You would have preferred and/or expected the company to have...

You would have preferred and/or expected the company to have signed a binding agreement with mining contractors at this point? The company has yet to file a notion of intent to mine, has yet to sign agreements with consumers, and still needs some approvals from government entities. Sounds to me like it is a bad idea to sign a binding agreement with mining contractors if you don't have these yet. 
However it is a good idea to talk to mining contractors if you expect that the company will be able to mine in the foreseeable future.