Coutts said. “In my opinion, that’s at least a decade off — there’s nobody advancing a large-scale chromite project now and certainly the ability to permit such a project with big waste rock piles, big tailings storage areas, and large water treatment needs because of the water coming into pits — it’s a long way off.”

I find it interesting that Coutts would say this. He may very well be correct. However, if correct, why would Noront want to be first in line to buy chromite holdings from Cliffs? That would be a huge capital outlay, when money is needed to build a nickel mine first and foremost. Something doesn't quite seem right. My guess is that IF Noront really does have an interest in the chromite, and IF Coutts really does believe chromite will be stranded for close to a decade, then the only possible explanation for the interest in the chromite would come directly from Baosteel, because they have access to capital and also because they're looking at a longer time-frame than just the projected life of Eagles' Nest.

But on that note, with all the other potential in the area, I think many of us would agree that the ostensible 11-year life of the mine is probably vastly understated.