"This is the first in a series of wells in 2026," Jordan Pandoff, CEO of Lumina Metals, tells Gazeta Lubuska. The Canadians are working on the project of the "Nowa Sól" mine. They want to get a mining license. Research shows that there are 10 million tons of copper and one billion ounces of silver in the region.
Lumina Metals organized a meeting today (Wednesday, May 6) to mark the start of the next stage of drilling as part of the "Nowa Sól" mine project. It took place in the Sława Śląska Forest District (Dąbrowno Forestry). This is part of detailed exploration and reconnaissance activities that the Canadians are carrying out with the Polish company Exalo Drilling.
The goal? Obtaining the necessary data for the deposit development project. This is another step towards obtaining a mining license.
First production in 2035?
"This is the first in a series of wells in 2026 that we will now drill in this area: we have four ahead of us this year, and most likely another four next year. We will continue to do them in 2028. All this is to bring us closer to the construction of the mine," Jordan Pandoff, CEO of Lumina Metals, tells "Gazeta Lubuska".
In addition to drilling, the company is also conducting environmental research.
"We pay close attention to environmental protection," assures Pandoff. "We are also modeling what the mine will look like in the future: where the individual elements and glass will be. We will plan them on the basis of boreholes.
The CEO of Lumina points out that research shows that there are 10 million tons of copper and a billion ounces of silver in the region.
He tells "Lubuska" about the schedule of further works.
We would start the construction of the mine as soon as we receive the mining license, i.e. in 2030," he explains. "The construction itself will take four to five years. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but the first production would be as early as 2035.
According to the EY report, already in the investment phase (2026-2033), the project will generate on average about 19 thousand jobs per year (direct, indirect and in supporting industries) and about PLN 1.97 billion of additional value to the regional GDP in the Zielona Góra area. The report also says that after the launch of mining, these numbers are expected to increase to on average 38.6 thousand jobs per year (including approx. 3650 people employed directly at the mine), approx. PLN 10.85 billion of annual value added for the region's economy.
The Canadian company plans to cooperate with KGHM. He is already working with companies from this group in the context of mine design and environmental issues. The project does not provide for the construction of its own smelter, and the copper concentrate from Nowa Sól could be directed directly to the KGHM smelter in Głogów.
200-ton device
Prof. Stanisław Speczik, director of the exploration department of Lumina, talks about the borehole technology. It is adjusted to the depth every time.
You need to choose a device with the right drilling capabilities. The height and power parameters concerning, for example, mud pumps are important. Here we have a 200-ton device. Sometimes 70 tons hang on a drilling hook at these depths," he explains. "During drilling, we do a number of tests: we take cores, perform test pumping to see what capacity the aquifers have, what the water is like, what its salinity and composition are, whether we have symptoms of gas capacity. There are a lot of things that affect it.
Prof. Speczik points out that in the case of this well, the company wants to make specialist tests, e.g. isotope tests.
"This is a very complicated procedure," he adds. "A hole of this depth is already treated as a mine in Polish mining law.
It will reach approximately 1900 m. If we only did pure drilling, without testing, the borehole would take about 40-45 days. But there is a lot of research here, so I estimate that it will take 65-70
– says Prof. Speczik.
During the ceremony, he also emphasized that the assumption is that most of the post-production waste is to go back underground.
"There will be no settling ponds," he explained. "Practically 80 percent of the excavated material will go underground and will be pressed into the mining workings in the form of a paste. This means that there are no changes to the surface.
The company would like the waste that does not remain underground to be processed, for example, into sand or calcium carbonate for agriculture and cement plants.
"We want it to be the first green mine in Europe," declared Prof. Speczik.
"A very important moment"
Lumina's regional director Janusz Jasiński says that the mine in Lubuskie is getting closer.
"We can already smell it," he smiles. "This is happening before our eyes. Of course, we have a long way to go, but this is the case during every process. Today is another very important moment for us, because we are starting a drilling program for the deposit development project. So this is no longer a research and development project, but a purely industrial one, which prepares for the mine.
"An opportunity for the region"
The Marshal of Lubuskie, Sebastian Ciemnoczołowski, said during the ceremony that this is a historic opportunity for the region.
"For local governments, residents and the company itself," he added. "Under our feet – from the Nowa Sól district to the Zielona Góra district and further north – there are the largest copper deposits in Europe and the fifth in the world. It would be a sin of omission if we did not participate in this process and were not 120 percent involved.
The Deputy Governor of the Lubuskie Voivodeship, Tomasz Nesterowicz, emphasized that this investment is an element of "building the raw material security of the voivodeship, Polish, but also the European Union". He spoke about the jobs that will be created.
"Lubuskie may be affected by demographic changes, the outflow of people," he pointed out. "We may become a less attractive place to live. And this investment gives a chance for the region to rebuild demographically.
Half a billion
The project of the "Nowa Sól" mine has actually been going on for 12 years. About PLN 500 million has been invested so far Lumina has recently opened its office in Nowa Sól, where the project team operates.
