Geotechnical Laundry List From the March 2, 2012 report filed on SEDAR on Friday. 2011 Geotechnical Review: Marc Rougier, Golder consultant, reviewed all of AXI's previous geotechnical work and visited Roche Bay in September. He filed a report in December 2011 with the following recommendations for additional work to support the 2012 feasibility study:
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1) "The footwall rocks of the C-Zone pit require targeted drilling to define their rock mass character."
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2) "The depth of permafrost to date exceeds the vertical depth of the deepest boreholes to date. For FS level study, the measuring or extrapolating with confidence the depth of permafrost is required hydrogeological information."
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3) "Intact rock strength estimates were made in previous studies. This data should be supplemented with laboratory strength UCS testing on the major rock types."
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4)"The exploration core database provides over 1,500 m of qualitative Joint Roughness Condition (JRC) logging. This data should be supplemented with laboratory direct shear strength testing of representative joints."
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5) "An engineering geology model of the Roche Bay Iron Project site will need to be developed based on the collection of drill hole data orientated perpendicular to slope walls and include hydrogeological, structural data, and strength data."
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6) " the outlining of seven geotechnical drill holes planned for the proposed C-Zone pit that would collect information in the southeast and northwest pit walls."
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To summarize, the Rougier geotechnical review was filed in December and recommends targeted geotechnical drilling, various laboratory tests, permafrost measuring for hydrogeological information, and development of a engineering geology model of Roche Bay. Two and a half months later and this laundry list of work for the feasibility study is supposed to be completed already? Not likely.
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Some will say, who cares about this geotechnical nonsense? Well, the DFS needs to precisely define the design of the open pit mine. The only way to do this is geotechnical drilling, laboratory testing of rocks and engineering models. The DFS also needs to solve the problem of safely constructing the mine's buildings and infrastructure on permafrost. This also requires geotechnical drilling and measurement of the permafrost at depth. All of this information must be in the DFS.