Mining

Once considered barren ground for gold, the west end of the Timmins camp has become a hotbed of activity with major exploration breakthroughs in recent years.

A study outlining the full economic blow of the May closure of Xstrata’s Kidd Metallurgical Complex in Timmins is giving local officials ammunition in their fight to shake the province into action.

A new labour deal at Xstrata Nickel combined with improving mineral prices has spurred Ursa Major Minerals to re-start an open pit and begin shipping base and precious metals ore to Sudbury for processing.

The proponent behind a Lake Superior trap rock open pit mine could begin carving out a granite quarry this year if a new joint venture partner is secured. Bruce Staines, mine manager of Superior Aggregates Inc.

It only seems fitting that Greater Sudbury would be the testing site for a new underground mine technology that could change the face of deep mining forever.

As the fortunes of the mining industry begin to recover, so too are drilling firms with demand out pacing supply.

With $15 million in exploration and a dozen drill rigs set to scatter across its Kirkland Lake-area properties, 2010 is shaping up to be a banner year for the ever-ambitious gold-focused Queenston Mining Inc.

KWG Resources, Spider Resources and Freewest Resources are the triumvirate of junior miners behind a monumental chromite discovery that will open up Ontario’s Far North and make the province a first-time producer of a highly strategic global mineral.

With $29 million in exploration and $134 million in project spending budgeted for 2010, this marks the year Lake Shore Gold is set to make the leap from junior to mid-tier.

Coleman and Creighton mines are being prepared to operate at full production, according to media reports. Ore from both operations is needed to feed the now active smelter in Copper Cliff, says Steve Ball, Vale Inco spokesperson.