Delays Due to FiresI've noticed some talk in regards to PWM and the lack of news that's been coming out this summer on a few places on the interwebs. It would be nice to get this from the company and not some random named Nafets10, but I took a deep dive into this summer’s conditions and reports issued by the Ontario Government, and have a well researched factsheet here outlining delays to the program.
TLDR: - June 5-July 10- No work possible at all- Steele Township under fire restrictions.
- July 10-July 21- Restrictions revised to allow travel and work in Steele Township with permits- this would be the first day that work could begin assuming permitting was sought and obtained immediately.
- Friday, July 21- All restrictions lifted- in my opinion work would have begun the following week, which was only last week. Assuming crews were primed and ready to go, they’ve likely only been on site for a few days at this point.
I worry a little, because a lot of the speculation is extremely bullish- we should definitely be positive, but cautiously so. Yes, they’re looking to put out a resource estimate this year using the summers drill programs results, but there are so many ifs between here and there we need to be really careful about over hyping things. That all being said, I do agree though that sometime around this week or next we should be getting an update or something strange is definitely going on; but, for now, let's take a closer look at the Cochrane 7 Fire (COC007) and its wider ramifications for Power Metals Corp! A long winded but well researched report follows so get cozy, it's really long <3
All information is obtained from
https://www.ontario.ca/page/forest-fires Older reports and updates obtained from the same site via the Wayback Machine!
COC 007 was first observed on June 2, 2023. By June 5 eastward traveling winds and conditions conducive to bush fires had caused the fire to expand to almost 2000 hectares. This and other fires in the Northeast Region caused heavy smoke and extreme fire risks resulting in a heavy smoke notice, followed by the implementation of
Emergency Area Order (EAO 2023-03) effective
June 5, 2023. This was extremely wide reaching, but of note was Section 3 of
Travel, use, and access Restrictions in the Northeast Region – MNRF Hearst-Cochrane-Kapuskasing District (COC006 and COC007 fires) which: - Restricted. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within the following townships: Moody, Galna, Knox, Kerrs, Steele, Berry, Sargeant, Bonis, Scapa, Hepburn, Abbotsford, Adair
The fire would continue to expand at an extremely alarming pace, reaching almost 9000 hectares by June 8 and reaching an apex of over 37000 hectares in mid-June. For perspective, that’s bigger than the entire island of Malta. Firefighters from Mexico and numerous Canadian teams fought the fire the entire time almost non-stop (and actually continue right up until the writing of this report). I truly think if this company does succeed and generates some juicy numbers, all longs need to get together and find a way to pay it forward to those folks- they’re actual heroes. But I digress.
With changing conditions and efforts from firefighting teams,
EAO 2023-03 would be updated 7 a.m. Monday, July 10, 2023. This revised update update affected Steele Township as access and use was still restricted, but allowed via permit:
- Restricted “Unless authorized by a travel permit:” All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Steele Township as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
That means, beginning on July 10 the company
might have had access to the area. Particularly important in my opinion, given their priority targets for the program being West Joe and the area between Main and West which are further from the fire, which was within a few kilometers of the Northeast Extension at its closest in mid-June.
Conditions would continue to improve through the week of July 10, resulting in the lifting of EAO 2023-03 on Friday, July 21, 2023.
From this, we can infer that the earliest date for sure that the company could have started working was on this date. I find it more likely they would start the following week, July 24, to give crews time to prepare and again it depends on their level of pre-preparedness. Either way, that was only last week, I think its more likely they’ve just got out there these past couple of days. We’ll see though, that’s why I’m thinking this week or next week we’ll at least get an update! I'm not super worried because numerous reports have noted that this area doesn't have seasonally restrictive drilling and exploration conditions, so there's no imminent deadline in that regard.
Not exactly the new folks want to hear, but that’s the bricks sometimes! I was also excited at the prospect of Cesium as a possible substitute for Gallium given the export restrictions that kicked in yesterday, but after more research that seems unlikely for a number of reasons.
Hopefully there’s some explanations and reassurances here! If you made it down this far I figure you’re invested in this company so let’s be optimistic, but cautiously so! I expect good things, but I don’t want anyone to get burned- the ocean is full of sharks. That was a poorly mixed metaphor but anyway, stay safe and take care of yourself <3