Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/468124
12 S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 Jim Currie Bob Gallagher Photographs : Pretium Re source s Inc . , Mark Kinskofer E.A. Scholz Award Excellence in Mine Development RECIPIENTS: BOB GALLAGHER AND JIM CURRIE Bob Gallagher and Jim Currie are acknowledged for their key roles in the early stages of resource and economic evaluation, design and construction of the New Afton copper-gold mine near Kamloops, B.C. With Gallagher as president and CEO and Currie as former vice-president of operations for New Gold Inc., their co-operative spirit and enthusiasm led to the successful develop- ment of the largest underground panel block caving operation in Canada. The New Afton copper-gold por- phyry deposit is the deeper extension of the original Afton deposit that was oper- ated as an open-pit mine. DRC Resources Corporation, subsequently renamed New Gold Inc., acquired the historic Afton property and defined the deep deposit beneath and to the southwest of the original open pit. An advanced scop- ing study report in 2004 indicated the economic potential for developing this deposit by an underground panel block caving mining method. Gallagher provided overall leadership on the development of the project. He was successful in arranging and closing financings to fund exploration and mine development programs. He was also the point person for initiating proactive dis- cussions on the progress of the project and establishing a trusting relationship with the local people. This relationship- building paved the way for entering into a participation agreement with two local First Nations bands. Also, supporting the initiatives and programs of the BC Aboriginal Mine Training Association has elevated New Afton as an industry leader in employing skilled Aboriginal people in its workforce. Currie was initially associated with the New Afton project as a consultant to DRC Resources. He was involved in the early proposals to consider panel block caving to extract the ore as this low-cost, bulk-tonnage mining method could be economically advantageous for develop- ing the New Afton resource. Currie also led the co-ordination of the advanced scoping study that included specific stud- ies and evaluations of mine resources and reserves, design, plant site layout and pre- liminary cost estimates. He later joined New Gold as vice-president of opera- tions, where he was responsible for three operating mines as well as construction