NEWS: TAM plans camp at Pine Point siteTamerlane plans camp at Pine Point mine siteBy SHAWN BELL, SRJ Reporter
A five-year extension for lead-zinc mining exploration, if approved,will allow Tamerlane Ventures to assess the viability of creating apermanent mining camp on the Pine Point land south of Great Slave Lake.
Tamerlane submitted an application Sept. 22 to extend diamond-drillingexploration past the current exploration's end date of Dec. 19, 2008.David Swisher, Tamerlane's vice president, said Tamerlane wants theoption to mine beyond the pilot project, which is waiting on a waterlicense before work can begin. Five other deposits have been identifiedin early exploration.
"The additional drilling we want to do is drilling out the remainingCominco projects they left behind," Swisher said. "We would utilize theexisting infrastructure that?s out there, in line with the drillprogram we conducted in 2007 and 2008."
Cominco shut down the Pine Point mine in 1987 after 20 years of exploration, leaving roads, a hydro plant and a railway line.
"Exploration allows us to go and confirm the viability of miningthere," Swisher added. "We're trying to create a mining camp there thatwill last for many years, for the benefit of the communities and ouraboriginal partners."
A five-year exploration license was granted to Tamerlane in 2001 andextended for two years in 2006. Tamerlane completed a two-phaseexploration program in 2005, when the company identified the Pine Pointpilot project (R190) site that will extract one million tonnes oflead-zinc ore over 12-15 months once a water license is granted.
"The environmental assessment process has given us time to provetechnically there is viability to mining R190," Swisher said. "We'vebeen able to prove now it is viable to mine the other five sites usingR190 technology."
The pilot project aims to justify Tamerlane's confidence in new technology it is using, Swisher clarified.
This includes using a frozen ring of ice around the project perimeterfor groundwater control, underground shaft-sinking and lateraldevelopment beneath the surface.
The proposed new exploration begins with Cominco?s Pine Point minesites, but Swisher wouldn't rule out additional exploration on theproperty.
"If we wanted to do true exploration, we would work on minimizing ourimpact," Swisher said. "First of all we will confirm what Cominco leftbehind. If the opportunity exists then we would look at doing potentialnew exploration work."
Tamerlane?s 2008 exploration work involved hiring two aboriginalpartners. The provision of supplies such as cement, drilling suppliesand food were mostly provided by aboriginal communities around the PinePoint land.
"It is important for us as we continue moving ahead that we inform ourcommunities and keep working together with them," Swisher said.