PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX- and TSX-V-listed Jervois Global has started site selection for its cobalt refinery in the US, along with drilling at its Sunshine deposit, adjacent to the Idaho cobalt operations (ICO).
The actions will be fully refundable by the US government under a previously announced Department of Defence funding agreement worth $15-million.
Jervois on Wednesday said it expected to spend $0.3-million to complete the site selection for the refinery. The selection will consider local, state and federal incentives, permitting processes, security of supply chains, logistics, access to workforce capacity and capability, and other technical and operational requirements.
The company is also working on the bankable feasibility study for the proposed refinery, including progressing planning for other component parts of the study, basic engineering and environmental permitting roadmap development.
Additionally, Jervois on Wednesday said it had started a $2.4-million surface drilling campaign at the Sunshine deposit, adjacent to the ICO.
Mobilisation is under way and drilling is expected to start in September, pending final US Forest Service approval.
The company will complete 2 000 m of drilling from surface, with the results expected to enable the deposit to be upgraded to a modern mineral resource.