Besra Gold Inc. announced that the Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed test/pilot gold mining and processing at its Jugan Project (Jugan) located in the Bau Gold Field corridor. The EIA, together with the ancillary documentation relating to mine rehabilitation and details of the pilot plant specifications (in compliant format), will now be lodged with the Land & Survey Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development for approval to commence "mining activities" within ML 01/2013/1D. There are no exceptional conditions attached to the EIA approval which has been granted with general terms and conditions, including the quarterly reporting of environmental monitoring as which is customary for an undertaking of this nature.

EIA approval is a long lead time item, imperative for the construction and operation of proposed test/pilot plant processing facility and the associated mine pit. The pilot plant will have an initial nominal throughput capacity of 50 tpd, although it can be expanded to 400 tpd. This throughput range will ensure, as far as possible, valid commercial scalability of the processing results which will be incorporated into the final feasibility study for Jugan.

Until this formal approval is received from the Ministry of Natural Resources and urban Development, Besra is continuing with preliminary activities under the Early Commencement Works approval granted in December 2022. This includes "sterilisation drilling" to ensure that the proposed pilot plant infrastructure will not sterilise access to potential commercial mineralisation. In the interim, the design of the pilot processing plant is largely completed and procurement requirements are sourced.

To ensure the build and commissioning of the operation meets the December 2023 schedule, arrangements are currently being advanced for the engagement of civil engineering and fabrication contractors.