RE:RE:Interesting From IEAI really don't think you should be implying that costs are for the Nico project are going down. I can't think of a project where costs have went down over time. Cost estimates only ever increase, it's like a fundamental law of project management.
Consider potential construction phase costs of the project:
Detailed Engineering, Design, Project Management & logistcs - 100 million
Nico access road - 75 million
Nico Builidngs & Processing Plant & Power plant / distribution / dorms / repair shops - 500 million
Refinery Cost - 250 million
Mobile equipment purchase - 150 million
Pre-stripping and development of mine - 300 million
Environmental management costs?
Tailings management design & construction costs?
Specialized Consultant costs?
Total - 1.375 Billion plus plus plus
Even just consider the price of fuel. At an average fuel consumption of 40 million litres / year, their annual operating costs would have increased by over 40 million dollars per year!
Developing a new mine is just really expensive.
Consider that Gau ChoKue mine in the NWT cost over a billion in construction costs and that was built 10 years ago.