Companies already investing in BC’s northwest

Canadian Mining Journal Staff | January 1, 2012 | 12:00 am

Capstone Mining is advancing its Kutcho Creek copper-zinc mine toward production; the PFS was completed in 2011. Early planning foresees development of an underground mine and a small start pit. The mill will have a capacity of 2,500 tpd. Pre-production capital costs are $187.3 million, including contingencies. Copper output will be in the neighbourhood of 34.7 million lb/yr.
Copper Fox Metals is investigation its Schaft Creek copper-gold-moly project. It has also been the subject of a PFS. The deposit is estimated to contain more than one billion tonnes of measured and indicated resources.
Fortune Minerals recently took on partner Posco Canada to help develop the Mount Klappen metallurgical coal mine. It’s estimated the mine could produce up to 3 mt/y. With 2.8 billion tonnes of coal, the mine is being called one of the largest underdeveloped deposits in the world.
Hard Creek Nickel says its Turnagain nickel-cobalt property looks positive for a possible mine, an 87,000-t/d nickel-cobalt flotation plant and an Outotec nickel chloride leach plant. Combined they would produce 35,000 tonnes of nickel metal and 2,000 tonnes of cobalt hydroxide annually. Project life would be at least 24 years.
NovaGold and Teck Resources are still working on plans for $5.16 billion truck-and-shovel pit operation at the Galore Creek copper deposit. The project, with a 95,000 t/d concentrator, has the potential to be one of the larger, lowest cost copper producers in the world.
Seabridge Gold‘s KSM gold-copper project is currently having its PFS updated, despite an earlier report that said the project would be a profitable 52-year operation. Proven and probable reserves are 2.2 million tonnes averaging 0.55 g/t Au and 0.21% Cu plus silver and moly.