If so, assuming 5 years to get enviro approval and build the mine, thats only 18 cents total dividend until 13 years from now - and thats if they green lighted it today?!

You have to think of it differently. If you spent $100K today and waited 10 years, then you would receive about $130K per year, every year, for the rest of your life and then some. (Try and imagine a pension plan that would be so cheap?)

I think they are going to define a smaller project that has a shorter payback period and a lower capex. Also, hopefully, a higher eventual IRR.

These numbers will all change then but the idea remains the same.