By Kelly Louiseize
CVRD Inco has confirmed a new ore resource that could add almost 30 years to the 104-year old Creighton Mine in Lively, Ontario and approximately $800 million to the local economy if it is brought into production.
Dubbed the Creighton Deep Project or the Creighton Complex, the program has the potential to almost double the proven and probable resource from 17-million metric tonnes grading 3.1 per cent nickel and 2.5 per cent copper up to 32-million metric tonnes grading 1.9 to 2.2 per cent nickel and 2.0 to 2.3 per cent copper.
An $8.15 million strategic scoping study began in January of 2006. Three drills are currently in operation and three exploration stations are excavated into the footwall beyond the current operations allowing exploration along the strike length of all the ore bodies to a depth of 10,500 feet. Drilling is 50 per cent completed and is scheduled to be finished by April of next year where the results will be re-evaluated until the end of 2008.
The deep exploration program is being executed at the same time Creighton’s production commitments are being met and the next phase of mine deepening known as Phase 2A, are coming online, says John Townend, chief geologist with Creighton Mine.
“These activities require a tremendous amount of coordinated efforts to schedule and execute the delivery dates set out by the projects and production crew.”
Within every project there are key milestones or targets to meet, whether it would be diamond drilling, construction or infrastructure installations required to support mining.
“Delivering these projects safely, on time and on budget is important for Creighton’s future. That is what makes it exciting and challenging and at the same time fun,” he says
Advanced exploration diamond drilling has returned some significant high-grade nickel, copper and platinum group elements at the 7,810 to the 10,500 foot Level, says Alex Henderson, manager of business planning and mines technical services.
“The results are very encouraging with the potential for considerable expansion on the mineral resource base that we have at Creighton,” Henderson says.
Based on current mining rates of 1.1-million tonnes per year, Creighton Complex has the potential to add approximately 29 years to its life, according to company statements, however, experts will better determine the exact mine life by the end of the study.
Creighton has delivered over 173-million metric tonnes over its life with an average grade of 1.52 per cent nickel and 1.22 per cent copper.
CVRD Inco mine employees will be instrumental in the development of the subsequent phases. The scoping study will determine how mine production will occur.
One suggestion is to sink a shaft from surface to the 5,000-foot Level, then another to 10,500 feet, while another option would be to use the existing shafts and develop a ramp down to 10,500 feet, then truck the ore up to the 7,000-foot Level.
Mining at depth does have its challenges, but Creighton has a few advantages.
The companies have been mining the Creighton reserve from the top down, learning about rock stress and temperature increases along the way. A few years back Inco put in a cold stope to take advantage of natural cooling, rather than installing a refrigeration plant.
“We don’t look at (mining deeper) as a quantum leap. We are doing this on the step-by-step basis,” Henderson says.
With the help of organizations including the Deep Mining Research Consortium (DMRC ) and the Centre of Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), new technology will help companies access deeper ore bodies.
CVRD Inco is in the midst of one of the largest periods of growth in over 30 years focusing on new resources, while at the same time investing in productivity. Henderson anticipates the total price of the scoping study will be around $50 million, and that is just to determine if they have an economical reserve.
The Copper Cliff Deep (CCD) project parallels the Creighton Complex in terms of the scope of work. If the company were to go ahead with CCD, the price tag would be in the neighbourhood of $800 million, Henderson says. Totten Mine, an approved project began this year with a price tag of $445 million.
Research and development will continue into 2008 as feasibility studies at each of the mines get underway. To support the upcoming demand and to fill positions as a result of retirees, the company is expected to hire 500 people.
