Mineral Exploration

Photograph : Government of British Columbia W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 53 studies at Giscome in support of its environmental assessment application and final lime plant and quarry designs. A 1,000-tonne bulk limestone sample was collected for processing tests. Fertoz Limited upgraded the resource at Wapiti East and completed a scoping study. A seasonal shallow open-pit mine is proposed with production of up to 75,000 tonnes per year of phosphate rock. A small-mine application was submitted in 2014. Green Mountain Gemstones Inc. returned to Ogden Mountain to mine and explore for nephrite jade. COAL Coal mines in the Peace River coal- field of northeast B.C. were suspended and placed on care and maintenance in 2014. Walter Energy, Inc.'s Perry Creek (Wolverine) mine remained idle, while mined inventory from Brule was trans- ported to Willow Creek for processing and rail load-out, completed in May. At the Trend-Roman mine, Peace River Coal Inc. (Anglo American plc) continued transport and rail load-out of coal stockpile in January. The fully per- mitted Quintette (Babcock) mine of Teck Coal Limited was idle. HD Mining Internat ional Ltd. continued decline construction at its Murray River project for the extraction of an underground bulk coal sample. The decline was at 1,300 metres in length by July. Underground exploration drill- ing targeted the first workable seam. Engineering and environmental studies continued, and a provincial environmen- tal assessment certificate was granted for a longwall mining operation with a sale- able coal production rate of 4.8 million tonnes per year. Glencore plc continued engineering and environmental studies in support of its environmental assessment applica- tion for the Sukunka project, which was accepted for review. An open-pit mining operation with up to three million tonnes per year production of saleable metallur- gical coal is proposed. An updated geo- logical model increased coal resources. Following a 2014 pre-feasibility study update, Atrum Coal NL completed engi- neering studies and coal quality tests, and upgraded the resource and geologi- cal models for the Groundhog North component of its Groundhog project. An underground mine expected to pro- duce 3.2 million tonnes per year of sale- able, ultra-high-rank anthracite product is planned. Anthracite coal has both steelmaking and industrial applications. Copper oxide minerals in outcrop at Kiska Metals Corporation's Kliyul property.

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