Base metal mine news

Endako mine life grows to 27 years

Thompson Creek Metals Co. of Toronto has updated the ore reserves and mine life for its Endako open pit mine near Fraser Lake, B.C. The estimates made by Wardrop Engineering indicate that at the current rate of 11.2 million tonnes of ore per year, the mine life is 27 years, exclusive of stockpiled material.

The latest estimates include proven reserves of 112.0 million t grading 0.053% Mo and probable reserves of 164.0 million t grading 0.049% Mo. Together these categories contain 310.0 million lb Mo, 75% of which represents Thompson Creek’s interest in the mine. A Japanese company, Sojitz Moly Resources of Vancouver, owns the remaining 25%.

Options suggested in the Wardrop study include combining the existing Endako, East Denak and West Denak pits into one “super pit”. If a higher molybdenum price of US$12.50/lb rather than US$10.00/lb is used, reserves would expand to include 404.0 million lb Mo. With higher prices, the life of the project would grow to 39 more years.

Commercial production reached at Langlois

Toronto-based Breakwater Resources declares that commercial production was reached on July 1, 2007, at its reopened Langlois copper-zinc mine, 213 km north of Val d’Or, Que. The decision to put the property back into production was made in November 2005.

Breakwater made several improvements to the underground workings to control costs and ensure an uninterrupted supply of ore. Chief among these were the elimination of ore passes for Zone 97, a new level 9 ore dump and loading pocket, pre-development of several sublevels in Zone 97 and improvements for the underground mobile equipment fleet. Additionally, the operating plan includes continuing the exploration of Zone 97, which remains open to the east and at depth.

The Langlois deposit contains proven and probable reserves of 3.7 million tonnes grading 10.1% Zn and 0.8% Cu plus gold and silver values. The measured and indicated resources are 5.7 million t grading 10.7% Zn and 0.8% Cu, and the inferred resources are 18 million t grading 8.8% Zn and 0.5% Cu. With metals prices higher now than when the reopening decision was made, lower grade material not previously included may further expand the resources.