Canadian mining company Black Iron Inc. has signed a multi-year agreement with the city of Kryvyi Rih to lease 248 hectares of land, a crucial area for the Shymanivske iron ore deposit development project. This leased land covers a significant portion of the future open pit and extends to state land used by the Ministry of Defense, which Black Iron may lease or purchase for building a processing plant, tailings dams, and waste rock dumps.
The agreement marks a key step towards renewing Special Permit No. 4537 for mining and enables the completion of necessary environmental and engineering studies. Black Iron acquired the Shymanivske deposit rights in 2010 but faced several challenges during its implementation. Metinvest, a major Ukrainian mining and metallurgical group, briefly held a 49% stake in 2013 before withdrawing.
The project expects capital investments of $452 million for the first stage and $364 million for the second stage. The Shymanivske deposit could become an essential iron ore source due to its proximity to major mining and metallurgical enterprises, including ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. The planned open pit will measure 660 m by 390 m with a depth of up to 80 m, aiming for an annual production of 4.5 million tons of ore. Total stripping operations will be 5.13 million cubic meters, including 1.31 million cubic meters of ore.
