Anatolia secures permit for Çöpler Gold Mine

Anatolia Minerals Development has confirmed that the forestry permit for its Çöpler Gold Mine has been approved by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

The Çöpler Gold prospect is one of Turkey’s largest undeveloped gold deposits and the granting of a lease of forestry lands for the life of the mine marks the final major pre-construction permit needed for the project.

The company’s president and chief executive, Edward Dowling, has stated that Anatolia is close to completing project financing and expects to commence construction after finalising an internal review of the project execution plan.

The project, which has so far been eight years in the making, has been planned in three phases, beginning with a heap leach operation for oxide ores.

Construction work is expected to begin during the current quarter, with first gold output planned for late 2009.

Production should rise throughout 2010 with full capacity reached in 2011.

Anatolia hopes to mine 500,000 gold equivalent ounces annually by 2014, yielding 300,000-plus ounces of gold per year.