The company has spent at least $2.5 billion on the project, whose total cost if built would be at least $10 billion due to delays and permitting costs.
Mines minister Mosebenzi Zwane noted that 19 of the 73 miners who died in South Africa last year lost their lives at operations run by those companies.
Integra Gold's recently released drill results on the Triangle deposit continue to show mineralization continuity, and more than one research firm highlights that 2017 is shaping up to be a potentially transformative year for the company.