Posted at 1:15 p.m. | Jan 10, 2023 | essay

A Canadian mining company will settle in Currais Novos

Rio Grande do Norte Deputy Governor Walter Alves met with representatives of Canadian Aura Minerals, a mining company focused on the development and operation of mining projects in the Americas, to discuss investments in the city of Currais Novos , in the Seridó region. A letter of intent has been signed for the establishment of the company, an action that will reinforce the commitment to job creation and sustainability within the state.

“The government’s objective is to generate jobs and income. Governor Fátima Bezerra had immense difficulties in the previous government, but managed to rebalance the state, and now with the partnership with the federal government, the state will take advantage, it will grow. We want businesses to be able to come so the state can grow more and more,” the Deputy Governor said.

“Here in Rio Grande do Norte, we don’t have giant deposits, but we have a wide variety of minerals. Last year, a geological map was produced as well as a map of mineral resources. When you start digging, you will see that there is more than gold there,” said Jaime Calado, Secretary of State for Economic Development.

A memorandum of intent very similar to this was signed in October 2019 by the predecessor company called Cascar, which is the same company name that Aura took on in October 2022. It was precisely the Ouro Borborema project, in Currais-Novos. The new protocol extends the validity period from two years to six years.

Borborema is an open pit gold project, located 30 kilometers east of the municipality of Currais Novos, in the Seridó of Rio Grande do Norte, with over 1.87 million ounces of gold in measured mineral resources . “Oz” is the system of measurement for gold, and 1 ounce equals 28.349 g.

The project is entering Aura’s portfolio and is expected to start operating in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to its representatives. The company estimates the creation of 747 direct jobs during construction and 600 direct jobs during operation.

During the meeting, Calado also highlighted the legal certainty offered by the State, recalling the 25 companies operating in the field of wind energy, 14 of which are the largest in the world. He also highlighted the importance of PROEDI, the state government’s tax benefits program for businesses and industrial establishments that exist or are located in RN.

The meeting was attended by Rodrigo Barbosa, CEO of Aura Minerals; Glauber Luvizotto, Operations Director of Aura Borborema; Pitágoras Costa, project manager at Aura Borborema; Jucieny Barros, coordinator of the Borborema project.