Where are those new BC mines? Mining Association gives us a hint

Andrew Topf | September 29, 2011 | 6:06 am Base Metals Energy Precious Metals Canada Europe Coal Copper Gold 

BC Premier Christy Clark warmed the hearts of the mining community in British Columbia last week when she committed her government to speeding approvals  for new projects, and help to open up eight new mines and expand nine existing mines by 2015. All that mining activity, Clark promised, would create around 1800 jobs in a province that has not always been particularly mine-friendly, and provide spinoff employment for some 12,000 people.

All good news for the local mining industry, to be sure. But not a few eyebrows were raised by the optimistic numbers, with at least one blogger on MINING.com asking the obvious question: Where are these mines?

“8000 new jobs, that’s 1000 jobs/spinoffs for each new mine. There’s only a handful of mines in the entire country that support those kinds of numbers, none that I’m aware of in B.C. I’d say Ms. Clark’s estimate is rather ambitious, but I suppose that’s her job, isn’t it?”

Pierre Gratton from the Mining Association of Canada gives us an idea. In a Globe and Mail article published Wednesday, Gratton names New Afton underground copper and gold mine, Mt. Milligan, a copper and gold open-pit mine near Prince George, and the Red Chris mine in northeast BC among the most likely candidates to make the Premier’s list.

Mr. Gratton listed off mines in the northeast, the southeast and Vancouver Island that were in the federal and provincial environmental assessment processes. He also mentioned mines that are undergoing modernization and expansions in the southern Interior, and plans for some new mines just being developed.

Notably, even though the BC government won’t name the mines, identifying potential sites  is not that difficult, with a list of operating mines, mines temporarily shut down, and mines under development or expansion all posted on the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources website, The Globe points out.  

 

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2 Comments

  • 1275Doubleneck

    If one were to speculate on which new mine projects are going to get pushed through they would have to take a look at the BC Enviromental Assessment Site which lists the following projects. (And to be fair we really cant count Mt Milligan & New Afton as they are already under construction and fully permitted.)

    Projects in currently active in the BC Environmental Review are.

    1) Ajax mine project (Also going through federal reveiw process)
    2)Central South Coal Project
    3)Chu Molybdenum
    4)Davidson Project
    5)Forjding River coal, Swift Project
    6)Harper Creek Gold/Silver
    7)Kitsault Mine Project (Also going through fed review process)
    8)Kurr Sulphretes
    9)Morrison Project

    There are a few other ones in the site as well but the list above is for the more advanced stage projects in the province wich are at least going through the feasibity study stage or have compliant resource estimates.

    Projects can be looked at in the BC Environmental Office website.

    http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/epic/html/deploy/epic_project_list_report.html#A

    And the Canadian Environmental Review website.(Major Projects MGT Office.)

    http://www.mpmo-bggp.gc.ca/index-eng.php

  • 1275Doubleneck

    PS Here is a direct link to the project list in going through the fed review process.

    http://www2.mpmo-bggp.gc.ca/MPTracker/projectlist-listedeprojet.aspx

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