Perpetua Resources Corp. announced on Oct. 21, 2025, that it broke ground on early works construction for the Stibnite Gold Project.
The project is in the Payette National Forest in Valley County near the small town of Yellow Pine in central Idaho, according to idahocapitalsun.com.
Iron Woman Construction is the contractor on the project.
The achievement comes after the company posted $139 million in construction phase financial assurance for the Stibnite Gold Project and received notice from the U.S. Forest Service that the requirements of the 2025 Record of Decision necessary to start construction had been satisfied, the plan of operations had been signed, and the project could enter construction.
"Today, we break ground on the Stibnite Gold Project," said Jon Cherry, Perpetua Resources president and CEO. "As America's answer to China's antimony export bans, we are focused on swiftly and safely bringing our antimony and gold project into development. After nine years of permitting, Stibnite can once again serve this country's national interest.
"We are proud of our work to bring this essential project online to provide critical resources while restoring an abandoned mine site. With our reclamation performance bond to reclaim the work we undertake at the project site in place, we officially started early works construction today and are making good on our promises to Idaho and America."
The Stibnite Gold Project moves into development after nine years of rigorous permitting approvals, a combined award of $80 million in Department of War funds, and prioritization under the Trump Administration's Transparency Project initiative.
The project hosts a large reserve of the critical mineral antimony, a key component in defense and industrial applications.
In addition to its significance in producing antimony, the project is projected to be one of the highest-grade open-pit gold mines in the United States, with gold reserves of approximately 4.8 million oz. and is expected to produce approximately 450,000 ounces of gold annually over its first four years of production.
The mine has probable reserves of 148 million lbs. of antimony, according to mining.com. During its first six years of operation, it could supply approximately 35 percent of the nation's demand for antimony.
The project also is designed to clean up legacy contamination, reconnect fish to their native spawning grounds and restore habitat at the historical Stibnite mine site.
Perpetua anticipates more than 950 direct jobs during the construction period and more than 550 direct jobs during operations.
The Stibnite Gold Mine debuted in 1899 and was active into the 1990s, according to idahocapitalsun.com.
