored on the surface.
Federation Mining has constructed a 3.3 kilometre twin decline (tunnel) which provided a site for our underground drilling program to build more geological confidence in the existing gold resource. From here, drilling of the deeper extensions of the deposit will be completed to increase confidence in the current Mineral Resource.
Subject to the results of the Feasibility Study and funding, first gold production from the Snowy River Mine could occur by Mid 2026.
