RE:Dyke VS. DepthCall me crazy, but my gut tells me a shaft is easier to permit than a dyke and open pit.
Greenday wrote: – While C$363 mln was ascribed to direct open pit mining capital at Triple R, including dyke and slurry wall construction and overburden stripping, none of which would be required at NexGen’s project, Arrow is likely to feature its own unique capital items. Ore is notably deeper – high-grade material starts at >300 m below surface (vs. ~50 m at PLS), and the project’s center of mass is in the 500-550 m vertical depth range. As the project continues to grow down-plunge, it becomes increasingly likely that a vertical shaft, rather than a decline might be employed for primary access. Shafts are not unusual in the Basin (McArthur River and Cigar each have multiple shafts), but carry a higher up-front cost. We conservatively model C$250 mln for shaft-sinking and initial underground development, plus another C$300 mln for a mining fleet, surface infrastructure and indirects.
FCU dyke - $363M
NXE depth - $550M