Kempsey mining bid: Endeavour Silver applies for exploration license at old mine site
A Sydney minerals company has applied to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for a license to explore for minerals north west of Kempsey. An economic boom in the price of minerals, such as silver and gold, is behind their push.
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A Sydney minerals company is hoping to unearth a new mining site northwest of Kempsey after applying to explore for lucrative mineral deposits at an old silver mining site.
Endeavour Silver has lodged its application with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) to search 40km sq of land located about 10km northwest of Kempsey between the Boonanghi State Conservation Area and the Macleay River.
If approved, it would allow Endeavour Silver to acquire rock, water and soil samples to establish whether there is enough minerals in the area to commence drilling and future mining activity.
Director of Endeavour Silver Mart Rampe said a huge boom in the price of minerals, and the historical significance of the area, led to the company’s decision to apply for the license.
“The reason for the application is that gold and silver prices have taken off dramatically over the past year or so, and NSW and Victoria for that matter are experiencing a bit of a ‘gold rush’, he said.
“Every man and his dog are out looking for the stuff.
“The idea is just to say, well, let’s see what’s out there? And given the general history of the area, there’s our interest.”
The old Silver Mine Creek Mine, at Kempsey, was an underground arsenic, lead, silver and zinc mine.
Mr Rampe, who has worked as an environmental and geology consultant for 40 years, said the site was host to an old silver workings mine ‘located in and around the state conservation area.’
“The license doesn’t give us any right to mine,” he said. “We can take rock, water, soil samples and if we get encouraging results, then we can go and try and drill some holes.”
“As we get better information and more encouragement, then if we see a commercial opportunity, then it gets a bit serious. You have to decide whether it’s worth pursuing as a mining operation.
“At that stage you have to apply for a mining title, and as part of that, you need to undertake the necessary environmental, social, commercial assessments that goes with.
“Then if you’ve got something worthwhile, you might end up with a mine – who knows.”
Mr Rampe said and exploratory license allows the company to drill for material to a certain depth to establish whether there are minerals that could lead to a commercial operation. Heavy machinery can also be used to clear access tracks.
Mr Rampe said he anticipated the license would be approved within the next six weeks.
“We have gone through a process of submitting the application and putting the documentation together.”
“Subject to the department saying we have submitted everything correctly, we expect the license to be granted within a month six weeks’ time.”
A DPIE spokesperson confirmed that the project was still under assessment.