Aguia's Brazil project granted special status

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Tres Estradas phosphate project, in Brazil, has been named a priority project by the Rio Grande do Sul state government.

ASX-listed Aguia Resources on Thursday said that by being named a priority project, the company’s management had direct contact with the senior levels of government, including the Secretary of Mining and Energy, the Secretary of Treasury and Taxation, the state environmental agency and the state electrical power company.

“We are extremely proud to be recognised as a priority enterprise by the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Through the Sala do Investidor and the manager appointed to Aguia, we will be able to gain priority access to key state agencies that will be instrumental in the development of our project in the near future,” said Aguia technical director Dr Fernando Tallarico.

MD Justin Reid added that as the company moved forward with the bankable feasibility study for Tres Estradas, developing relationships with the community and government agencies would be a key component of ensuring that all stakeholders were on board with the company’s plans to become a phosphate producer.

“By being named a priority project by the Secretary of Economic Development, we will gain invaluable insight from the guidance of our manager and access to the key government departments and officials who are focused on the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of the people in Rio Grande do Sul,” said Reid.

The Tres Estradas project currently has the potential capacity to support 500 000 t/y of single super phosphate, along with some 630 000 t/y of calcite by-product.