The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Alaska regulators say they will seek additional information about new plan to ship ore down the Taku River before issuing permits
Redfern Resources Ltd. has come up with a new plan for transporting supplies and ore up and down the Taku River between the company's Tulsequah Chief zinc-copper-lead-gold-silver project in British Columbia and the Port of Juneau, about 40 kilometers, or 65 miles away.
The new proposal, submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Nov. 19, outlines the use of shallow draft river tugs, tracked articulated vehicles, modified Morgan Skidders, and several other support vehicles to propel and guide air cushion barges on the river route between the mine project across the B.C. border and the river's mouth near Juneau.
In Juneau, the company intends to load ore produced at Tulsequah Chief onto barges for a short trip north to the Skagway Ore Terminal where it would be loaded onto ships bound for smelters in Asia.
The plan modifies an earlier proposal submitted to state regulators in December 2007 in which Redfern outlined an experimental vehicle called an "Amphitrac" that it planned to use to propel the air cushion barges along the river. In May, Redfern abandoned the idea of using the Amphitrac as a tow vehicle due to delays it encountered in obtaining a detailed design.
Regulators reveal new plan
After reviewing the junior's new proposal in recent weeks, state regulators concluded that changes in it are significant enough to require Vancouver B.C.-based Redfern to reapply for permits to run barges on the Taku River.
The 28-mile section of the transportation route between the mouth of the river and the US/Canada border requires two State of Alaska permits: a Land Use Permit from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining, Land and Water, and a Fish Habitat Permit from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Habitat.
In addition, DNR's Division of Coastal and Ocean Management requires an Alaska Coastal Management Plan consistency review.
On Dec. 5 DNR released Redfern's application and coastal consistency review documents on the "Tulsequah Chief Mine River Barging Proposal" for public review and comment. DNR said it is a new project review and previously submitted comments will not be considered.
DNR defends 30-day comment period
State regulators have come under fire for the relative brevity of the Alaska Coastal Management Plan consistency review period they established for the new transportation plan. Critics said the 30-day comment period and the six-day notice for a public meeting were too short, citing a 50-day review period for Redfern's previous transportation plan last December.
DNR mining coordinator Tom Crafford told Mining News that 30 days is the appropriate length for the ACMP consistency review, which is managed by DNR's Division of Coastal and Ocean Management, and the longer 50-day comment period for last year's review also should have been 30 days.
Redfern presented the Taku transportation plan to the public during an informational meeting held at Centennial Hall in Juneau Dec. 11. State regulators also attended the meeting to inform the public of the consistency review and permitting processes.
The public meeting, according to Crafford, was held as early as possible to allow those interested enough time to submit written comments to the permitting agencies before the end of the 17-day ACMP comment period.
Information and testing required
The mining coordinator told Mining News Dec. 18 that the permitting agencies have submitted multiple requests for additional information, and the Division of Coastal and Ocean Management is in the process of compiling the requests into an official request for additional information that will be submitted to Redfern, a subsidiary of Redcorp Ventures Ltd.
The RFAI "stopped the clock" on the ACMP consistency review Dec. 17. The clock will restart when the company supplies the state with the information requested.
A Redcorp spokeswoman told Mining News that the company is expecting the information request from the state. But after nearly two years of working on the transportation plan, the junior believes it is prepared to answer any questions the regulators have.
"The permitting process for our proposed transportation system using the air cushion barges has been a harmonized process in that agencies from both sides of the border - State of Alaska as well as federal agencies have, together with B.C. provincial and federal agencies formed a working group committee.
This working group has been working collaboratively together for the past two years.
As a group, all of the various issues and concerns regarding the transportation system have been documented in an issues tracking table and have been vetted through a risk assessment process in order to develop monitoring programs as it relates to fisheries and wildlife," said Salina Landstad, Redcorp's manager of corporate communications.
According to Crafford, state regulators also will require testing and operational demonstrations of the air cushion barge and tow vehicles before permits will be issued for operation on the Taku River. The mining coordinator anticipates the state also will require testing on the river. These tests would potentially involve operating the ACB on the river without a load, followed by operations with a barge loaded with inert cargo.
Landstad told Mining News that when construction of the air cushion barge is completed, it and the tow vehicles will be shipped to Juneau. The company anticipates delivery early in 2009.
Anchorage firm to operate ACB
Once the Vancouver B.C.-based junior receives permits to operate the air cushion barge, the company plans to begin barging supplies needed to finish construction at the mine site.
Redcorp said it has contracted Anchorage-based Delta Development Group to operate the tow vehicles on the Taku River during the winter months.
The company also reports that Crowley Maritime Corp., a global marine transportation and logistics services company, will act as technical adviser for the barge operations. Not only does Crowley have extensive experience with maritime operations, but it also operates vehicles similar to the tow vehicles on Alaska's North Slope.
Redcorp hires Global Project Management
Redfern has targeted production at the Tulsequah Chief Mine by the end of 2009. To achieve maximum efficiency in completing construction at the underground zinc-copper-lead-gold-silver mine project, the junior has hired Global Project Management Corp. to head the project management team and provide owner's representation on site and with external contractors.
Redcorp said Global's principal, William McKenzie, P. Eng, is a well-known expert in project development and construction management in the mining industry and other major projects. McKenzie will bring in additional key staff in order to achieve maximum efficiency during the main construction period at the mine site through 2009.
"Global is a well-known and highly experienced company with extensive experience in project development and construction within the mining industry and have been involved with other mines such as Eskay Creek, Mount Polley and Diavik to name a few. Their experience in project development and cost controls will be of great assistance to us as we develop the Tulsequah Chief mine," Landstad told Mining News.
Global will assist Redfern in integrating key operating staff into construction management to ensure that there is a smooth transition to operations when the mine is built.
Tulsequah construction
Redfern said the final bridge and causeway connecting the mine site's access roads was put in place Nov. 30, allowing full movement of equipment and supplies to the site and associated key infrastructure facilities.
Landstad said completion of the road and the bridge allows crews to begin construction and installation of a water treatment plant.
Construction at the project has been suspended for three weeks, starting Dec. 18, for the holidays. In the meantime the company awaits a project execution plan from Global. The Redcorp Board of Directors may extend the suspension of construction activities beyond the three weeks scheduled.
Once crews return to work they will also be engaged in on-site preparation, foundation work, preparation of the mill site, retaining walls and other activities involved with shaping the site for the various surface buildings at the project.
Contractors at the mine also will be working on underground development. The underground work encompasses the construction of a new underground mine beneath old workings that were previously operated by Cominco Ltd. in the 1950s.
The existing 5200 Level drift will be used as the primary access to the mine for all personnel, mine services, equipment and supplies. The drift will be enlarged to accommodate modern diesel trackless equipment. The new mine will operate as a ramp-entry truck haulage operation for about two years, after which the company plans to use a 2-meter-by-8-meter inclined shaft to hoist rock out of the mine.
Tulsequah Chief is believed to contain a probable reserve of 5.4 million metric tons grading 1.40 percent copper, 1.20 percent lead, 6.33 percent zinc, 2.59 g/t gold and 93.69 g/t silver. With the current reserves, the junior anticipates an eight-year mine life.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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