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Prophecy Submits Plan of Operations for the Gibellini Vanadium Project on Schedule

written by Raj Shah | May 9, 2018

May 9, 2018 (Source) — Prophecy Development Corp. (“Prophecy” or the “Company”) (TSX:PCY, OTCQX:PRPCF, Frankfurt:1P2N) is pleased to announce the submission of its Management’s Plan of Operations (the “MPO”) for the Gibellini vanadium project (the “Gibellini Project”) to the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Mount Lewis Field Office (the “BLM”) and the Reclamation Permit Application to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation (the “BMRR”).

The MPO was prepared by SRK Consulting (U.S.) Inc. with over 1,100 pages of detailed development plans for the open pit mining operations and processing facilities to extract and recover vanadium from the Gibellini Project with stated average mine production during the seven-year mine life of 15.7 million tons of ore material containing 120.5 million pounds of vanadium.

The primary facilities include the: pit, waste rock disposal facility, mine office, auxiliary facilities such as water and power, crushing facilities and stockpile, heap leach pad, process facility, water ponds, borrow areas, and mine and access roads.

A map of the proposed facilities is available at www.prophecydev.com.

In addition, the MPO includes the following designs along with associated environmental baseline studies:

1. Quality Assurance Plan
2. Storm Water Management Plan
3. Adaptive Waste Rock Management Plan
4. Monitoring Plan
5. Noxious Weed Management Plan
6. Spill Contingency Plan
7. Feasibility Study Level Pit Slope Design
8. Heap Leach and Waste Rock Dump Facility Stability Report
9. Geochemical Characterization Report
10. Water Management Plan
11. Closure and Reclamation Plan
12. Transportation Plan
13. Standardized Reclamation Cost Estimate

The baseline studies supplementing the MPO were completed by the previous operator between 2010 and 2012, and included studies of biological resources, cultural resources, surface water resources, ground water resources, and waste rock geochemical characterization.

The next steps for the Gibellini Project’s permitting are:

  • the BLM and Prophecy shall identify data and baseline studies requiring updates, which Prophecy will engage contractors to perform;
  • Prophecy shall begin preparing an environmental report relating to the Gibellini Project to be submitted to the BLM;
  • Prophecy shall begin preparing a Water Pollution Control Permit application to be submitted to the BMRR;
  • upon acceptance of the baseline studies, MPO, and environmental report by the BLM, Prophecy expects to trigger a Notice of Intent (“NOI”) in 2019 by the BLM to prepare an environmental impact statement (“EIS”) for the Gibellini Project.

As a result of direction from Secretary of the Interior Order No. 3355 (Streamlining National Environmental Policy Reviews and Implementation of Executive Order 13807) Prophecy anticipates the Gibellini EIS will not be more than 150 pages (excluding appendices) and the BLM to complete the Gibellini final EIS within one year from the issuance of the NOI. Should that occur, it means that permitting for the Gibellini Project may potentially be concluded in 2020.

Prophecy’s Executive Chairman, John Lee, states: “With the filing of our Plan of Operations, Prophecy has achieved an important project milestone today, on schedule and under budget. The Company is on firm footing for an accelerated, predictable path to advance Gibellini to become the first primary vanadium mine in North America, offering the best quality vanadium pentoxide product that exceeds customer requirements for a variety of applications from traditional re-enforcement bars to high-tech grid-scale batteries and the aerospace industry.

We believe Gibellini offers the best leverage and a direct play that reflects vanadium prices in a politically-safe, mining-friendly jurisdiction.”

The Company also announces that pursuant to the terms of the Company’s share-based compensation plan as amended, which was approved by shareholders at the Company’s annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 2, 2016 and amended on June 13, 2017, it has granted 20,000 incentive stock options (the “Options“) to a consultant of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $3.10 per Common share for a term of five years expiring on May 1, 2023 and vest at 12.5% per quarter for the first two years following the date of grant.

Qualified Persons

The technical contents of this news release have been prepared under the supervision of Danniel Oosterman, VP, Exploration. Mr. Oosterman is not independent of the Company in that he is employed as a consultant to the Company and most of his income is derived from the Company. Mr. Oosterman is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company aims to provide exposure and leverage to rising vanadium prices by defining and adding attributable vanadium resources in the ground in politically safe jurisdictions. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“JOHN LEE”
Executive Chairman

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s expectations regarding Prophecy’s future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These estimates and assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies, many of which, with respect to future events, are subject to change and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by Prophecy. In making forward-looking statements as may be included in this news release, Prophecy has made several assumptions that it believes are appropriate, including, but not limited to assumptions that: all required third party contractual, regulatory and governmental approvals will be obtained for the development, construction and production of Prophecy’s properties and the Chandgana power plant; there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions or other causes; currency exchange rates being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for vanadium, silver, coal and other metals, prices for and availability of fuel, parts and equipment and other key supplies remain consistent with current levels; production forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of Prophecy’s current mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Prophecy’s current expectations; any additional required financing will be available on reasonable terms; and market developments and trends in global supply and demand for vanadium, energy, silver, coal and other metals meeting expectations. Prophecy cannot assure you that any of these assumptions will prove to be correct.

Numerous factors could cause Prophecy’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the following risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” in Prophecy’s most recent Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form as filed on SEDAR and posted on Prophecy’s website: Prophecy’s history of net losses and lack of foreseeable positive cash flow; exploration, development and production risks, including risks related to the development of Prophecy’s mineral properties; Prophecy not having a history of profitable mineral production; commencing mine development without a feasibility study; the uncertainty of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; the capital and operating costs required to bring Prophecy’s projects into production and the resulting economic returns from its projects; foreign operations and political conditions, including the legal and political risks of operating in Bolivia and Mongolia, which are developing countries and being subject to their local laws; the availability and timeliness of various government approvals, permits and licenses; the feasibility, funding and development of Prophecy’s projects; protecting title to Prophecy’s mineral properties; environmental risks; the competitive nature of the mining business; lack of infrastructure; Prophecy’s reliance on key personnel; uninsured risks; commodity price fluctuations; reliance on contractors; Prophecy’s need for substantial additional funding and the risk of not securing such funding on reasonable terms or at all; foreign exchange risk; anti-corruption legislation; recent global financial conditions; the payment of dividends; the inability of insurance to cover all potential risks associated with mining operations; conflicts of interest; and cyber-security risks related to the Company’s reliance on information technology systems.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Prophecy’s forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.