Perpetua Resources Announces Key Federal Decision to Authorize the Stibnite Gold Project

In This Article:

U.S. Forest Service to publish Final Environmental Impact Statement and favorable Draft Record of Decision tomorrow.

Stibnite Gold Project is poised to become the next world class gold mine and the only U.S. mined source of the critical mineral antimony.

Decision comes days before China's antimony export restrictions go into effect.

BOISE, Idaho, Sept. 5, 2024 /CNW/ - Perpetua Resources Corp. (Nasdaq: PPTA) (TSX: PPTA) ("Perpetua Resources" or "Perpetua" or the "Company") today announced that the United States Forest Service ("USFS") has completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement ("FEIS") and is issuing a Draft Record of Decision ("DROD") authorizing the Stibnite Gold Project ("Project"). According to a USFS press release, both documents will be published tomorrow, September 6, in the US Federal Register. Based on the USFS schedule published in July 2024, the Final Record of Decision ("ROD") is anticipated by the end of 2024.

The USFS release confirmed that the "Draft Record of Decision outlines the Forest Services' decision to authorize the 2021 Modified Mine Plan". The decision comes after the completion of rigorous interagency permitting review, scientific evaluation, and public input. The Project is designed to provide environmental benefits to an abandoned mine site while producing gold and unlocking the only reserve of antimony within the United States.

"We believe that the Stibnite Gold Project is a win-win-win," said Jon Cherry, President and CEO of Perpetua Resources. "It's a win for Idaho, it's a win for the environment, and it's a win for America's national security. Our independence from Chinese control over antimony is right here in our backyard, and Perpetua Resources is honored to provide a critical part of the solution to the United States' strategic need for antimony, while also delivering an economically robust gold mine that will create new jobs in Idaho. It's time for the Stibnite Gold Project to help secure our future."

Perpetua's Stibnite Gold Project is positioned to be one of the highest-grade open pit gold projects in the United States with 4.8 million ounces of estimated gold reserves. The Project is expected to produce over 450,000 ounces of gold annually over the first four years with all-in sustaining costs under $450 per gold ounce based on the 2020 Feasibility Study.

As a by-product of gold production, the Project has a reserve of 148 million pounds of antimony. Antimony is essential for national defense, clean energy and technology applications, yet no domestically mined supply currently exists. Beginning on September 15, 2024, China, which is responsible for nearly half of all global mined antimony output and dominates global refinement and processing, has announced that it will restrict antimony exports. The Stibnite Gold Project has one of the largest reserves of antimony not under Chinese influence and the only U.S. domestic reserve.