Australian tin exploration company Elementos has announced that its Spanish subsidiary, Minas de Estaño de España (MESPA), which holds the investigation permit for the Oropesa tin project, has been granted an extension of its rights over a key tenement of the project.
This development is crucial for the continuity of the project, which is situated in the Guadiato Valley in Córdoba Province, Andalucia, Spain.
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Oropesa boasts one of the largest undeveloped open-cut tin deposits in the world and is the only tin project currently under active development within the EU.
The extension of the investigation permit, which is the equivalent of an Australian Exploration Licence, comes after Elementos worked in close collaboration with the Andalucia Mining Department.
The company is approaching the final stages of formalising the necessary documentation for a new mining concession and a Unified Environmental Authorisation (AAU), essential for the future mining operation.
Once the documentation is submitted, MESPA’s rights over the investigation permit will remain in place until the administration makes a decision on the mining licence application.
The submission process aligns with the previously submitted facility layout, which has received support from the administration.
The Oropesa tenement comprises an exploration concession spanning 13km², situated around 75km north-west of Córdoba and 180km north-east of Seville in southern Spain.
It is recognised as a State Significant Project in Andalucía and is part of the government’s Project Accelerator Unit.
This initiative aims to centralise and expedite the regulatory assessments of the project, providing additional government support to ensure a successful start-up and execution.
Historically, the Oropesa district has been a hub for base metal mining including copper, lead, silver and iron, as well as coal.
However, coal mining ceased due to EU intervention, creating strong demand for new industrial and mining investments in the region.
Earlier this month, Elementos signed an industrial test-work partnership agreement with Atlantic Copper for the Oropesa tin project.
