Orca Gold receives gold project approval of Sudanese government
Orca Gold Inc. [ORG-TSXV] and the Government of Sudan signed all the key development agreements to proceed with the formal construction of a large commercial gold operation at the Block 14 Gold Project in northern Sudan.
The signing took place at an official ceremony held on October 20, 2021, at the Ministry of Minerals in Khartoum, Sudan. Orca’s President and CEO, Richard Clark, signed on behalf of the company and his Excellency, the Honorable Minister of Minerals, Mohamed Bashir Abu Numo, signed on behalf of the Government of the Sudan.
Richard Clark commented, “The signing ceremony in Khartoum was a momentous event to mark the payoff of a decade long push for a commercial gold industry in Sudan. The signing of these key agreements demonstrates the support and commitment of the Sudanese Government to achieving this objective and we are proud and privileged to stand beside the people of Sudan and their Government on this journey.
“I’d like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the Honourable Minister Abu Numo and his team at the Ministry and to the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company for their support and commitment in showing the world that Sudan is ready to be a serious player in the mining landscape of Africa. We at Orca have demonstrated our dedication to this objective over the past decade and I am extremely proud of our team for their faith, hard work and unfailing belief that Sudan is the next, if not, the final frontier for gold exploration and development on the continent of Africa.
“Contrary to media reports of instability in the Sudanese political environment, we can confirm that it has been business as usual for our operations to date. Despite experiencing some delivery delays due to issues at Port Sudan, the political climate in Sudan continues to be extremely positive towards international investment and infrastructure development.”
Anticipating the successful conclusion of negotiations with the Government of Sudan and the signing of the material development agreements, the company has continued in its pre-construction activities at Block 14. The first phase of the development camp construction is well advanced and scheduled for completion before year end. In addition to this construction, the first flight recently landed at Block 14’s newly completed airstrip. Regular flights will now be scheduled in conjunction with operations and development requirements. This is a key milestone in the early development of the project as access to the strip cuts travel time from Khartoum from 14 hours to 2 hours and significantly increases safety protocols for the operation.
Orca Gold is focused on its 70%-owned Block 14 Gold Project in the Republic of the Sudan on which a Feasibility Study was completed in November 2018 and revised in September 2020.