GreenRoc appoints consultants for Thule Black Sands assessments

Greenland-focussed mineral project developer GreenRoc Mining announced the appointment of two “highly-experienced” independent consulting firms on Monday, to undertake environmental and social impact assessments of the Thule Black Sands Ilmenite Project in the northwest of the island.

The AIM-traded firm said the Danish-Greenlandic environmental contractor BioApp Greenland would complete an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in compliance with the requirements of Greenland’s authorities.

NIRAS, a Danish-Greenlandic multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy, was meanwhile appointed to undertake the social impact assessment.

A JORC resource capable of supporting a mining operation, along with the formal approval of the EIA and SIA, were necessary precursors for a mining licence application in Greenland.

GreenRoc said Thule currently benefited from a maiden mineral resource of 19 million tonnes with an in-situ ilmenite grade of 8.9%.

It was assessed by mineral sands expert IHC Mining in a 249-hole follow-up drilling programme last summer, with those results being awaited.

The company said the three undertakings would be the “key building blocks” in fast-tracking Thule along the mine development process.

“The appointment of Denmark's BioApp and NIRAS groups marks a key development in the permitting application for our Thule Black Sands Ilmenite Project,” said chief executive officer Kirk Adams.

“With extensive knowledge and experience of Greenland's environmental and social landscapes and operating requirements, BioApp and NIRAS are ideally placed to manage the EIA and SIA work, which will in turn form a key part of our mining licence application for Thule.

“These appointments are evidence of our confidence in the significant potential of TBS and of our clear aim to fast track the Project's development as swiftly as possible.”

Adams said that, having already defined a “sizeable resource” of 19 million tonnes at 43.6% total heavy minerals, the firm was on track to expand that further and build resource confidence through the results of the 2021 drill programme, due in the coming weeks.

“We are confident that these results will firmly establish Thule Black Sands as a major new ilmenite source, at a time when global demand continues to outstrip supply.”

At 1103 BST, shares in GreenRoc Mining were flat at 7.2p.