Porcupine Gold Mines has completed a Pre-Feasibility Study on the Hollinger which is a review of the technical and economic viability of the project. This project seeks to assess the economic viability of returning the past-producing Hollinger and McIntyre Mines to production via the development of an open pit operation.
Porcupine is currently undertaking a Feasibility Study and beginning the formal Permitting and Consultation Stages of the project where communication of information to the public, collection of feedback and submission of permit applications to the government will take place..
The Hollinger Project presents a unique challenge in mine development as it is located immediately adjacent to the downtown core of the City of Timmins. Due to this sensitive location, any plans for development must account not only for the usual economic factors, but must also ensure that the effects on nearby stakeholders are minimal. The community needs to be treated as a partner in this project in order for it to be successful.
Click here to view the Hollinger Project animation.
Click here to review and complete the Open House Questionnaire & Comment Sheet.
History
Land was first staked in the Hollinger and McIntyre area in 1910 and it is believed that nearby Gillies Lake was named after the discoverer of the Hollinger deposit, Alex Gillies. Both the Hollinger and McIntyre Mines went into operation separately in the period between 1910 and 1911 and operated continuously until their closure in 1968 and 1988, respectively. The McIntyre Mill continued to operate until 1990 as a custom mill. Some surface mining took place on the Hollinger Mine property in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Since 1910, over 19.5 million ounces of gold have been recovered from the Hollinger Mine while about 10.8 million ounces were recovered from the McIntyre Mine along with 67,000 tons of copper.
Hollinger Project Contact Information
Dave Bucar
Strategic Development Manager
Phone: +1 (705) 235-6521
Fax: +1 (705) 235-6598
Cell: +1 (705) 465-4055
Email: dave.bucar@goldcorp.com
Hollinger Project Information Centre
979 Algonquin Blvd East (next to Comfort Inn)
Schumacher, ON
P0N 1G0
Phone: +1 (705) 264-0087
Hours of Operation
Re-Opening May 28, 2010
Monday to Friday (12 noon to 4:00 pm)
Wednesday (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm)
Facility available for viewing upon request after hours or for specific meetings ... contact Dave Bucar.
Closure Options
Porcupine Gold Mines has been managing closure work on the Hollinger and McIntyre Mines for the past 10 years. In 2007, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines approved Closure Plans for both properties. Updating of these Closure Plans will be required for any new mining scenario.
Proposed Plan
Detailed studies have determined that the removal of mine hazards through filling or mining of historic mine workings would allow for partial to full future use of the Hollinger property.
A several-phase open pit will be mined beginning in 2012 to remove the majority of the mine hazards, as well as generate rock that will be used to construct an environmental control berm surrounding the property. This berm will reduce noise and dust emanating from the mine site to the community. It will act as a safety barrier and will also provide a tourist opportunity which will allow people to walk along portions of the berm on a new trail system to watch the mining taking place.
New Pit Configuration & Walking Trail
Haul Road
Porcupine has reviewed numerous options for the haulage of ore from the Hollinger Mine to the existing Dome Mill. Several different routes have been studied including Highway 101 and Moneta Avenue to Gold Mine Road, but this is not ideal due to the interaction with residential areas and the community. This road will be approximately 5 kilometers long and will be constructed as far as possible from the residential community to the north and south. The road will be located using the existing hillside and tree cover to aid in the reduction of noise to acceptable levels as needed. Berms will also be built along the haul road to further reduce the noise. Configuration of the final haul road alignment has not yet been determined.
Proposed Haulage Routes
Underground Opportunities
Exploration drill programs have identified several underground mining opportunities which will be further investigated. Both past-producing underground mines, the Hollinger and the McIntyre, provide potential for a long-term future.
Final Closure
Upon completion of this project, all affected areas will be re-vegetated such that new growth is self-sustaining. Porcupine's end goal is to improve downstream water quality and allow redevelopment of the property for recreational purposes.
Porcupine will actively communicate our project to the community and concerns will be integrated into final planning stages.
With sustainined mining operations, Porcupine Gold Mines can continue to employ over 600 people and several hundred contractors for many years to come, all of which will benefit the future of the City of Timmins.
On-Site Storage of Rock and View of Final Rehabilitation Efforts
Proposed Schedule
The latest formal public information update was held on May 19 / 20, 2010 at the McIntyre Arena as part of the Big Event Mining Trade Show. This was the kickoff to the Permitting and Consultation Stage of the project. The Hollinger Project Information Centre will be open to answer ongoing questions and concerns. The table below provides an overview of the project to date with key decision points indicated in the timeline.
Permitting / Consultation
Goldcorp will actively communicate our Hollinger Project to the community and concerns will be integrated into final planning through these feasibility and permitting stages. Goldcorp is undertaking an Environmental Review process as part of the permitting phase to educate the community about the project and provide details on our Environmental studies and effects analysis. An Environmental Review Report is available for public review and comment. It will be available at several locations including the Information Centre, Timmins Public Library, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry and here on-line.
PGM is interested in forming a specific Community Advisory Committee to address concerns. This group will meet monthly, or as needed. We are currently soliciting volunteers. Please indicate your interest by contacting PGM.
Click here to review the Draft Environmental Review Report.
Past Events Leading to October 2008
Pre-Feasibility Study
The Hollinger Project began a Pre-Feasibility Study in early 2007. This decision was made after several years of exploration drilling success confirmed that the historic underground mining did not remove all of the gold from the ground. The Pre-Feasibility Study consists of numerous technical, environmental and economic studies to help determine if the potential is there for a mining operation at the former Hollinger and McIntyre Mines. All potential aspects of a project are reviewed at a high level to determine all of the risks involved. It is an insurance policy to provide confidence that the project will be economic before spending much larger amounts in the feasibility and construction stages. The Pre-Feasibility Study was completed in June 2008. At this time the project will be reviewed internally at Goldcorp with ultimate approvals coming from our Corporate office if they deem the project positive. If the project is approved, it will move to the Feasibility Study / Construction stage. At this time, results of the Pre-Feasibility Study will be made public and ongoing consultation will continue.
Engineering Studies
Due to the highly technical nature of designing a mine, numerous engineering studies are required to determine if a project is feasible. The following studies were completed at a high level to gather baseline information and determine any fatal flaws in the Project:
* Pit Wall Stability (geotechnical)
* Transportation Alternatives
* Soil Stability for Open Pit and Waste Rock Piles
* Municipal Infrastructure Identification
* Metallurgical Test Work
* Milling and Tailings Options
All of this information was used in our Mining Model to determine the viability of this project.
Environmental Studies
In order to determine the potential effects of a mine on the surrounding environment, numerous Environmental Baseline Studies were completed. The information collected was used in our Mining Model and will be used for permitting requirements. The following studies were completed to collect existing information and this information was used to model the effects of mining on the environment and surrounding community:
* Noise
* Dust
* Vibration
* Surface and Groundwater
* Cultural Heritage
* Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitat
Permitting
The only permitting completed to date includes the submission of Closure Plans and the update of the site Permit to Take Water. Closure Plans for the Hollinger and McIntyre Industrial Sites were submitted to the Ministry of Northern Development & Mines in December 2006 and were approved in 2007. The plans overviewed the existing conditions of the properties and our conceptual plans for closure. The existing Permit to Take Water for the McIntyre Shaft was amended to allow for dewatering from the Hollinger Main Shaft to provide water for up to five exploration drill rigs.
The following link to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines website, presents the Mining Sequence and the Mine Life Cycle as visuals.
Hollinger Project
