which it has not.
There appears to be some confusion regarding the latest news release by Erin Ventures and Temas Resources.
Basically, the effective date of the PEA is June 24, 2022, and a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101“) in support of the PEA has been filed on SEDAR (i.e. it is NOT the "Elaborate on Reserves" which is to be submitted to the Ministry of Mining and Energy).
Project. From the PEA which was filed on August 11, 2022... Mining authorizations
Mining rights in Serbia are currently governed by the Mining and Geological Exploration Act (Official Gazette RS Number 101/2015, 95/2018 and 40/2021); the responsible government agency is the Ministry of Mining and Energy.
In order to obtain the mining permit, Erin must go through several steps which include the preparation of a number of documents and obtainment of several approvals from agencies other than the Ministry of Mining and Energy. The key documents needed for mining licence approval must be prepared by a licenced institution and must undergo technical control. Technical control is an independent review of the documents for compliance with legislation and professional rules of thumb.
The first step is the validation of reserves within the deposit. To validate the reserves, Erin must submit a document titled “”Elaborate on Reserves” to the Ministry of Mining and Energy. The document must be accompanied by two “Competent Person Review” reports for both geology and mining. The validation document issued by the Ministry of Mining and Energy is a certificate on resources and reserves. The estimated time to receiving approval is two months from the submission of the request.
The second step is the exploitation field approval. The exploitation field is an area surrounding the deposit which encloses the planned infrastructure at the surface and the extents of the mining operations underground. To obtain the exploitation field approval, Erin must submit the following:
• A 1:2500 scale map outlining the deposit, infrastructure and communications, cadastral data, etc.;
• Certificate on resources and reserves from the beginning;
• Feasibility study for the Project with a detailed economic assessment of the Project which
needs to be prepared by a licenced institution and subjected to technical review;
• Proof of compliance with urban planning and compliance with municipality spatial plan;
• Scope of work for an Environmental Impact Assessment study issued by the Ministry of
Environment;
• Proof of compliance with cultural heritage legislation; and
• Proof of compliance with water management conditions.
Upon the receipt of request, the Ministry of Mining and Energy issues the approval for the
exploitation field, the expected time is two munts from the request submission. Once the exploitation field has been approved, Erin must prepare additional documentation prior to taking the third step in the process of permitting.
The key document is the “Main Mining Project”, which is essentially the mine design. It must be prepared by a licenced institution and is subjected to technical review. This is a detailed design document comprising conceptual solutions, a detailed technical design for each of the technological phases and an economic assessment. The key point is that mining operations must be performed in accordance with the main design. Any divergence from the design must be reported to the authorities and, in some cases, additional designs have to be prepared to enable a transition.
The second document is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study which will be
addressed in Section 20.4.
The third step in the mining permitting process is the approval for mine construction. Erin must submit a request for approval to the Ministry of Mining and the request is accompanied by
• The Main Mining Project;
• Proof of compliance with the Municipality spatial plan issued by the Municipality authorities;
• Proof of ownership on the land planned for infrastructure;
• Certificate on resources and reserves from step one;
• Environmental Impact Assessment Study;
• Proof of compliance with cultural heritage legislation;
• Proof of compliance with water management conditions;
• Proof of compliance with fire safety regulations; and
• Bankable guarantee/ negotiable instrument for reclamation/remediation costs.
Upon the receipt of submission request, the Ministry of Mining and Energy issues the approval for mine construction. This will allow Erin to start with the construction of mine facilities both the surface and the physical mine.
The constructed facilities are subjected to an official inspection by a commission approved by the Ministry of Mining and Energy. The inspection must confirm that mine facilities are constructed in accordance with the Main Mining Project and in compliance with legislation. The commission has several members, covering all aspects of construction including mining, civil, construction, mechanical and electrical.
The final step in the mining permitting project is the “Mine Usage Approval” which is, in essence, the Mining Permit. Erin must submit a request accompanied by the Main Mining Project and the technical inspection report. Once the Ministry of Mining and Energy issues the mining permit, Erin can start production.
The technical submissions required in support of applications for exploitation approval, approval of mining works and use of mining facilities is outlined in Table 20-1.