RE: And yaa it is significant....... shaitan, not sure I get your point? Are you saying it's not worth going the placer route?
I would agree that it doesn't seem to be worth the effort, but, they are requesting approval anyway. Perhaps it is to just get some cash flowing while they proceed with the heap leach permit. If I read the YASAB material correctly, it's rather easy to get the placer operation going immediately.
Another thought is, that it is a tactical move to get themselves classified as a producer. This would move them in the right direction in the yukon jurisdiction. It would also place them in a different light with the regulators there as they have applied for a five year placer permit.