Black Bear Minerals (ASX:BKB) awarded the next phase of operational restart studies for its Shafter Silver Project in Texas to global engineering firm Ausenco, through its US-based entity Ausenco Engineering USA South, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.
The company said the expanded scope will focus on staged technical de-risking and bankable feasibility studies, process trade-off studies, metallurgical test work, mine planning, environmental and preliminary restart execution planning, with the studies to refine restart plans and costs identified in dilapidation studies at the project, which has an estimated AU$150 million of existing infrastructure.
Ausenco received a non-binding letter of support from Export Finance Australia (EFA) for potential financing activities associated with the award, and Black Bear Minerals is also advancing talks with US government stakeholders and private-sector counterparties aligned with strategic domestic silver supply objectives, the filing added.