RE:Barge load update? That last NR pretty much says it all..
Highbank Resources Ltd., CEO/President, Jim Place is pleased to announce that a bulk sample of approximately 750 tonnes of bank run aggregate (pit-run) and quarried stone from Swamp Point North has been delivered to the Port of Prince Rupert. The material will be stored on land leased by the Company where it will undergo processing and product testing.
Processing of the pit run will consist of crushing, screening, and washing to produce coarse (gravel) and fine (sand) concrete aggregates. Aggregate evaluation will be carried out by a certified concrete aggregate testing laboratory. Note: Jim Place worked for Levelton a few years ago, and he is named in HBK's 43-101 as the geologist who signed off on the original testing as done by Levelton in 2005.
The second part of the NR is clear on HBK's view of the potential upcoming work:
Eagle Spirit Energy’s $16B Alberta-B.C. pipeline gets backing of First Nations chiefs – www.ese-gathering.com
The pipeline plan obtained its ‘licence ‘as B.C. First Nations chiefs signed on to the project. Major Canadian oil producers including Suncor Energy., Cenovus Energy Inc. and Meg Energy Corp. are supporting its go ahead, while investment broker AltaCorp Capital Inc. has been lined up to organize financing. The pipeline’s right of way would be on an energy corridor that would be pre-approved by First Nations to also house gas pipelines, hydro lines and fiber optic cable. Eagle Spirit is also backed by the Aquiline Group of Vancouver, which owns the Vancouver Canucks NHL franchise and other major development projects.
Oilsand’s giant Suncor, the Fort McKay First Nation and the Mikisew Cree First Nation, both in Alberta, also announced the completion of a 49 percent partnership in Suncor’s East Tank Farm Development for $503 million. “The deal represents the largest business investment to date by a First Nation entity in Canada, and not only demonstrates the great potential for partnerships between First Nations and industry but serves as a model for how First Nations can achieve greater self-determination through financial independence,” said Fort McKay chief Jim Boucher.
The pipeline route is planned to land on the B.C. coast in the Prince Rupert area, and puts Highbank’s Swamp Point North project as the closest major coastal aggregate supplier.
If you pick up the phone and call HBK, you won't get much more out of them, at this time. I've heard that the testing is not expected to take very long, and no problems with quality are anticipated. It is interesting that HBK chose to spend money on doing this, during winter - not something you'd really want to do at this time of the year unless you could really justify it. So, yes, its likely that someone is interested. OTOH - just because someone is 'kicking the tires' doesn't mean much until HBK has a PO in hand.