CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The City of Cheyenne has submitted an amendment to its contract with U.S. Gold Corp to request an additional $227,030 in impact assistance for the CK Gold Project, following delays in construction. The request was filed with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Industrial Siting Division (ISD) on Oct. 16.
The CK Gold Project, located in the historic Silver Crown Mining District about 20 miles west of Cheyenne near Curt Gowdy State Park, was originally slated to begin construction in April 2024. U.S. Gold Corp, which acquired 100% of the mineral lease in 2016, began exploring the site for gold and copper in 2020.
“We used a cost-of-service analysis to determine the original impacts to the community, and that was a couple of years ago,” said Mayor Patrick Collins. “The cost of service is higher today. Our request for the adjustment just reflects the higher cost today.”
The CK Gold Project will operate as an open-pit mine using froth flotation to extract minerals rather than cyanide, according to the project’s website. In July 2025, ISD received a request from Gold King Corp to push the construction start to the first quarter of 2026 and extend the permit to Dec. 31, 2026.
Due to the construction delay, Cheyenne is seeking additional unmitigated impact funds, raising the total request from $726,190 to $953,220. These funds have not yet been earmarked for specific purposes. The city hopes to ensure that requested funds reflect current costs of services and inflation over the past two years.
“We used a cost-of-service analysis to determine the original impacts to the community, and that was a couple of years ago,” Collins said. “The cost of service is higher today. Our request for the adjustment just reflects the higher cost today.”
Project Timeline and Technical Updates
George Bee, CEO and president of U.S. Gold Corp, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that aside from testing a different type of froth flotation device, the project remains unchanged.
“We did put out a couple of press releases just talking about the opportunity to employ a different type of froth flotation to produce our concentrate,” Bee said. “Before we committed to that, we essentially wanted to test the apparatus. We did that, and then that allowed us to incorporate that into our feasibility study, and that delayed us a little bit, but the feasibility study should be out toward the end of the year (or) early next year, and then we would hope to commence construction.”
Bee anticipates the mine could open by late 2027 or early 2028, contingent on approvals and completion of the feasibility study. The ISD council is scheduled to review Cheyenne’s amendment request at a Nov. 20 meeting.
The CK Gold Project represents a significant investment in Laramie County, balancing economic development with community impact, and the additional funds are intended to help the city manage costs associated with supporting infrastructure, services, and other local impacts during the mine’s construction and operation.
Originally reported by Alyssa Tolman Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Wyoming News.
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