omer spring 2015

SPRING 2015

Ontario MineralExplorationREVIEW

www.omer.ca

The mineral sector in Northwestern Ontario: An economic driver

Important Ontario mining camps looking forward to a vibrant 2015

Goldcorp merger could potentially push the Ring of Fire forward

New survey of ‘hidden’ supply sector nearly doubles mining contributions to Ontario’s economyPUBL

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New survey of ‘hidden’ supply sector nearly doubles mining contributions to Ontario’s economy

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Spring 2015 3

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Minister’s update: Ministry of Northern Development and Mines 4

A message from the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association (NWOPA) 5

Eyes wide open: CEMI 6

The mineral sector in Northwestern Ontario: An economic driver 8

Making connections: New survey of ‘hidden’ supply sector nearly doubles mining contributions to Ontario’s economy 10

Technology and innovation to optimize mining operations: Meglab 11

Important Ontario mining camps looking forward to vibrant 2015 14

Mining-claim staking in remote areas - Ontario Mining Recorder order confirms use of helicopters 16

Could Goldcorp acquisition of Probe push the Ring of Fire forward? 18

New initiatives and programs improve safety for Ontario’s mining sector 20

Helping young children to cope when you work away 23

A sustainable future: Canada’s mining association a global leader in sustainability 24

Gone are the days of buildings with limitations: Britespan Building Systems Inc. 26

Dynamic Earth underground renewal 28

Pecor Anomaly; Serpent River Property - Elliot Lake, ON 31

Is it time to re-evaluate the approach to mineral exploration in an effort to reduce budgets? 34

GAL Group of Companies charts aggressive growth strategy for 2015 36

How to ‘extract more’ in mining 38

Equipment World: The mine dry locker experts 39

Your only turnkey environmental engineering service provider: Canadian Shield Consultants Agency Inc. 42

The importance of selecting an appropriate analytical package for your program 44

Index to advertisers 46

4 Ontario Mineral Exploration Review

Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

Minister’s Update

For more than a century, Ontario has been a leader in mineral ex-ploration and development. We are the number one producer in Canada for gold, nickel, copper and platinum, and thanks to the hard work of the men and women in the mineral development in-dustry, Ontario is ranked one of the world’s top 10 jurisdictions for exploration investments.

Whether it was driving North America’s industrialization in the

20th century, welcoming immigrants into our northern communi-

ties, or expanding international trade, resource development has

been a part of the fabric of our province and our nation. The min-

ing industry has survived and thrived in commodity cycles stretch-

ing back 120 years. We have overcome many challenges, and we’re

stronger for it.

Looking forward, I am excited about the continued growth of

the mining sector. Twenty-four mines have opened in the past 10

years, including a number of exciting projects like Detour Gold’s

Cochrane mine, which began mineral production in 2013, and the

opening of Vale’s Totten Mine last year. This was the first new mine

for Vale in the Sudbury Basin in more than 40 years. We expect

another three mines to open over the next couple of years despite

the recent global challenges of lower metal prices and reduced in-

vestment.

Building on this momentum, our government is also work-

ing to renew Ontario’s Mineral Development Strategy to further

strengthen the sector. Renewing the Mineral Development Strategy

will set out priori-

ties that will allow

us to seize oppor-

tunities for On-

tario’s mineral de-

velopment sector

to move forward in

a prosperous direc-

tion.

We are demon-

strating our leader-

ship in the proposed development in the Ring of Fire. Last year, our

government took a number of important steps to lay the ground-

work for its development, including the commitment of $1 billion

for strategic transportation infrastructure in the region and estab-

lishing the ROF Infrastructure Development Corporation. We’ve

also strengthened our partnership with First Nations through the

signing of a framework agreement with the Matawa-member First

Nations.

It is an exciting time to be involved in mineral exploration and

development in Ontario. The opportunities for growth in our

communities and for our economy are endless. I look forward to

continue working with you to ensure all Ontarians benefit from

the potential of our natural resources.

By Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines

Please recycle this publication afteryou have readand shared it.

Spring 2015 5

The Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association (NWOPA) op-erates out of Thunder Bay with a membership of approximately 450 prospectors, geologists, miners, service industry personnel, and gov-ernment employees. NWOPA’s mission is to “Represent and further the interests, serve the needs, and support the individual prospectors in Northwestern Ontario”. How the elected board members carryout this mission is driven by our members.

UpComIng EvEnts for 2015We have begun the year by designing and circulating a short online

survey on Ontario’s changes to the Mining Act and how our members

and others view these changes as they relate to mineral exploration

in the province. This survey can be completed in the matter of a few

minutes and we invite anyone who wishes to provide input to visit

our website at www.nwopa.net for the link to the survey. Our board

is represented on various government advisory committees that make

recommendations and provide feedback directly to the government

officials responsible for designing and implementing the new regula-

tions that will directly affect explorers in our province for generations.

Have your voice heard by filling out our survey.

2015’s activities and events will kick off with the Northwestern On-

tario Mines and Minerals Symposium (NWOMMS) held in Thunder

Bay on April 14th and 15th. This year’s theme is “Turning the Corner”,

and we are hoping that the summer season ahead will reflect our op-

timism with many field projects in full swing and new discoveries

made in Northwest Ontario. Registration and exhibitor forms will be

available soon, so be sure to stay tuned to our website for updates.

The symposium highlights recent discoveries and successes in North-

western Ontario made by our prospector and junior mining company

members. The speaker’s program is filled out with geoscience presen-

tations and the NWOPA’s Awards Banquet brings everything together

with a dinner and awards ceremony to acknowledge successful people

and projects during the previous year. Delegates find the event an op-

portunity to keep abreast of developments in the exploration field and

a good place to network with more than 500 attendees while visiting

the 100 exhibitors on the convention floor.

Coming up on June 6th will be the third-annual Thunder Bay

Mining Day, which will take place at Marina Park on Thunder Bay’s

beautiful waterfront. Mining Day is presented by NWOPA and other

local industry-related groups and is co-sponsored by many of the

companies with offices or activities in the NW Ontario region. In

2014 over 40 exhibitors presented interactive games and activities

with a mining-related theme to entertain the public and demystify

the work of the mining and exploration community. The under-

riding theme is to “Bring the Bush to Town”. The response from the

mining companies and the public has been overwhelming and con-

tributes to an educated public. Check out the gallery of pictures from

the first two years of the event, as well as information on this year’s

event at www.thunderbayminingday.ca.

NWOPA will also be participating in other local and regional shows

(NW Ontario Trappers Festival and the Geraldton Trade Show) as

part of our public relations work and outreach to the general public.

Please check out our new website for details on all the upcoming

and past events, and more information on our board members com-

mittees and what we’re doing for our membership.

2015 - LookIng AhEADWhile the downturn persists, there seems to be more optimism

noted early in the new year that our industry is beginning to stabilize

and perhaps we’re “turning the corner” with respect to available capi-

tal and investment in grassroots exploration. Only time will tell. We

still have some major issues to deal with in order to get back the con-

fidence of the investors. The NWOPA board is participating in several

ways and providing solutions to amend the problems, but it has been

an uphill battle and time consuming. Please take the time to reply to

the above-mentioned survey and be a part of the solution. Thank you.

Eventually – yes, eventually – the upturn in the industry will hap-

pen. Remember this slogan:

“From the stone age to the technology age, where would we be with-

out minerals, metals and mines?” – Steven Siemieniuk, vice-president,

NWOPA (January 2015).

For information or membership, please visit our webpage at www.NWOPA.net.

Booth display by Transition Metals, the recipients of last year’s Bernie Schnieders Discovery of the Year award.

Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association (NWOPA)

A message from the


The word “innovation” has many defini-tions, but perhaps French novelist Marcel Proust said it best: “The real voyage of dis-covery consists not in seeking new land-scapes, but in having new eyes.” Compara-tively, Proust’s words are echoed in the man-date of the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), a leading-edge organi-zation within the Canadian metal mining industry dedicated to innovation.

Simply put, the centre focuses on the

implementation of new and innovative so-

lutions in five strategic areas: exploration,

deep mining, integrated mine engineering,

underground mine construction, and envi-

ronment and sustainability. These solutions

are geared towards delivering innovation.

“If you’re not making a change in the way

things get done, then innovation hasn’t hap-

pened,” says Douglas Morrison, president

& CEO of CEMI, who accredits the cen-

tre’s step-change procedure—a three-step

plan involving research, development and

implementation (R&D+I)—to the centre’s

successful introduction of new industry

strategies. “A lot of people use the words ‘re-

search’ and ‘innovation’ interchangeably—

but they’re not the same. It has to have a

practical outcome to be a successful innova-

tion, whereas a research project is a success

whether you get the answer you wanted, or

some other answer.”

Following these three technical steps,

CEMI has now entered the commercializa-

tion phase to aid in bringing these innova-

tions to market.

Eyes wide open Canada’s Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) at the top of its game, creating solutions for the mineral exploration sectorBy Jillian Mitchell

A prototype canopy from CEMI’s Single Heading Lateral Development project.

Spring 2015 7

ExpLorAtIon InItIAtIvEsCurrently, CEMI boasts three operation-

al exploration-related developments: the

Rapid Development Program (RDP), the

Ultra-Deep Mining Network (UDMN), and

the FindMine initiatives. As with all CEMI

projects, all three initiatives will strive for

a reduction in cost/capital demands and

environmental impact, and will achieve a

research-to-marketplace status in one to

three years.

Rapid Development Program – The RDP’s

Single-Heading Lateral Development proj-

ect, which includes the creation of an ad-

vanced canopy designed to foster parallel

activities of support and drill processes at

the development face, is the most active of

CEMI’s exploration initiatives.

The canopy is poised to reduce the num-

ber of re-entries required during the four

major explorative mining processes, thereby

rendering time lost through a shortened

cycle.

“What we’re trying to do is change the se-

quence of activities we have in our develop-

ment cycle so that we can reduce its length,”

says Morrison. “The hope is that it will excel

the rate of advance. The rate of advance con-

trols the speed at which we get to a new ore

body. The faster you get to the ore, the better

the present value of the project.”

The mesh-concrete-steel design includes

two overlapping canopies—a face canopy

to protect the face machine and operators,

and a support canopy to protect the sup-

port machine and operators. This allows for

simultaneous activity, such as drilling and

charging alongside ground support.

Built to withstand 50 tonnes of ground

fall, the prototype successfully passed the

initial field trial in late 2014.

“It’s performed better than we expected,”

says Morrison, noting that the canopy was

pushed to hold 80 tonnes during the trial.

Two additional field trials will be imple-

mented in 2015 with the goal of introducing

a finalized design to industry by December

2015.

Ultra-Deep Mining Network (UDMN) – Managed by CEMI, UDMN aims to become

the leading expert in ultra-deep (below 2.5

kilometres) research and innovation, and

to solve the challenges that impact resource

extraction in these environments. By sup-

porting solution-providers capable of creat-

ing the industry-needed tools and technolo-

gies in the short term, it will lead the way

in helping ultra-deep mines to operate more

effectively and safely, generate more value,

improve the human environment, and en-

hance mine productivity.

Among these challenges is the need for

improved integrated personal protective

equipment (IPPE), such as helmets and spe-

cialized clothing better suited to hot under-

ground conditions.

According to Morrison, the new helmet

prototype will better integrate industry

add-ons, such as earmuffs, safety glasses,

dust masks, and communications, into a

completely hands-free helmet. Special con-

sideration will be allotted to elements such

as cooling, filtered breathing, air-quality

monitoring, position tracking (RFID), noise

reduction, medical monitoring (e.g., heart

rate, breathing), and mine alerts.

The improved IPPE are both poised to

enhance the wellbeing and safety of miners

working at ultra-deep levels.

Though still in the early developmental

stages, both IPPEs speak to the UDMN’s

overall goals, such as increased productivity,

decreased risk to workers, lower energy utili-

zation, as well as lower capital and operating

costs achieved through performance and ef-

ficiency improvements.

In 2014, the Business-led Networks of

Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) program

awarded the network $15 million.

Moving forward, Morrison shares that

the UDMN will continue to diversify, as the

program requires CEMI to have the capacity

to take on new projects.

FindMine - Mineral Exploration & Geo-

physics – Anticipated to significantly en-

hance structural evolution comprehension,

CEMI’s FindMine initiative is focused on

the development of expedient exploration

techniques, such as structural field analysis,

remote sensing, 3D-kinematic restoration,

and analogue modeling.

For the past five years, CEMI’s initiative

has been spearheaded by geophysics special-

ist Dr. Richard Smith of Laurentian Univer-

sity. Dr. Smith’s research is geared towards

finding improved exploration techniques

for ore bodies adjacent to existing mines and

Greenfield sites.

“Because of the nature of the mining

businesses, we have focused most of our at-

tention up until now on productivity issues.

That was our primary target,” Morrison says.

“Our secondary target now is beginning to

look at the FindMine program, looking at

exploration techniques.”

Currently, this new phase of the program

is in its infancy, but steps have been made

towards the primary research goal, which is

to further the processes and structures that

control mineralization in the more non-

traditional Cu-Ni-PGE ore deposits.

InnovAtIonTo qualify as a CEMI project, a proposed

project must first meet the centre’s three cri-

teria: one, projects that have a good chance

of being successful in the marketplace; two,

that are achievable in a short time; and

three, that have the potential to double—or

triple—performance.

As Morrison clarifies, “It’s not that we’re

always going to be successful in doing that,

but if we aim for double and we only make

half, then that’s pretty good. But if we only

aim for five per cent in the first place, the

best we’ll achieve is five per cent. So the tar-

get is the best you can hope to achieve.”

According to the company president and

CEO, innovation rests in the gap between

research components and practical market-

place solutions. It’s in this gap that the ser-

vice and supply sector play a major role.

“Essentially, today, if we don’t offer the

mining companies a plug-and-play solution,

it will not be implemented,” he says. “Our

first big step forward was recognizing that

the service and supply sector was the third

component for a successful innovation pro-

cess, because they’re the ones that will help

us bridge from the researchers to the mining

companies.”

Douglas Morrison, president & CEO of CEMI.


Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario are hosts to new world-class gold, copper, nickel, palladium, graphite, chromite, and iron deposits.

Northwestern Ontario mines produced $1.81 billion of metallic

minerals in 2013; that number is expected to grow annually over the

next decade.

Current production from existing mines is one million ounces

of gold annually. Twenty-five million ounces of new gold resources

have been discovered in the area.

Exploration/mining companies are expanding or continuing to

move closer to actual production in the region:

North American Palladium Ltd. (Lac des Iles) continues to in-

crease production at the Lac des Iles Mine following a $400-million

mine expansion. Aggressive exploration of various palladium zones

on the mine footprint continues.

Premier Gold Mines Ltd., (Geraldton) continues to explore its

seven-million-ounce TransCanada Gold Project. A positive prelimi-

The mineral sector in Northwestern Ontario: An economic driver

Spring 2015 9

nary economic assessment (PEA) was released for the Hard Rock

and Brookbank gold deposits.

Rubicon Minerals Corporation (Red Lake) completed the produc-

tion shaft on the Phoenix Gold Deposit. Mill construction contin-

ues with the goal of gold production by mid-2015 at a rate of 2,500

tonnes per day.

New Gold Inc. (Fort Frances) continues to advance the Rainy Riv-

er Resources project to production. A positive feasibility study was

released for the gold deposit. The completion of the environmental

assessment in 2015 will lead to construction in 2015, and production

by mid-2016.

Goldcorp Inc. (Red Lake) has completed the underground railway

(tramway) to access the five-million-ounce Cochenour Gold deposit

under the waters of Red Lake. Production from the Cochenour De-

posit is scheduled for 2015.

Rockex Ltd. (Pickle Lake) completed a positive PEA for the one-

billion-tonne Lake St. Joseph iron deposit.

Treasury Metals Ltd. (Dryden) continues with the environmental

assessment process moving toward completion of an environmental

impact statement on the Goliath gold deposit. Treasury is working

toward a feasibility study. The Goliath hosts 1.7 million ounces of

gold; production is planned for 2015/16.

Zenyatta Ventures’ (Hearst) 25.1 million tonnes grading 3.89 per

cent graphite carbon is present at their Albany Graphite deposit. Ze-

nyatta was the top-performing stock on the TSX Venture in 2013.

Graphite of the spectacular grade contained in the Albany deposit

has numerous high-tech uses, including electric vehicles. Pilot plant

testing conducted in late 2014 was successful.

Noront Resources (Ring of Fire) is planning significant exploration,

geotechnical and development work on the Eagle’s Nest nickel-copper

mine. Noront has spent over $200 million to date on exploration.

mInIng rEADInEss strAtEgyThe Mining Readiness Strategy is a comprehensive, inclusive and

integrated economic development plan designed to help Northwest-

ern Ontario stakeholders focus and capitalize on the many opportu-

nities that mining development will bring to the region.

The strategy was commissioned by the City of Thunder Bay, the

Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission

(CEDC), and the Fort William First Nation (FWFN), with funding

support from a number of partners including FedNor, the Northern

Ontario Heritage Fund, and other contributors such as the Thunder

Bay International Airports Authority Inc., the Thunder Port Author-

ity, Thunder Bay Hydro, TBay Tel, the Northwestern Ontario Mu-

nicipal Association (NOMA), Lakehead University and Confedera-

tion College.

IntroDUCtIon AnD strAtEgy ContExtThe Northwestern Ontario region is forecasting significant min-

ing development. This growth is expected to result in substantial

economic and social development for Thunder Bay, its surrounding

municipalities and First Nation communities. The discovery and de-

velopment of major gold deposits, nickel in Northwestern Ontario’s

Ring of Fire, and other mineral resources in Northwestern Ontario,

including graphite, are expected to create a variety of business op-

portunities that positively influence the region’s economic outlook.

This growth will place unique pressures on infrastructure and gov-

ernment services, as well as the current and future mining labour

market.

Five new gold mines will come into production in the next four

years, adding to Northwestern Ontario’s annual gold production to-

tal of approximately one-million ounces (25 per cent of Canada’s

total). New gold mines will include: Phoenix (Rubicon Minerals

Corp.), Cochenour (Goldcorp Inc.), Rainy River (New Gold Inc.),

Goliath (Treasury Metals Inc.) and Hard Rock (Premier Gold Mines

Limited).

For more information, please visit: www.ThunderBayCEDC.ca.

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Five new gold mines will come into production in the next four years, adding to Northwestern Ontario’s annual gold production total of approximately

one-million ounces (25 per cent of Canada’s total).


Ontario’s mining supply sector appears to have grown exponentially, almost overnight—from 7,851 direct jobs to a recalculated 41,000 jobs (68,000 jobs if you consider indirect) for 2011—but according to a recent economic impact study, the numbers have been there all along.

“The supply and services sector for mining supply is hidden be-

cause it’s not directly measured by Stats Canada,” says Ryan McEach-

ern, managing director for the Canadian As-

sociation of Mining Equipment and Ser-

vices for Export (CAMESE), a national

trades association based in Markham,

Ontario. “We’ve always known this,

and we’ve known it was significant,

but we didn’t know any quantitative

values. When we saw the survey results,

it validated our assumptions.”

According to the CAMESE-initiated study,

41,000 direct and 27,000 indirect jobs in the province’s mining sup-

ply and service (MSS) sector were occupied in 2011. That same year,

the MSS sector contributed $3.9 billion to Ontario’s GDP in direct

impacts; $6.2 billion with indirect impacts considered.

The study executed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which has

financial support from the Ministry of Northern Development and

Mines, Natural Resources Canada, and the Mining Association of

Canada, was based on information garnered from 913 mining sup-

plier companies’ activities in 2011. According to McEachern, the re-

sults further solidifies the sector’s important economic contribution

to the province and its important role to the national and worldwide

market.

“The group of suppliers and services to the mining industry is

substantial—in 2011, it had two-and-a-half times more jobs com-

pared to direct mining employment. That’s a big takeaway,” McEach-

ern adds, citing that mining-specific jobs in banks, legal and ac-

counting firms, business consultants and engineering firms tend to

be overlooked as part of this sector. “Something tangible like mining

equipment you can easily think about, but it’s all of these other ser-

vices that tend to be overlooked.”

A comparative study from the 2011 Rotman Report * published in

2012 initially claimed that direct employment in mining was “more

than 7,581”—a number significantly lower than the 41,000 outlined

by the CAMESE study. McEachern attributed the differing stats to

the fact that the new study captured significant MSS activities for

non-Ontario mining operations.

The CAMESE study further estimates the MSS sector’s produc-

tion value accounts for 1.0 per cent of Ontario’s total GDP, when

considering the sector’s global activities outside the province. By

combining the direct mining sector with the

MSS sector, the total output within the

province doubles to about 2.3 per cent

of provincial GDP. All told, Ontario’s

mining supply is approximately 77

per cent as vital to Ontario’s econo-

my as mining itself.

“It’s always been considered a North-

ern Ontario story because that is where the

mining operations are located in the province and

there are a substantial number of mining service and suppliers up

there,” says McEachern, “but what commonly gets missed is the oth-

er parts of Ontario.”

An estimated 33 per cent of suppliers are based in the province’s

north, 21 per cent are located in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area),

with the remaining 46 per cent located in other parts of the province.

“They’re engaged in mining and not tracked accordingly. So it re-

ally is a pan-Ontario story,” he adds.

For CAMESE, the study sparks much possibility, including the

ability to garner MSS stats on a national level.

“Now that we have this kind of information, it’s going to help the

Ontario government when they’re creating policy. There are some

numbers here that are meaningful,” McEachern says. “And what

CAMESE would like to see is that this survey is done across Canada.

It’s something the federal government would need to take on, and

we’ve given them a sound methodology to kick-start something like

that.”

* A study released in 2012 on the impact of mining on the provincial economy in 2011 entitled Mining: Dynamic and Dependable for Ontario’s Future, done by the Policy and Economic Analysis Program of the University of Toronto’s Rot-man School of Management for the Ontario Mining Association (the “Rotman Report”).

Making connections New survey of ‘hidden’ supply sector nearly doubles mining contributions to Ontario’s economy By Jillian Mitchell

Spring 2015 11

Technology and innovation to optimize mining operationsMeglab: Electronic, electric, communication, control and engineering

Meglab specializes in custom manufacturing, turnkey project man-agement, and integrated problem solving. Our mission is to identify, design, manufacture and install innovative electrical and electronic solutions that are tailored to the unique needs of our industrial cus-tomers. These solutions are used to achieve three core objectives for said customers, namely, optimizing the pace of production, reducing operating costs and ecological footprints, and ensuring a safe work-ing environment.

“Our focus is to service our customers in the way they expect to

be assisted and to communicate with them in order to identify their

individual goals, budgets and timelines. The result of this concept is

the development of products or solutions that are tailor-made to fit

the customers’ needs.”

Meglab essentially acts as a complete one-stop service and solu-

tions provider, and is able to call upon the services of a group of

employees or providers/partners who collectively possess a wealth of

experience in various fields of expertise.

trACkIng AnD voD systEmDynamic tracking is used to locate personnel and mobile devices

in real time, in addition to interconnecting diverse equipment to

render mining operations more effective and safe. By integrating dif-

ferent technologies, it is now possible to capture the information of

the varied equipment and systems, and analyse the data to automate

operations.

For example, with the tracking, the VOD system is used to man-

age ventilation so as to reduce the amount of energy and operation

costs in addition to providing improved air quality underground for

the employees. Together with our customers, we are using off-the-

shelf tags from Aeroscout, Cisco access points, Safdy, Draegger and

Conspec sensors, communicating through a Varis leaky feeder with

Wi-Fi capabilities.

This system allows to:

- Locate personnel and equipment in real time

- Reduce time to reach all the personnel

All the workers, visitors and equipment are equipped with tags and tracked continuously through the Leaky Feeder and/or Fiber Optic system.


- Ensure personnel safety in case of emergency

- Control fans depending on mine activity

- Optimize airflow distribution in critical locations or

after blast events to quicker and more effective gas

clearing

- Lower energy consumption

- Read level of gas underground (CO, NO2 and LEL)

Other achievements:

• We have reduced excavation and installation costs

using smaller switch gears in portable 13.8 and

25KV substations using the ABB Elastimold Arc-

Free breakers. Substations are pre-assembled, with

controls and communications, transformers, fire

suppression, PTOs, starters and distribution, ready

for underground.

• Wereducedtimetoreachemployeesincaseofincidents,

deliver data, control and monitor levels of water or gas

and air with our PLC or MicroData® cabinets.

• Cages can now travel to levels using our MicroCage®

units, rendering the controls similar to that of an eleva-

tor, thus adding safety in and around the shaft.

• Autoguidancesystemsareinoperationbetweenshiftsor

in hazardous conditions to increase safety and produc-

tion.

Together, our employees and customers have contributed

towards the company’s ability to develop an industry that

possesses a leading portfolio of products, many of which

are unique to Meglab. Such electronic products include its

MicroCage®, MicroGuide®, ScoopCam®, Contiscan® and

MicroData® solutions. Electrically, we find YellowCube® and

YellowSub®, each installed numerous times, and combined

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Throughout Northern Ontario’s long and productive mining history, mineral wealth has been recovered from several areas, with most public attention focused on the most famous of all metals, gold. According to Natural Resources Canada statistics, to-tal historic gold production from Northern Ontario has amounted to almost 200 mil-lion ounces. While gold mining has taken place in several areas, the vast majority of those 200 million ounces has come from only five mining camps. These camps in-clude Porcupine, Kirkland Lake, Red Lake, Hemlo, and Beardmore-Geraldton.

As many mining observers have noted,

price declines in several important metals

since 2011 – specifically including gold –

have caused some recent concern regard-

ing Ontario’s mining future, and we note,

for example, this quote in spring 2014

from the Ontario Prospectors Association:

“There are lots of explorationists that are

looking for work and as many junior com-

panies that are short or totally out of cash.

Claims staked in the province are dropping

and claims coming open are growing also

as no one has dollars to complete assess-

ment.”

However, as the year 2015 advances, it

is beginning to appear that the current

year may indeed witness a return to more

vibrant times in the Ontario mining in-

dustry for gold and a host of other metals

found within the province. Accordingly,

we will review activity in these five historic

mining camps with an eye toward iden-

tifying those projects, which might make

significant contributions to the province’s

mining industry and the general economy

going forward.

porCUpInE mInIng CAmpThe Porcupine Camp is located from just

east of the mining-intensive city of Tim-

mins toward the community of Matheson.

Mining activity dates back to 1905 and his-

toric gold production from this camp has

been estimated at 67 million ounces, with

production continuing to the present time.

Timmins itself was founded in 1912 as

a direct result of the Porcupine Gold Rush

during the first decade of the 20th century.

Early gold discoveries led to eventual pro-

duction from some of the area’s most im-

portant mines, including Dome, McIntyre,

and Hollinger, which became known as the

“big three”. While other area operations

occurred from time to time, it was the big

three that accounted for the vast majority of

gold production.

Today’s most important area activity is

centered on Goldcorp’s Porcupine opera-

tion consisting of underground mining at

Dome; open-pit activity at Hollinger; sev-

eral large tonnage stockpiles and a central

milling facility. Aside from ongoing produc-

tion, other present activities include explo-

ration at the Hoyle Pond underground op-

eration designed to extend mine life and to

further knowledge of underground struc-

tures at depth.

According to company figures, Gold-

corp’s Porcupine operations now produce

approximately 300,000 ounces of gold per

year, employ more than 1,100 workers, and

have a presently estimated future mine life

of 13 more years.

Other companies presently active in the

camp include Moneta Porcupine Mines,

Inc., St. Andrew Goldfields, Lakeshore Gold,

and Temex.

kIrkLAnD LAkE mInIng CAmpThe Kirkland Lake Mining Camp is locat-

ed near the city of the same name in north-

eastern Ontario in a geologic area known as

the Lower Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Like the

Porcupine Camp, historic mining activity at

Kirkland Lake also dates back to the early

20th century when an accidental discovery

of a gold-bearing quartz outcropping took

place, leading to the filing of mining claims.

The ensuing gold rush ultimately led to

the establishment of three important mines,

the Sylvanite, Wright and Hargreaves, and

the Lakeshore. Historic production at the

camp totalled approximately 42 million

ounces of gold.

Although production from those and

other projects has since ended, ongoing

production, exploration and development

is continuing in the area, with Kirkland

Lake Gold Inc. being a leading participant.

Gold production at the company’s Macassa

& South Mine Complex was over 120,000

ounces during 2014, and the company web-

site indicates estimated production for 2015

will be in the 140,000 to 150,000 ounce

range. They also note that commitments are

in place to maintain a significant explora-

tion program aimed at developing reserves

and extending the mine life for more than

10 additional years.

rED LAkE mInIng CAmpThe Red Lake Camp is located in North-

west Ontario within the Red Lake Green-

stone Belt in an area where some of the

richest ore in Ontario’s mining history have

been found. Total historic production of

gold within the camp has been estimated at

more than 25 million ounces, with produc-

Important Ontario mining camps looking forward to vibrant 2015By Leonard Melman

Spring 2015 15

tion having occurred from the 1930s right

up to the present time. The most important

area-mining centre is the community of

Red Lake itself.

Historic production has centered on

the Campbell-Red Lake, Cochenor-Wil-

liams and Madsen deposits. These areas

are now controlled by Goldcorp Inc., with

2015 gold production forecast to be in the

400,000 to 425,000 ounce range. While

present production comes from the Red

Lake mines, the company is working to de-

velop additional ore in the Cochenor zone

as well.

At present, Goldcorp has a workforce in

excess of 1,200 workers, and an estimated

mine life of an additional 12 years.

Other companies actively exploring and

developing within the Red Lake Camp in-

clude Pure Gold Mining Inc. and Rubicon

Minerals.

hEmLo mInIng CAmpThroughout the 1980’s, gold mining

discussion within Ontario was centred on

one mining camp, the “Hemlo”, located

along the Trans-Canada Highway near

Marathon. Discoveries along that high-

way in the early 1980s led to the Golden

Giant Mine being permitted, constructed

and brought into production by 1985, with

approximately six million ounces of gold

having been recovered before the mine

closed in 2006.

Barrick Gold currently operates the

Williams Property with production at that

facility estimated to continue until 2018.

One junior, Tashota Resources Inc., recent-

ly acquired an option on over 3,500 acres

adjacent to the Williams Property.

BEArDmorE – gErALDton mInIng CAmp

Although there had been some limited

exploration for iron ore in the mid-1870s,

important activity in gold mining did not

begin at Beardmore-Geraldton until the

1920s following word of the discovery of

a large gold-bearing quartz vein in the

region. However, the initial gold ‘boom’

quickly subsided due to a lack of follow-

through development work.

Significant production was initiated in

1934 at the Northern Empire Mine and this

was followed by production at the Leitch

Mine from 1937 into the 1960s, where a

total of nearly one million ounces of gold

were recovered. In total, gold recovery in

the Beardmore-Geraldton area amounted

to over four million ounces before produc-

tion ended.

The camp remained relatively dormant

until some limited exploration and discov-

ery work began to take place in the past few

years. However, given the camp’s geologic

location within the Beardmore-Geraldton

Greenstone Belt of the Wabigoon Subprov-

ince of the Superior Province, hopes are

high that activity will increase when general

economic news and metals prices improve.

Mining in Ontario has been big busi-

ness for more than a century, helping to

develop many remote regions and making

huge contributions to both job creation,

establishment of numerous communities

and improving the general standard of liv-

ing for many Ontarians.

Expectations are high that the future

will be even better.

A Growing Production Profile with Reserve Grades in Excess of 17 Grams Per Tonne.

A 14 Year Mine Life with Significant Exploration Upside in a Historic and Robust Camp.

Generating Free Cash flow and Positive Earnings Per Share.


BACkgroUnDNoront Resources is a junior mining company developing the

Eagles Nest Mine and Black Bird chromite project, both located

in the Ring of Fire. KWG Resources is an exploration-stage com-

pany participating in the discovery, delineation and development

of chromite projects in the Ring of Fire, including the Black Horse

and Big Daddy deposits.

The Ring of Fire is a region of significant mineral concentration

in central and northern Ontario. It is located approximately 540

kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, encircling McFaulds Lake in

the James Bay lowlands area. While the crescent shape of the Ring

of Fire covers approximately 5,000 square kilometres, most of the

significant discoveries have been made in a 20-kilometre-long strip

in the southeast, near Koper Lake. The mining claims at issue in this

dispute are located in this area of focused exploration. Prospecting

in the Ring of Fire is highly competitive. The logistics of mining

claim staking in the Ring of Fire is a challenging exercise, due to

topography and distance.

stAkIng rUsh AnD hELICoptEr protoCoLCrown lands located near Koper Lake opened for staking on June 17,

2011. The mining claim staking proceeded pursuant to the 24-Hour

Rule – special rules under O Reg 43/11 applied to the staking rush.

Noront hired two men to stake the Crown land on foot. By con-

trast, KWG used two helicopters and more than a dozen stakers in

a coordinated effort to stake the claims as quickly and efficiently as

possible.

At 9:00 a.m., KWG’s recording licensee Ken Pye inscribed the first

mining claim post (with tags), erected the post in the ground and im-

mediately proceeded to the helicopter. Mr. Pye was strapped into the

back of the helicopter, which followed the mining claim boundary.

He inscribed additional line posts and corner posts in the helicop-

ter. He dropped the posts at predetermined locations along the min-

ing claim boundary. Mr. Pye dropped posts from the helicopter at a

height of approximately 10 to 30 metres (depending on surrounding

tree tops). The posts entered the ground vertically, and stuck into the

muskeg environment, remaining upright.

Mr. Pye placed team members at key locations around the mining

claims. The team commenced “blazing” the mining claim boundaries

(marking trees and attaching flagging tape) after the 9:00 a.m. start

time, and only after Mr. Pye erected the first post. Mr. Pye and all

team members travelled in a clockwise direction. Mr. Pye finished at

the number-one post, where he started, and inscribed his finish time

(the Helicopter Protocol).

KWG completed the Helicopter Protocol for two additional min-

ing claims and completed three mining claims before Noront was

Mining-claim staking in remote areas – Ontario Mining Recorder order confirms use of helicopters

On June 24, 2014, the Ontario Provincial Mining Recorder released reasons for his decision in Noront Resources Ltd. (Disputant) v Canada Chrome Corporation and KWG Resources Inc. (Respondents). In his reasons, the Mining Recorder dismissed Noront’s dispute against KWG’s mining claims, which KWG staked using helicopters. The Mining Recorder’s decision is one in a line of cases recognizing the challenges of mining-claim staking in remote areas, such as the Ring of Fire region of northern On-tario. The decision also provides a pragmatic and modern interpretation of the Mining Act and its claim staking regulations. Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP acted for the Respondent and successful party KWG.

By Richard Butler, Associatee

© Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP

Spring 2015 17

able to complete its first. Noront’s witness at the hearing admitted

that they were “caught off-guard” by KWG’s Helicopter Protocol.

Mr. Pye completed the Applications to Record Mining Claims and

filed them with the Mining Recorder’s office on June 21 and June 23,

2011.

ALLEgED DEfECts In stAkIngDuring the hearing, Noront alleged that the mining claims

should not be recorded and should be disqualified on the basis that

the Helicopter Protocol did not comply with the Mining Act.

Noront argued that KWG’s staking was illegal because Mr. Pye

was not present “on the ground” during staking. Noront also argued

that KWG’s staking was void because it used multiple team mem-

bers blazing the claim boundary in multiple locations. The Mining

Recorder dismissed both arguments.

• “On the Ground” – The Mining Recorder held that having the re-

cording licensee’s feet on the ground at all times is not a require-

ment of the Mining Act or its staking regulations. The previous

version of the claim staking regulation (O Reg 7/96) required the

licensee to be present on the ground during staking. However, the

current version O Reg 43/11 does not contain that language. The

updated regulation states that the licensee must be present in the

area under staking at the time of staking the area. The Mining

Recorder found that Mr. Pye was indeed in the area, even though

he did not have his feet on the ground at all times.

The Mining Recorder further relied on a decision by the Min-

ing and Lands Commissioner that held that the staking regulation

does not require a licensee to proceed on foot at all times dur-

ing staking. In the matter of Estate of Carl Forbes, et al. v Michael

Tremblay et al., the commissioner held that the use of a vehicle

is not prohibited by the wording of the Act. The commissioner

held that it is increasingly clear that those engaged in competitive

staking are now using every available means by which to save pre-

cious seconds. In this case, Mr. Pye’s mode of transportation was

a helicopter, and although he was not on the ground at the time

each post was erected, the posts were properly erected by drop-

ping them from the helicopter and having them land vertically

into the ground.

• MultipleTeamMembers–TheMiningRecorderalsofoundthat

it was not fatal to the KWG’s claim staking to have Mr. Pye’s

team members stationed at key locations around the claims.

The team members commenced blazing the claim boundary

only after Mr. Pye erected the first post. All team members pro-

ceeded in a clockwise direction. Consistent with the decision in

Royal Oak v Strike Minerals, the Mining Recorder found that

having multiple claim blazers acting in concert does not offend

the claim staking regulation.

ConCLUsIonThe Mining Recorder found that there is nothing in the Mining

Act that prohibits erecting mining-claim posts by dropping them

directly from a helicopter. The recording licensee need not be “on

the ground” during every step of claim staking, and the wording

of the regulation now permits the recording licensee to be present

in each area under staking, as Mr. Pye was at all times. The Mining

Recorder upheld the Helicopter Protocol and dismissed Noront’s

dispute.1

This decision confirms the validity of the modern practice of

claim staking using helicopters. In remote and inaccessible envi-

ronments, helicopter staking has become more and more common.

The decision will help to advance mineral development in remote

regions, including the Ring of Fire and the far north.

The matter is currently under appeal to the Office of the Mining

and Lands Commissioner.

About the Author: Richard Butler is an associate at Willms & Shier En-vironmental Lawyers LLP. Butler practices civil environmental litigation and dispute resolution. He advises clients from the natural resources, mining and exploration, manufacturing and electricity sectors. He can be reached at 416-862-4837, or by email at: [email protected].

Disclaimer: The information and comments herein are for the gen-

eral information of the reader only and do not constitute legal advice

or opinion. The reader should seek specific legal advice for particular

applications of the law to specific situations.

Copyright: Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLP. This article

first appeared on the Willms & Shier website: www.willmsshier.com.

rEfErEnCE1 KWG launched its own cross-dispute against shortcomings in

Noront’s mining claims; however, by finding the KWG claim

valid, the Mining Recorder did not need to address Noront’s

staking.

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Canada’s mining media were startled dur-ing mid-January 2015 to learn of a news event which combined two very impor-tant subjects. The event was the proposed C$526 million buyout of Probe Mines by industry giant Goldcorp.

In the first case, by acquiring Probe,

Goldcorp sent a signal that it was com-

mitted to Ontario mining in particular

and gold mining in general through its

resultant acquisition of Probe’s significant

Borden Gold project. Also, as noted in a

Financial Post article, “…Probe’s share-

holders would also receive shares of a new

company focused on the Ring of Fire area

of Northern Ontario.”

The Borden Gold project, located ap-

proximately 160 kilometres southwest of

Timmins, appears to represent a signifi-

cant prospect for Goldcorp. According to

a NI43-101 qualified mineral resource

estimate filed in June 2014, geologists re-

ported that over 220,000 metres of drilling

had taken place since the property was first

discovered in 2010. Thanks to that drill-

ing and other exploratory work, resources

suitable for both underground mining and

open-pit mining have been identified.

In the underground portion, the esti-

mate identified higher grade resources of

1.60 million ounces of gold (Au) in the

Indicated Resource category, comprised

of 9.3 million tonnes of ore grading 5.39

grams per tonne (gpt) Au and 0.43 million

ounces Au in the Inferred Resource cate-

gory, comprised of three-million tonnes of

ore grading 4.37 gpt Au.

For the proposed open-pit extraction of

lower grade resources, the estimate iden-

tified 2.32 million ounces of gold in the

Inferred Resource category comprised of

70.3 million tonnes of ore grading 1.03 gpt

Au, and an Inferred Resource of 247 mil-

lion tonnes of ore grading 0.80 gpt.

Goldcorp’s CEO issued a statement that

the Probe acquisition would, “…secure a

high-quality deposit within a core area for

the Vancouver-based gold giant.” It is also

worth noting that the Borden property is

located about 160 kilometres from Gold-

corp’s operating Porcupine Mine.

The other property of consequence in

the acquisition is the Black Creek Chro-

mite property, which is located in a region

known as the James Bay Lowlands. Those

lowlands are also the location of one of

the most controversial and interesting

areas in all North American mining, a re-

gion known as the Ring of Fire. Goldcorp

plans to develop the Black Creek property

through a newly created company called

New Probe.

The Ring of Fire was first discovered in

2007 when two geologists made individual

finds; first locating potentially important

copper and nickel ore and then, much

more significantly, a truly world-class dis-

covery of chromite ore. It is the chromite

ore that has been the main driver of subse-

quent events - and controversies.

As exploration developed, the potential

worth of the mineral resources seemed to

Could Goldcorp acquisition of Probe push the Ring of Fire forward? Implications of an important mergerBy Leonard Melman

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Spring 2015 19

grow exponentially until by late 2014, esti-

mates as high as a total potential value of

up to $60 billion were put forward. Major

developers entered the scene, most par-

ticularly an American mining firm Cliffs

Natural Resources, who quickly expanded

their development work and established a

regional office in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Miners, the general community, and pol-

iticians of all sorts eagerly looked forward

to rising employment and powerful eco-

nomic development into the future from

the Ring of Fire, but serious problems be-

gan to develop – problems which have left

these expectations mostly unfulfilled.

To state that the Ring of Fire has de-

volved into an area of controversial at-

tention would be an understatement as

it involves at least four particular and

sometimes-conflicting influences, namely

environmentalists, First Nations people,

governments at many levels, and private

mining industry entrepreneurs.

Many of the problems stem from the

fact that this remote section of Ontario

has virtually no infrastructure, particularly

in terms of highways and railroads. Most

mining engineers and economists have sug-

gested that without efficient transportation

for ore, mining and office equipment, con-

centrates, personnel, etc., no Ring of Fire

mining enterprise could succeed. However,

every serious proposal to build either rail-

roads or highways into the remote area has

met with serious opposition with resultant

complexities, expenditures and delays.

Environmentalists have opposed both

railroad and road construction for several

reasons, including disturbances to wildlife,

impacts on streams and rivers, and the re-

lease of greenhouse gas emissions from

transportation fuels.

Objections from the 38 area First Na-

tions communities have included threats to

their traditional hunting and fishing activi-

ties and, in particular, failure to engage in

timely and sufficient negotiations regarding

First Nations rights.

Governmental conflicts have developed

between the provincial government in To-

ronto and the federal government in Ot-

tawa. Ontario authorities are asking for a

carte blanche commitment from the feds to

expend $1 billion to further development,

while the feds are reluctant to give a timely

commitment given the lengthy delays which

have already occurred and the apparent un-

likely early resolution to remaining issues

yet to be negotiated.

In terms of private enterprise, Cliffs

Natural Resources has abandoned work in

the Ring of Fire and closed its Thunder Bay

offices, with the resultant loss of jobs from

both actions. Many mining entrepreneurs

are moving ahead with Ring of Fire projects

only in a cautious manner or have actually

put further exploration and development

projects on hold.

Without apparent question, the Ring of

Fire area has enormous mining potential,

but at present it appears that any early

resumption of robust mining activity re-

mains only a somewhat distant hope.

However, there are those who believe

that perhaps the Goldcorp acquisition of

Probe and the resultant ownership of the

Black Creek Chromite deposit will become

the triggering episode that truly advanc-

es the Ring of Fire toward contributing

mightily to economic and social develop-

ment of the Ontario northland.


New initiatives and programs improve safety for Ontario’s mining sector

New initiatives and programs improve safety for Ontario’s mining sector

Spring 2015 21

In the last decade, Ontario’s safety record has seen significant improvements. The number of reported critical injuries is down, despite a growing workforce, with the mining sector’s lost time injury rate below the average of Schedule 1 employers. There is room for im-provement, however. Fatality rates have not declined, and as the industry faces an aging workforce and prepares to train new entrants to the mining sector, occupational health and safety will continue to be a top priority.

Advances in technology and more strin-

gent regulations are providing mine op-

erators with enhanced equipment and best

practices to improve safety within their or-

ganizations. While refuge stations have been

mainstay in underground mines for decades,

these safe havens for workers, in the event of

a disaster or emergency, are becoming much

more sophisticated and self-sustaining. Per-

manent and mobile refuge stations may now

include air conditioning systems, communi-

cations systems, gas monitoring systems to

measure the quality of air both inside and

outside of the unit, first aid equipment, and

two to three sources of breathable air.

“Refuge stations must be located within

a 30-minute walk of workers, and depend-

ing on the size, can accommodate up to 50

people or more,” says Randy Waylett, sales

manager for RANA Mine Refuge Systems,

manufacturer of the Refuge One Air Centre

and The Tommyknocker Mobile Refuge Sta-

tion. “It used to be that you had to have at

least 24 hours of operational time, but regu-

lations have increased that time to 36 hours,

and in some locations, as much as 96 hours.

Regulations are always changing and have

become much more stringent.”

Since 2010, Workplace Safety North

(WSN) has provided health and safety ser-

vices to companies in Ontario’s mining,

forestry, paper, printing, and converting sec-

tors. For the mining sector, WSN provides

consulting services, training, and oversees

Ontario Mine Rescue, an 85-year-old orga-

nization that continues to train and equip

industry volunteers who may have to fight

fires, rescue injured personnel and respond

to events in the province’s mines.

WSN offers over 30 training courses, de-

veloped specifically for the mining industry,

including legislated training for Joint Health

and Safety Committees. The organization

is an approved provider of the Supervisory

Common Core program, which meets Min-

istry of Training, Colleges and Universities

requirements for the mining industry. WSN

recently released a Working at Heights safety

training program in advance of new require-

ments that will make training law, anywhere

there is construction activity, as of April 1st.

New initiatives by WSN include an an-

nual Mining Health and Safety Conference

in Sudbury, a three-day event that features

keynote speakers, information sessions, and

open discussion forums. The event promotes

best practices in a variety of areas, including

mining hazards, ventilation, new equipment,

By Lisa Fattori

RANA Tommyknocker mobile refuge station.


and new processes. This year’s April 14-16

event is expected to attract approximately

350 people.

“This conference is very popular and has

sold out quickly in the past two years,” says

Candys Ballanger-Michaud, president and

CEO of WSN. “It is unique because it focuses

on the mining sector and we have great in-

volvement from people at all levels in min-

ing. Mining is a very tight community and

the Mining Health and Safety Conference

gives attendees the opportunity to share best

practices.”

In 2012, WSN also initiated the Annual

Workplace Excellence awards to recognize

provincial workplaces that have a strong

Rescue training about to descend.

safety culture. Of the recipients, the top

health and safety performer in each WSN

sector qualifies for a President’s Award. This

top provincial health and safety honour rec-

ognizes exceptional commitment to contin-

uous improvement in occupational health

and safety, and is presented at the WSN an-

nual general meeting in September.

“The President’s Award does not just con-

sider the safety performance of a workplace

in terms of low lost-time injury rates,” says

Paul Andre, VP of prevention services for

WSN. “The award recognizes companies

who have active programs to improve oc-

cupational health and safety. Award winners

are positive role models who make work-

place health and safety an integral part of

every job and every workday.”

In January 2014, Ontario’s Ministry of La-

bour launched a Mining Health, Safety and

Prevention Review, for the purpose of im-

plementing recommendations for improv-

ing health and safety in the underground

mining sector. An advisory group of indus-

try representatives and health and safety

organizations, as well as working groups

focused on key mining health and safety

issues, is providing input to help shape the

recommendations of the review. A progress

report released last fall identified four areas

of immediate concern: Joint Health and

Safety Committee Certification, which had

guidelines updated in May 2014; vibration

research; disease prevention; and clothing

visibility, which has already seen new guide-

lines and will have more stringent guidelines

in the future.

“WSN has been actively involved in a

number of the Review’s Working Groups and

has provided input about internal responsi-

bility systems and emergency preparedness,”

Ballanger-Michaud says. “The Ministry of

Labour is looking at having the full report at

the end of March and will focus on its rec-

ommendations at our Mining Health and

Safety Conference in April. We will take these

recommendations and, if necessary, modify

our programs to ensure that they are meet-

ing the requirements of the industry.”

WSN offers over 30 training courses, developed specifically for the mining industry, including legislated training for Joint Health and Safety Committees.

Spring 2015 23

One of the big worries for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) parents is that their children might not cope with the lifestyle.

Mining Family Matters founder Alicia Ranford ac-

tually came up with the idea for a support website for

families after her three-year-old daughter Abby started

rocking herself to sleep, sobbing, whenever her FIFO

dad was away.

With a few simple strategies and a positive attitude,

Alicia and her husband Joe were amazed how quickly

Abby settled down into the new FIFO routine.

The first thing to note is that kids will accept a wide

range of lifestyles without question, provided they

think the adults in their life are coping and that there is

a fair degree of predictability.

Generally, children just go along with whatever’s

happening, watching their parents for clues about

whether to be scared or stressed or happy.

By the age of four, most children sort of get the idea that people

work to get money, and that money is necessary to buy things like

food and clothes. This can be a good way of explaining why you go

away: to make money to buy ice cream and toys, and things that are

important to kids.

Next, explain what work you do, and the fact that you need to go

far away to do it. By explaining that you can’t get there and back in

one day (maybe even getting out a map), you’re showing your chil-

dren that it’s not your choice to stay away from them.

Kids are also very literal, and for this reason you should never talk

about dad/mom “leaving”. It should always be dad/mom is “going to

work”. They are only words, but how things are talked about makes a

big difference to little kids.

On a final note, sometimes children “wear” the anxiety of the fam-

ily, so it’s really important to be honest about whether the rest of you

are coping with the current roster. Addressing your own worries or

concerns – and talking honestly to your partner or trusted friend/

family member – will indirectly help your children to cope.

Here are a few other ideas:

• Allowyourchildtotalkabouthowtheyfeel.Avoidsayingthings

like “be brave” or “don’t be silly” because they might start hiding

feelings from you, thinking that you are not interested or that

they are unacceptable feelings to talk about.

• Whenyour child feels sad, askquestions like“can you thinkof

anything that might help you feel a bit better?” Perhaps suggest

drawing a picture, watching their favourite video, going out for a

play, cooking, or another fun activity. This lets your child know

there are things you can do to help yourself feel better and take

your mind off sad thoughts.

• Askyourchild“whatupsetsyouwhenIgotowork?”Again,this

sends your child the message that you are interested in what is

happening, and you might even get an answer that clarifies their

fears or worries. If your child is worried about your safety, for ex-

ample, you can talk through (and show if possible) all the safety

equipment that is worn/used. A thoughtful answer will ease their

fears much better than simply saying “I’ll be fine”.

• Maintainstrongconnectionswithphoneandvideocalls, letters

and cards. When you’re home, make a special bracelet, card or

book that the kids can keep close to remind them of dad/mom.

Something that can fit into a pocket is extra useful – even some-

thing as basic as a piece of cardboard with the words “daddy/

mommy loves you”.

• Lovelypicturebooksthatencouragestrongconnectionsbetween

parents and young children include You, Me and the Rainbow and

The Invisible String by Australia’s Petrea King, and The Daddy

Book by Californian children’s author Todd Parr.

For further expert advice on mining and exploration relationships and parenting, visit the Mining Family Matters website at www.miningfm.ca.

Helping young children to cope when you work awayBy Angie Willcocks, Mining Family Matters psychologist


What does it take to be an industry leader in sustainability? Accord-ing to the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), it takes a lot of dili-gence—and a level-A ranking.

MAC has long since been an advocate for sustainability in the min-

ing sector. Since 2004, the association’s Towards Sustainable Mining

(TSM) Leadership Award has been awarded to companies that meet

or exceed the designated six performance areas: safety and health, ab-

original and community outreach, crisis management, tailings man-

agement, biodiversity conservation management, and energy use and

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management.

According to MAC president Pierre Gratton, the award has po-

sitioned the mining association as a global leader in sustainability.

“There isn’t another national association in the world that has any-

thing like TSM,” says Gratton. “It’s completely unique. In fact, there’s

no other system in the world measuring and reporting publicly on

site-level performance in mining—and with external verification at

that. It’s unique in the world.”

thE BIg yEAr

Fostering sustainability leaders is the spirit behind MAC’s awards.

And for Gratton, the past year has confirmed that the association is

on the right track

In 2014, MAC recognized three TSM Leadership Award winners—

Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO),

Teck’s Cardinal River Operations, and Teck Trail Operations—which

essentially triples the association’s annual average.

“I think what we’re seeing this year is a bit of a jump, and I think

we’re going to see more of that in the coming years,” he says. “It’s really

nice to see because it shows the program is working and it shows that

companies are taking it very seriously.

A sustainable future Canada’s mining association a global leader in sustainability; Sudbury INO recognized for corporate responsibility

Marc Boissonneault, Glencore Canada’s vice-president.

By Jillian Mitchell

Mining Association of Canada president Pierre Gratton. Copyright Helene Anne Fortin.

Spring 2015 25

“I think for the industry as a whole, having leaders in that area is

really helpful because it helps other companies figure out what they

need to do,” he adds.

To qualify for the TSM Award, entrants provide an annual sustain-

ability self-assessment, which is then verified by a third party every

three years.

Past winners over the TSM’s 11-year history include Syncrude

Canada’s oil sands facility (2007), Barrick Gold Corporation’s Hemlo

Mine (2011), and Teck’s Elkview operations (2013).

A LoCAL hEroGlencore Canada’si Sudbury INO has been mining nickel-copper

ores in the Sudbury area of northern Ontario since 1929. The min-

ing company, which occupies two underground mines (Nickel Rim

South and Fraser Mine), Strathcona Mill and the Sudbury Smelter,

boasts a history of excellence within the region.

For its recent TSM Leadership Award win, Sudbury INO met the

level-A requirements in all six performance areas (based on 2013

scores), and achieved the highest possible ranking—level AAA—in

the energy use and GHG emissions management category.

According to Glencore vice-president Marc Boissonneault, Sud-

bury INO’s success boils down to a dedicated team. “Many of the

milestones that we have accomplished in our sustainable develop-

ment performance are a direct result of the contributions of our

employees across all levels in our organization, and so this is quite

special,” said Boissonneault in a recent press release.

MAC’s Gratton is especially optimistic about Sudbury INO’s en-

ergy ranking. “Until a few years ago, energy was one of the weakest

areas for the industry as a whole. Sudbury INO’s energy scores of

AAA, it’s quite exceptional,” he says. “The people of Sudbury can take

comfort that they have a major employer that operates responsibly.”

Next to offer congratulations to the TSM-award winner is the City

of Greater Sudbury.

“Mining is very important to the city of Greater Sudbury and has

been for over 100 years. It is the foundation of our economy,” says

Mayor Brian Bigger. “I think sustainability is very important; it’s the

bedrock of our economy, and Sudbury INO is a model for other com-

panies.”

Sudbury INO received an additional TSM Performance Award

based on their 2013 scores. Also in 2013, the company’s Nickel Rim

South Mine received the John T. Ryan Award, a designation recogniz-

ing the site as the safest metal mine in Ontario.

footnotEi Glencore Canada Corporation, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based

Glencore Xstrata, is a world leader in integrated production and

marketing of commodities.

ALL TYPES OF WELDING.ALL TYPES OF METAL.

BIG OR SMALL, WE DO IT ALL.

9 3 9 E L I S A B E L L A S T R E E T, S U D B U R Y, O N P 3 A 5 K1

W W W. C I T Y W E L D I N G S U D B U R Y. C A( 7 0 5 ) 5 6 6 - 3 0 3 3

FA X : ( 7 0 5 ) 5 6 6 - 3 9 2 0E - M A I L : S A L E S @ C I T Y W E L D I N G S U D B U R Y. C A


With oil and gas production continuously on the rise in Ontario, operating companies are more and more looking for ways to con-struct safe, strong, and reliable site buildings for the exploration, drilling, production, and storage of commodities, equipment, and worker housing at remote sites.

Conventional buildings, such as steel

buildings, have traditionally been the choice

for these sites, but are they the best choice?

These buildings can be costly, difficult to

ship to remote areas, can be time consum-

ing to construct, and are essentially perma-

nent structures. None of these are ideal in

an industry that often requires buildings

to be rapidly constructed, has a variety of

building uses, and may, at some point, have

to be moved to a new work site.

One of the first things that make fabric

buildings a preferred solution for oil and gas

operators is that they can either be perma-

nent, temporary, or entirely portable. This

is achieved by offering a number of founda-

tion options, from concrete blocks, shipping

containers, or a base rail foundation. These

are all options for temporary or portable

building solutions, in addition to the many

permanent options. Fabric buildings can

be completely deconstructed and moved or

stored when a site is finished with it, creat-

ing little environmental interference.

Using shipping container foundations al-

lows fabric building manufacturers to cre-

ate hybrid building solutions that are par-

ticularly ideal for the oil and gas industry

because the containers themselves act not

only as a foundation for the building, but

as functional space used for employee hous-

ing, change rooms, washrooms, workshops,

storage, etc. This really allows fabric build-

ing owners to maximize the use of their

buildings.

In addition to the foundation options,

fabric buildings are also completely custom-

izable, from door sizes and types, insulation

option, and length, width and height.

What would you use a fabric building for?

Just about anything. The buildings can be

used for warehousing, workshops, vehicle,

equipment and commodity storage, and

coverage for working machinery. The pos-

sibilities really are endless. The extra-high

clearspan design of the buildings allow for

large and heavy equipment and machinery

to operate within the building without is-

sue. Fabric buildings also increase the lon-

gevity and maintain the condition of equip-

ment and machinery by protecting them

from the elements.

Employee safety and creating a healthy

working environment is another reason

fabric buildings far exceed traditional build-

ings. Customers of fabric-covered buildings

often say the environment is the most com-

fortable and safest environment for their

workers, with superior air quality and venti-

lation, and the floods of natural light create

a shadow-free, safe working environment.

And of course, another reason a fabric

building is the best choice for the oil and

gas industry? They can be constructed any-

where, no matter how remote the location.

They are often built in less time than tradi-

tional buildings, making for almost imme-

diate job sites.

It’s important for oil and gas operators

and companies to know what building so-

lutions are available to them. Gone are the

days of buildings with limitations. Fabric

buildings allow the opportunity to design

and build whatever it is an operator or com-

pany needs.

Gone are the days of buildings with limitationsBuilding solutions designed for the oil and gas industry

By Amanda Monaghan, marketing manager at Britespan Building Systems Inc.


Dynamic Earth underground renewal

Spring 2015 29

In the rocks of Sudbury there are stories that resonate across 4.5 billion years of Earth history, including the unique geology and rich mining heritage of Northern Ontario. In Sudbury, at Dynamic Earth – Home of the Big Nickel, an iconic underground tour located seven storeys below the Earth’s sur-face plays a key role in introducing thou-sands of visitors annually to the world of mining and its rich history.

“Greater Sudbury has been producing ore

for more than 100 years and has long been

considered the nickel mining capital of the

world,” says Julie Moskalyk, senior manager

at Dynamic Earth. “For many people, a visit

to our science centre offers the first oppor-

tunity to go underground, learn about the

industry and explore careers in the mining

sector through hands-on, fun and engaging

science experiences.”

Dynamic Earth, which has been welcom-

ing visitors since 2003, is in the process of

an exciting multi-year exhibit renewal to

enhance the visitor experience. The first

phase, set to open in March 2015, includes a

renewed underground experience that uses

a variety of multimedia techniques to bring

to life the stories of mining, innovation and

the mining heritage of Sudbury. Historic

film footage, along with the latest in light-

ing, audio, video and special effects tech-

niques, will bring realism to the tour and

create a fully interactive and immersive ex-

perience. Throughout the tour, visitors will

feel as if they are walking in the footsteps of

thousands of miners that have worked over

the years in the Sudbury area. Visitors can

follow the stories of generations of miners

from early mining in the late 1800s through

to modern day.

Above ground, new science exhibits in

the Earth Gallery and the MacLeod Rock

Gallery will add new content and highlight

the industry’s commitment to constant in-

novation through interactive, hands-on

exhibits and experiences while showcasing

the cutting-edge science and technology

products and services developed in North-

ern Ontario. Content will include mine

safety, new mineral discoveries in Ontario,

Canadian diamonds, Ontario fossils, as

well as Sudbury’s re-greening and sustain-

able mining practices. Nickel City Stories,

an engaging multimedia object theatre that

uses a number of different effects to bring

Sudbury’s mining history to life, is also be-

ing renewed and upgraded with new equip-

ment and footage.

“The impending retirement of the baby

boom generation will have a big impact

on the mining industry across Canada. As

such, our renewal goals are very focused

on raising awareness about the career op-

portunities in earth sciences, mining and

technology,” says Brenda Koziol, renewal

project manager, senior scientist. “We want

Dynamic Earth to engage visitors of all ages

so that they are interested in exploring and

pursuing the various educational and career

opportunities available to them in these

fields. We have an important role to play in

the future of the mining industry and this

multi-year renewal will ensure our exhibits

accurately reflect the changes and advance-

ments in this field.”

By Christine Catt, Science North


“Our unique approach to science delivery,

and our commitment to making every visit

engaging and interactive, ensures a positive

and memorable experience,” says Moskalyk.

“Visitors to Dynamic Earth, no matter their

age, get to work and play with real mining

equipment and technologies. Many of them

leave here with a different perspective about

mining, as well as a renewed appreciation

for all that the industry has to offer.”

ABoUt DynAmIC EArth

Dynamic Earth – Home of the Big Nick-

el – is a Science North attraction. Dynamic

Earth is a popular tourist attraction and

an educational resource for children and

adults across Ontario. Dynamic Earth’s

attractions – an underground mine, high-

definition theatre, galleries and exhibit hall

– delight thousands of visitors each year.

The science centre’s fun and friendly ap-

proach to Earth science education is led

by bluecoats, scientists and science com-

municators who make interacting with the

exhibits more informative and fun, in both

English and French. Open during daytime

hours, seasonally from March to October.

Visit dynamicearth.ca.

Century-old mine concept.A new outdoor science

park and exploration

trail system featuring

engaging earth science

and mining-themed

exhibits opens in July

2015. Large-scale

exhibits will include

a crawl-through cave,

musical instruments

made of natural

materials, and real

mining equipment

with interactive

components.

Spring 2015 31

The above quote applies directly to Inter-national Montoro Resources Ltd. “Pecor” magnetic and gravity anomaly at the Ser-pent River Property in Elliot Lake, Ontario. As in all good stories, it started with a phone call.

It was early 2009, the market correction

still blistering the TSX Venture exchange

and we were tasked with raising funds via

private placement to make the final proper-

ty payment for the Serpent River property.

Despite the hard fact that the company had

made a huge U3O8 discovery at Uranium

City, Sask. just weeks before, we were chal-

lenged to meet the deadline.

Then the call came late Friday afternoon

from a gentleman who said he was a pro-

fessor of geophysics from MIT. He asked if

we knew that we had a major nickel deposit

on our Serpent River Property, and that

when we discover the nickel it would be the

final proof to his theory that all the nickel

in Sudbury and surrounding regions came

from “outer space” (see the first two stages

in above quote). He further stated that you

can draw a straight line, “a trajectory” from

Pecor to Vale’s Totten Mine (which opened

Pecor Anomaly; Serpent River Property - Elliot Lake, ONExploring for the next major nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, gold and PGE’s deposit near Sudbury, Ontario

By Greg Shafransky, investor relations/corporate shaman

Drill Target Chart.

Inversion of Pecors Magnetics.

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is

violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being

self-evident.” - Arthur Schopenhauer


in December 2013), to the Victoria Mine

(eight kilometres from Totten, opening in

2016) to Lundin Mining’s Eagle Mine in

Michigan, U.S.A., which opened June of

2014. At the time all that was to be known

about the property was that it contained

approximately 15 million pounds of U3O8

in non 43-101 reserves from Rio Algom’s

U3O8 mine.

When the “professor” spouted these

truly staggering facts I was a wee bit ap-

prehensive, so I passed his call onto Inter-

national Montoro Resources’ (IMT) presi-

dent Mr. Gary Musil for some comic relief.

They spoke for some time and Gary kindly

pointed out to the caller that he should re-

ally bring up his “theories” with the Ontar-

io Geological Survey (OGS) and their in-

house geophysics department in Sudbury,

Ontario. Well we guess he did because on

the following Monday we received a call

first thing in the morning from the OGS,

who said that they seemed to have made an

error in the interpretation of the “Pecor”

Magnetic/Gravity anomaly (initially they

thought it was iron due to the huge cor-

responding Canadian Government “Boug-

er” Gravity Survey), and would we accept

$50,000 to utilize our data and allow them

to complete a lake sediment/geochemical

survey on our property.

Miracles do happen, expect them… we

completed enough of the private place-

ment to make the final payment and now

own the Serpent River property outright,

less a NSR agreement. The OGS completed

their survey of the Pecor anomaly in 2009,

making a significant discovery of their

own.

“At 1,400 metres, just below the uncon-

formity, lies a Sudbury-like occurrence,

but of higher intensity,” states the OGS in a

summary of the 2009 Pecor lake sediment

survey. I queried the meaning of this state-

ment with the OGS report author in Janu-

ary 2014 at the Round Up Mining Confer-

ence in Vancouver. The author stated to

me that he and his team have been build-

ing a database of lake sediment survey

results in the Sudbury mining camp for

the last 35 years. These results include the

lake sediment geochemical they obtained

Pecors anomaly, L.E. Reed Geophysical Consultant Inc., as reported 2011 through 2014.

For more information, scan this QR code or visit www.alsglobal.com | Phone: +1 705-560-7225

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> CoreViewer™ Technology

Spring 2015 33

from above the Totten and Victoria mines,

which are the two richest mines in the

100+-year-old camp. He stated to me that

the numbers obtained above Pecor were

“higher overall”, and that’s why the prop-

erty has been featured from 2009 to 2013

in the OGS publication Recommendations

for Mineral Exploration.

montoro sECUrEs DrILLIng

ContrACtor for pECor DrILL

progrAm

International Montoro Resources Inc.

has secured Orbit Garant Drilling Ser-

vices Inc. of Val d’Or, Quebec for a mini-

mum of 2,000 metres of NQ (1.875-inch

core) drilling for the Pecor anomaly drill

program. The contract will require one

helicopter-portable drill rig. Montoro has

also contracted Heli Explore Inc. of Sud-

bury, Ontario for the transportation of

equipment, supplies, drill crew, and other

support employees as required. Dan Patrie

Exploration Ltd. of Massey, Ontario has

completed the heli-pad and drill-pad cut-

ting for hole number one, and drilling is

expected to commence in February 2015.

“We are excited to test this potentially

large (estimated 7.8 x 3.45 kilometres) NI-

Cu-PGE anomaly,” says Gary Musil, presi-

dent, IMR.

Since the revelation of nickel being pres-

ent on our property we now have some

new information. In the 1950’s, Teck Ex-

ploration discovered Nickel–Cu-PGE (two

miles) to the west of our property on the

other side of Pecors lake. Five Nines Ven-

tures discovered Ni-Cu-PGE (one mile to

the east) of the Pecor Anomaly. And lastly,

the Shakespeare Ni-Cu-PGE mine oper-

ated in 2008 and 2013 approximately 30

kilometres from the Pecor anomaly, or 70

kilometres west of Sudbury.

Magnetic View of Map - Ontario Geological Survey, with annotations by International Montoro.

www.montororesources.comPh: 604-683-6648


Most approaches to mineral exploration start out in the search for specific geological situations that have been found to be favour-able in their association with mineral depos-its, or in the review of historical records of previous discoveries. Often the next major step in assessing claims is to use geophysical methods to obtain an insight into the num-ber of possible targets that might also lead to mineralization. Although some exploration decisions for drill testing might only rely on geophysics, most companies later choose to collect surficial samples for geochemical testing. As geophysical methods are often more expensive than geochemical ones, an alternative approach might be to conduct a less expensive geochemical survey to iden-tify possible targets for consideration, and then follow up with smaller, more focused, and thus less expensive geophysical pro-grams.

The spatiotemporal geochemical hydro-

carbon nano-geochemistry (SGH), previ-

ously referred to as soil gas hydrocarbons

(even though gases are not measured and

other sample types can be used), has been

proven to be useful in widely spaced region-

al surveys. SGH is an easy-to-use, flexible,

deep-penetrating organic geochemistry,

which is of significant use to the explorer

as a method of detecting blind mineralized

bodies. SGH detects 162 specific hydrocar-

bon compounds that have migrated from

bacterial activity associated with mineral-

ization in the subsurface through cover rock

and overburden and have been adsorbed on

the surficial materials. Recent research has

shown that there are relationships between

specific commodities and SGH compound

classes. Identifying these relationships pro-

vides a “hydrocarbon fingerprint” that is

unique to a specific commodity.

The SGH analysis is conducted by dry-

ing the surficial sample materials that have

been dried at 40°C and collecting a portion

that passes through a 60-mesh sieve. The

hydrocarbons are subsequently extracted

and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass

spectrometry (GC/MS). This highly devel-

oped nano-geochemistry allows for moni-

toring of specific compounds and provides

reporting limits of one part-per-trillion

(ppt). This technique can vector to specific

locations of potential mineralization and

identify the type of target. SGH uses a rating

system to then critique the quality of the tar-

get detected. With the use of the SGH Rating

System, this geochemistry can guide further

exploration to a specific location that is

worthy of additional work. This allows the

use of smaller, more focused, and thus less

expensive geochemical surveys, geophysical

testing, and drilling programs.

To reduce the sampling program costs,

companies may be required to use a vari-

ety of geochemical methods to best ensure

that they have the most information avail-

able to consider and develop future plans

for geophysical surveys. Any sample taken

for analysis by an inorganic geochemistry

technique can also be used for SGH, as it

currently represents the most flexible geo-

Is it time to re-evaluate the approach to mineral exploration in an effort to reduce budgets?

Claude Gravelle MPNDP Mining Criticporte-parole minière

Mining Rocks! Have a good conferenceAvoir une bonne conférence

[email protected] | 1-800-267-4829

By Dale Sutherland

Spring 2015 35

chemical method available. SGH sampling

is very easy, as only one trip to the field is

necessary, almost any type of sample can be

used, and only small samples need to be col-

lected, carried, and shipped. Even sampling

equipment can be reduced, as only a shovel

and zip-lock bags are needed. With the in-

crease in the number of samples able to be

collected in a day, sampling survey accom-

modation and travel costs can be reduced.

SGH is thus ideal to help reduce costs, es-

pecially in surveys over difficult terrain.

SGH has shown success in winter program

snow surveys, which can be highly useful

in areas of difficult or seasonal access. This

geochemistry has been extensively tested

in regions and situations often too difficult

for other geochemical methods to perform

well. Samples can be easily collected from

dry and wet areas of soil, peat, humus, sand,

till, silt, etc., then analyzed and mapped to-

gether within the same grid or set of tran-

sects. This reduces the time to collect sam-

ples and can avoid missing planned sample

locations, eliminating an unwanted bias

from an inadequate survey. This extends to

more extreme situations as well where, as a

nano-geochemistry, SGH can provide data

through barriers of permafrost, basalt, and

carbonate caps as cover previously thought

to be impenetrable. The SGH templates that

we have developed are able to be applied to a

wide variety of lithology. As an example: the

general gold template for SGH has been suc-

cessfully used for vein hosted, epithermal,

porphyry, and Carlin types of gold deposi-

tion; the uranium template has been used

for unconformity-style deposits in the Atha-

basca and Thelon basins, Roll Front deposits

in Wyoming and Mongolia, as well as for

Breccia pipe deposits in Northern Arizona.

To provide the ultimate in cost reduc-

tion, exploration companies can capitalize

on previous sampling surveys. SGH is able

to be used on samples that have been stored

even if they have previously been prepared

for most other geochemical methods. SGH

has had success in knitting together surveys

taken in different seasons, even from the

analysis of samples that have been stored for

up to three years. This organic-based geo-

chemistry, research-tested and fine-tuned

over the last 20 years can identify a buried

deposit. It is a technique that has been able

to detect a wide variety of targets of gold,

copper, nickel, VMS, SEDEX, platinum,

polymetallic, uranium, tungsten, lithium

pegmatite and kimberlite targets, as well as

oil plays, gas plays, and coal seams for the

petroleum sector, even in areas of deep cov-

er and complex overburden. SGH is truly a

deep-penetrating geochemistry and has

been demonstrated to be able to detect de-

posits at over 950 metres in depth. It is one

of the most advanced geochemical methods

available, as it is the only one that has been

successful at estimating target depth based

on the study and advancement of the Re-

dox/Electrochemical cell model.

The SGH nano-geochemistry certainly

offers high value for your exploration dollar.

This technique has the ability to locate Re-

dox cells with a high level of sensitivity, dis-

criminate between barren and ore-bearing

conductors, and provide an identification

signature that can identify the type of min-

eralization at depth. This allows the identi-

fication of priority targets for a focused lo-

calized geophysical program. The included

SGH interpretation report and target ratings

can be used in conjunction with geophysics,

geology, and inorganic geochemical meth-

ods. As a result, exploration managers will

have a highly confident data set for use in as-

signing fewer, but higher-quality drill targets

with a smaller exploration budget.

The measure of success is drilling results.

The depicted 3D view of an SGH anoma-

ly in 2013 resulted in the intersection of

mineralization having visible gold. For a

more recent example of target prioritiza-

tion, also refer to the January 29, 2015 press

release from Aura Silver Resources Inc. at

www.aurasilver.com.

In such challenging economic times,

perhaps making the use of a rapid, infor-

mation-rich, multi-faceted geochemistry

as one of the first steps of exploration upon

which to base more focused geophysical

surveys and drilling programs, may signifi-

cantly reduce exploration budgets.

Dale Sutherland is a forensic scientist, or-

ganics manager, and director of research at

Activation Laboratories. He can be reached at

[email protected].

3D visible gold find of 2013.


gAL powEr Is growIng. In December of 2014, GAL Power, an

Ottawa-based emergency-power solutions

provider, acquired L.M. Temperature Con-

trol Inc. (LMTC), a 14-year-old Toronto-

based climate control and power company

specialized in temporary heating and cool-

ing rental solutions.

The merger saw Luis Salazar, P.Eng.,

founder of L.M. Temperature Control,

assume the presidency of GAL Power on

December 1, 2014. Now, the expanded

company has charted an ambitious “cus-

tomer-centric” strategy to deliver an un-

precedented portfolio of innovative, reli-

able, agile power and temperature-control

products and services. GAL Power is com-

mitted to growth that will see it expand its

locations, markets and employee base this

year and in the years to come, says the new

president.

“We’re a growing company with an ag-

gressive and customer-centric vision,”

declares Salazar, who wants to double the

company’s size through a combination of

organic growth, mergers and acquisitions.

Plans call for the company to also double

its revenues within the next few years, a

target Salazar is confident is achievable.

“We think we’ll get there sooner given

our mindset right now.”

That mindset is reflected in the vision to

GAL Group of Companies charts aggressive growth strategy for 2015Recent merger and new president signal start of strategic redirection for the Ottawa-based emergency-power solutions providerBy Gloria Taylor

President Luis Salazar (right) and CEO Guy Adrien Lapierre shake hands on a new partnership.

Spring 2015 37

join the elite group of Canada’s Top 50 Best

Managed Companies in the next few years.

Salazar graduated as a mining engineer

from Laurentian University/Université

Laurentienne, in Sudbury, Ontario. Over

the next 12 years, his career took him to

major mining projects in North and South

America to locations such as Northern

Ontario, Chile, Argentina, Nicaragua,

and Peru while working with some of the

world’s largest mining companies.

After several years of mining overseas,

he returned to Canada where he then

founded and grew L.M. Temperature Con-

trol to offer specialized power and temper-

ature-control solutions and equipment to

various industries, including the mining

sector.

Speaking to the recent strategic move,

GAL Power founder and CEO Guy Adrien

Lapierre states the recent acquisition of

L.M. Temperature Control benefits more

than just the customer base of the two

companies.

“The expansion will create more job op-

portunities; suppliers will have the oppor-

tunity to provide their hardware and solu-

tions to both businesses, therefore gain-

ing access to a much broader client base.

Employees will also benefit as they gain

further opportunities to grow and devel-

op their careers across the GAL Group of

Companies. Strategically, it was important

for us to continue developing and expand-

ing our footprint to deliver differentiated

value to our customer base across Ontario

and Quebec,” says the CEO.

“We saw a number of strong synergies

between GAL Power’s customer-first phi-

losophy and L.M. Temperature Control’s

established reputation for quality service

in the GTA market. We look forward to

leveraging those synergies and delivering a

consistently high level of service in the criti-

cal power field to an entirely new customer

base.”

An important part of the new company’s

growth strategy involves expansion outside

of Toronto, beginning with setting up new

locations in Quebec, Ontario and the Mari-

times. Currently GAL Power operates out

of established offices in Toronto, Ottawa,

Montreal, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Chi-

coutimi and Fermont.

“Our vision is to be Canada’s foremost

customer-centric power generator and

temperature-control services company, of-

fering the highest-quality services 24/7,”

comments Salazar.

Top service will continue to lead the

growth, he is convinced.

“We provide a lot of value added when

we offer project-specific tailored service

and do that consistently. Our company sells,

services, and rents equipment, and we are

a solutions provider. People come to us for

custom solutions, especially for the rental

part of our business,” he says.

“It’s not always about having the best

equipment to sell or rent, because equip-

ment can be sought out by any of our

competitors, but the culture we have built

and the team that we have developed, one

that goes the extra mile, is what really sets

us apart. We ask and pay attention to cus-

tomer needs and what they want to accom-

plish. Based on an in-depth understanding

of a project’s unique requirements, we then

package the solutions that make sense and

are effective for our customers. Finally, we

are sensitive to time constraints and down-

time, and therefore offer 24/7 emergency

service for all of our services.”

Salazar says the company will continue to

build its dedicated and skilled professional

teams, not only in its current markets, but

will seek out new opportunities for GAL

Power in a variety of industries, including

greater penetration in the mining industry,

which it has already begun to focus on.

This would be a natural move for the new

president who worked in the mining sector

globally for years with his own company,

selling and servicing equipment, and pro-

viding fuel and rental equipment to compa-

nies for a variety of uses.

“GAL Power and LMTC currently have

power and heating equipment on certain

mining projects in Ontario and Quebec,”

says Salazar.

“Mining is not a new direction for us, but

I want to focus more on it in the future as

we grow and expand in the years to come,”

he concludes.

President Luis Salazar.CEO Guy Adrien Lapierre.


In today’s “pinched” commodities markets, Emerson mining specialists are working with miners who have come to understand that running a safe, effective, and efficient mine, mill and refining process goes a long way towards improving the bottom line. Using modern technological innovations creates a more effective and secure business for employees and operators. A safer “up-time engineered” mine helps mitigate op-erational and financial risk for owners and shareholders alike.

Miners globally are implementing the

latest Emerson technologies, including

energy-efficient mechanical and electri-

cal drive systems; wireless communica-

tions; advanced sensing-like sonar and

radar; industry-leading efficient computer

power and cooling; and machinery health

monitoring. These are just a few of the in-

novations currently available to the min-

ing industry. Emerson provides design

and diagnostic tools that are supported by

thousands of application specialists and

engineering staff; expertise that is available

worldwide.

Emerson invests in innovation, register-

ing over 1,000 patents per year, and offer-

ing hundreds of tried-and-tested advanced

systems and technologies to help facilitate

miners’ goals. These mining solutions are

available through each of the Emerson five

specialized business platforms.

Trusted brands such as Fisher valves,

Rosemount analytics, DeltaV and Plantweb

are well-known technologies under the Em-

erson Process Management platform. These

brands are known for controlling and mon-

itoring essential systems in real time. Also

within this platform is CSI, which is de-

signed to predict and prevent unscheduled

shutdowns due to equipment failure.

The term “reliability” can be used to de-

scribe the brands within the Emerson Indus-

trial Automation group. Kop-Flex, Appleton

Electric, Asco Numatics and Browning are

just a few brands with specialized mining

expertise.

Emerson Network Power provides data-

centre solutions, anywhere. Telecommunica-

tions and data management infrastructure

are essential to a successful mine. Liebert,

Asco Power, and Emerson Energy Systems

are just a few brands within this platform

that specialize in grid-to-chip connectivity.

Vilter and Copeland compressors are well-

known for their industrial gas-compression

capabilities. These hard-working Emerson

Climate-Technologies brands bring efficien-

cy to the mine through their innovative heat-

moving capabilities.

Rounding out the five platforms is the

long-established RIDGID tool brand. Profes-

sionals in mining have relied on these hand

and advanced diagnostic tools for decades.

These are just a few examples of the mul-

tiple brands within the five Emerson plat-

forms that are dedicated to providing effi-

ciencies and increased reliability in mining.

Supporting uptime is the focus of Emerson

in mining; uptime that will help the mine

extract more.

Emerson is a 120-year-old, $24.4-bil-

lion per year Fortune 500 company with

135,000 employees, 235 manufacturing fa-

cilities worldwide, and more than 80 years of

global-experience in minerals and mining.

Emerson was founded on leading-edge tech-

nology, and continues to be a leading-edge

technology provider today.

For more information, visit Emersoncanada.ca, or email [email protected].

How to ‘extract more’ in mining

Using modern technological innovations creates a more effective and secure business for employees and operators.

EmErson Is A 120-yEAr-oLD | $24.4 BILLIon pEr-yEAr | fortUnE 500 CompAny

235global manufacturing facilities

135,000Employees

80years’ global mining Experience

Spring 2015 39

Things at Equipment World are looking up, way up – in fact, mount-ed to the ceiling of mining locker rooms throughout Canada. Over the past few years, Equipment World has become a specialist in designing, supplying, and installing mine dry lockers and specialty mining lockers.

Equipment World has been serving northern Ontario since it

opened in Thunder Bay in 1973. The company offers a diverse ap-

proach to material handling, storage, packaging, safety and mainte-

nance products for industrial, mining, commercial, and institutional

applications. Through customized consultations, coupled with ex-

pert design, layout and installation, customers have a plethora of op-

tions available to suit their needs.

Whether a company is considering expansion, improving effi-

ciencies or addressing ergonomic concerns within existing facilities,

Equipment World provides input from project inception through to

completion. Equipment World often works with building designers,

engineers and architects to ensure original design specifications are

best suited to meet both the customer’s needs and current-day in-

dustry compliance.

“We are space-efficiency experts,” says Lyle Knudsen, owner and

president of Equipment World. “Our objective is to focus on the best

solutions within our wide area of expertise, including construction

speciality products and services we can offer throughout a building,

from the rear-loading door through to the front office. We have a

great team of knowledgeable experts in our Construction Speciali-

ties Division, headed by Ernie Ukrainec, who is Equipment World’s

veteran employee, having started working for the company in 1979.”

For the mine dry lockers, ideally companies will bring Equipment

World in during the design stage so that the architects and engineers

are aware of the physical, HVAC, electrical, and other considerations

needed for this specialized space.

“The mine dry overhead locker basket system includes the pul-

ley system with an optional decent-locking device, venting, mount-

ing components and baskets,” says Ukrainec, corporate manager of

Equipment World’s construction division. “What makes the system

so unique is that it allows for 100 per cent air flow ventilation; it

is sanitary, extremely secure, pilfer-proof and safe. The system also

maximizes the space, as it creates a bright, open change room with

an open floor area, resulting in lower clean-up costs and easy visual

inspection. It can reduce change room costs up to 40 per cent.”

Ukrainec continues, “Part of the reason there aren’t more mine

dry designers is that it is a relatively small market.” He says Equip-

ment World averages about one new mine dry per year, though re-

cent construction in the northern Ontario area over the last five years

has kept them busy. Equipment World also does locker-room retro-

fits. “Most of the time, when we’re doing a project, we’re also doing

the warehouse. That includes shelving, racking, and equipment like

forklifts. We design the warehouse around specialty material han-

dling equipment to maximize cubic storage.”

The construction division provides support to the sales division,

with on-site evaluation surveys and expert computer CAD layout

and design capabilities for projects of all sizes, providing full turnkey

Equipment World: The mine dry locker experts

Equipment World’s installation team is highly trained and fully equipped to tackle any job.


project management. Full-time construction estimators are avail-

able to conduct accurate take-offs from the blueprints of any project,

and the company’s installation teams are highly trained and fully

equipped to tackle any job. Some of the products designed, supplied,

and installed include pallet racking and shelving, ergonomic work-

stations, modular offices, air curtains, high-density mobile shelving

systems for record storage, space-saving mezzanines, high-speed

doors, loading dock equipment, wire-mesh partitions, lockers, and

architectural products such as washroom partitions and accessories.

With the focus on value-added service, presentation quality has

been a huge component of the technical drawing portfolios now be-

ing generated by the teams within each construction department.

Evolutions toward high-end software programs and scheduling are

only a few of the initiatives introduced within the past few years.

“Detailed and complete drawings are mandatory when offering

any customer a solution-based recommendation,” says Ukrainec.

“The information provided must be clear, concise and outline the

true benefits that can easily be relayed to those reviewing and mak-

ing decisions.”

With the knowledge Equipment World’s in-house experts provide,

along with new technologies being adapted from computerization

and vendor manufacturing, their staff have been able to produce and

complete comprehensive proposals in as little as 24 hours. Local ar-

chitects and project managers know Equipment World through their

long-term membership in local and regional construction associa-

tions, and have come to rely on them for many product specifica-

tions and applications. Equipment World provides innovative solu-

tions that make workplaces safer and more functional.

Equipment World has done many unique and interesting installa-

tions. Some of the specialized installations include complete under-

ground warehouse systems, gym-divider curtains, electronic score-

boards, bleachers, large projection screens, hanging mine dry baskets,

vented mining lockers, oversized athletic equipment lockers, electric-

charging station lockers, conveyors, retail display shelving and show-

cases, and custom dock and door equipment. With highly trained

and fully equipped installation teams, Equipment World’s Construc-

tion Division serves a diverse array of clients including small shops,

large warehouses, automobile dealerships, farms, schools, hospitals,

office buildings, paper mills, and mines.

“In recent years, Equipment World has been awarded and has suc-

cessfully completed some notable projects in various areas, such as

Indonesia, South Carolina, Florida, British Columbia, Manitoba, Al-

berta, Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and all across Ontario,” states

Knudsen.

Over the years, Equipment World has provided complete turnkey

design, supply and installation in coordination with various Cana-

dian and U.S. manufacturers, including shelving, racking, structural

mezzanines, in-plant modular offices, and more.

“We have faced many interesting and exciting challenges with this

division, but it has become an ever-expanding part of our business.

Our team loves new project opportunities, and is always researching

new products and suppliers to be able to adapt to changing mar-

ket demands,” Knudsen states, adding, “we have even been able to

help design custom products with our manufacturers to solve some

unique product application requests.”

Another advantage that Equipment World offers is their main-

tenance program. The Equipment World team is available 24/7 for

emergency maintenance work. These value-added products and ser-

vices make it easier for mines and contractors because they only have

to deal with one sub-contractor to cover each of those needs.

“Equipment World has made a name for itself as a sub-contractor

that finishes jobs on time,” says Ukrainec, adding that this is some-

thing especially important since their job tends to be at the end of

construction, when the company is anxious to get quickly opera-

tional.

“Equipment World is proud to be working with such important

mining and industrial projects. The more we work in these special-

ized environments, the more we learn about the industry and respect

the work that is being conducted,” Ukrainec states.

Mine dry lockers, although a small but very important part of

their business, have helped Equipment World delve deeper into the

mining industry.

Knudsen concludes, “Much has changed over the past few decades,

but the predominant philosophy remains the same: Equipment

World provides innovative solutions, high-quality products, and

knowledgeable service from purchase to performance.”

Completed mine dry locker room installation in operation.

Underground installation of a high density storage system.


Canadian Shield Consultants Agency Inc. (CSCA) was formed more than 15 years ago, and today has become the only turnkey service company in Ontario in the world of wastewater treatment business. Through the years, CSCA has developed expertise in engineering, construction and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems, as well as becoming a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario.

The mining sector is at the core of their engineering projects, and

includes services such as assessments, feasibility studies, hydrogeo-

logical studies under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) Ag-

gregate Resources Act (ARA), consulting, engineered design, Envi-

ronmental Compliance Approval applications, etc. CSCA strives to

be an innovative consultant to help clients tackle all types and sizes

of wastewater projects. From domestic to high-strength wastewater

treatment, each project is approached from the clients’ viewpoint in

order to meet and exceed all requirements and expectations. Recent-

ly, CSCA has designed a wastewater treatment plant for the destruc-

Your only turnkey environmental engineering service providerCanadian Shield Consultants Agency Inc.

Robinson R44 Raven II Helicopter.

Spring 2015 43

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Wastewater ManagementWastewater Management

OUR SERVICES:OUR SERVICES: Mine wastewater management Engineered designs ECA applications Hydrogeological studies Registered designers & installers of onsite sewage systems Sewage system maintenance Spill cleanup & rehabilitation Spill response assessment Training & spill action plans Aviation

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tion of ammonia from the mine process water, as well as designed a

wastewater treatment system to reduce the TSS below effluent dis-

charge objectives as a result eliminating the requirement of any ad-

ditional treatment.

CSCA not only provides expertise in wastewater management

and environmental engineering, but in environmental spill response

and aviation. The availability of our own helicopter to respond to

spills, leaks, or emergencies allows us to respond and assess the scene

quickly and efficiently. We have specialized sampling and monitor-

ing equipment, as well as a mobile treatment unit to allow for sam-

pling, initial lab analysis on scene, and treatment of contaminated

or wastewater if necessary. Additionally, CSCA has experience in

performing environmental site-specific assessments of facilities and

their equipment for potential risks associated with spills, leaks, and/

or emergencies. CSCA can provide training and information semi-

nars at company facilities or work sites to inform of regulative re-

sponsibilities, as well as give proper training and steps for initial spill

response to be taken by company and employees in the event of a

spill, leak, and/or emergency.

For more information on our firm and the services we provide, please visit our website at www.canadianshieldconsultants.com, or feel free to call at 1-866-691-0424. Visit our office for a complimentary consultation with one of our professionals.

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AGAT Laboratories, as an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, is re-quired to show that continuous improvement is routinely addressed in our day-to-day operations. Part of our commitment to this con-tinuous improvement is AGAT’s active and on-going training to as-sist geology and exploration professionals to select fit-for-purpose and cost-effective analytical techniques for varied geochemistry programs.

Over the past 20 years, the modern analytical laboratory com-

munity has seen an explosion of accessibility to sophisticated ana-

lytical instrumentation. In turn, this has driven the assaying industry

to make available an often-dizzying array of analytical packages for

exploration programs.

It has been AGAT Laboratories’ experience that a discussion of

analytical packages prior to a project starting is crucial to the success

of the geochemical program. This article will endeavour to lessen the

mystery behind various assay packages.

DIgEstIon/fUsIonThe majority of modern analytical instrumentation utilizes an

aqueous solution created by digestion of the solids to be analysed.

The digestion/fusion stage is a critical component of the decision-

making process when making an analytical selection.

Aqua-Regia digestion – Aqua-Regia digestion is the most common,

as well as the most cost-effective digestion technique available. This

digestion has a number of advantages and importantly, a number of

disadvantages. Aqua-Regia digestion is a ratio of hydrochloric acid

(HCl) and nitric acid (HNO3), and is, essentially, a strong leach.

One major disadvantage of Aqua Regia digestion is that major ele-

ments in the matrix may not completely dissolve. Examples of min-

eral phases that are not brought into solution by Aqua Regia include

chromite, ilmenite, and cassiterite. This may makes information for

elements Al, Fe, Mg, Rb, Sr, Zr limited. For the most part, data col-

lected for base metals (Ag, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn) remains valuable.

4Acid (Multi-Acid) digestion – The 4Acid digestion is the most

chemically aggressive acid digestion available. By using strong acids,

such as HF, HClO4, HNO

3 and HCl, this results in most elements be-

ing dissolved into solution. It is important to consider that this type

of technique is not recommended for accurate REE information, or

for when a total Ba number is critical.

One of the important rules to remember when considering 4Acid

digestions is that volatile elements will not be available or will have

low recovery. This is due to the aggressive nature and the tempera-

ture of the digestion. Therefore Hg should never be reported from

this digestion and low recoveries of As and Sb are likely. There are

options available to report volatiles from a separate digestion (Aqua-

Regia), with all other elements being reported from 4Acid digestions.

Litharge Fusion (fire assay techniques) – Fusions are used to “melt”

or separate various matrices to allow acid attack on the melt to get

the elements of interest into an aqueous phase.

The most common fusion technique is the litharge fusion – com-

monly referred to as fire assay. Fire assay fusions are based on the fact

that precious metals are soluble in metallic molten lead, while the

majority of elements (Si, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn) are not. This is why fire

assay is such a powerful technique for the determination of precious

metals – essentially, the laboratory separates out the precious metals

from the sample and concentrates them.

Thirty grams or 50 grams of sample material is weighed and li-

tharge (PbO), and a variety of other chemicals (borax, flour, etc.)

are added to each crucible containing the sample. The crucibles are

placed in a furnace and all of the precious materials in the sample

are dissolved into the lead. Following the fusion, the material from

the crucible is poured out into moulds, with the lead (containing

all of the precious metals) settling into the bottom of the mould

(Figure 1).

After cooling, the solidified slag (Si, Ca, Mg, etc.) is physically re-

moved from the cooled lead button. The lead button is then placed

into another, smaller crucible (cupel) placed into another furnace

where the lead becomes molten again and is absorbed by the cupel,

while the precious metals stay intact to form a silver bead (Figure 2).

The importance of selecting an appropriate analytical package for your program

Figure 1: Pouring of fire assay samples following fusion stage.

Spring 2015 45

This bead is then “parted” with nitric acid to remove the Ag. Fi-

nally, hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining Au, Pt, Pd.

Borate Fusion – This technique uses a mixture of lithium metab-

orate / lithium tetraborate. Samples are fused at a moderately low

temperature. The resultant melt is either poured into acid and dis-

solved, or cooled on a platinum mould to create a fused disk. Borate

Fusions play an important role in determination of REE, Zr, Rb, Ba,

etc. (Figure 3).

Peroxide Fusion – This fusion technique uses a powerful oxidizer

(sodium peroxide) mixed with the sample material and samples

fused at a relatively low temperature. This fusion is very effective

with high base-metal content and/or high sulphide content materi-

als; however, detection limits may suffer due to the high dissolved

solid content and high dilution prior to analysis.

AnALytICAL InstrUmEntAtIon (fInIshEs)The final step in choosing an appropriate analytical package is the

important stage of analytical finish. There are a number of factors in

choosing which finish is appropriate.

Detection limit – For the purposes of this article, a detection limit

is the lowest result that the laboratory can reasonably report (also

known as lowest reporting limit). For example, if Tl is an impor-

tant pathfinder for your soil program, then a package that offers the

lowest possible detection limit will need to be discussed with your

geochemistry assay laboratory. Conversely, if your program require-

ments dictate the importance of major elements, such as Fe, then a

lower detection limit will likely not be a driver in your selection of

an analytical package.

Upper limit – Upper limit is defined as the highest value reported

and is important in determination of over limits. For example, a

Trace Au by fire assay package likely has an upper limit of 10 g/t Au,

so if the sample reads 11.5 g/t Au then a result of >10 g/t Au would

be reported on the assay certificate. A discussion with the laboratory

needs to include steps to be taken after any over limit is reported. In

this instance, recommendations from the geochemistry assay labora-

tory may be to proceed with fire assay Au by gravimetric finish or

metallic screen analysis upon detection of overlimits.

Analytical range – Analytical range is the range reported from a

package between detection limit to upper limit. For example, the

range of Ag reported from a routine 4Acid digestion package may

be 0.5-100 ppm, while the range reported from an ore-grade 4Acid

digestion may be 2.5-500 ppm.

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) – Atomic Absorption Spec-

troscopy (AAS) is one of the most robust analytical finishes available.

A sequential technique (one element at a time), this instrument is

ideal in remote settings (e.g. mine sites, pulp and paper mills, and

geological research vessels) due to its ease of setup and operation.

The AAS suffers from a moderately high to very high detection limit,

and its inability to analyse more than one element simultaneously

(Figure 4).

Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-

OES) – The introduction of the ICP-OES into the geochemistry in-

dustry truly revolutionized the assay laboratory. With the ability to

analyse multiple elements simultaneously, and wide linear range, the

multi-element scan is now an almost-universal standard. Detection

limits, while significantly lower than reported by an AAS, may be a

limiting factor for some programs (e.g. Tl at 5 ppm when 0.01 ppm

is required) (See Figure 5).

Figure 2: Ag beads following cupellation.

Figure 3: Fused disks poured into mould following borate fusion.

Figure 4: Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS).


Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) – Us-

ing the power of a mass spectrometer, the ICP-MS has the capa-

bility to report detection limits in the part-per-billion (ppb) and

part-per-trillion (ppt) range. This makes the ICP-MS extremely

valuable to the analytical requirements of typical environmental

reporting. This technique also plays an important role in geochem-

ical programs. ICP-MS is routinely employed to detect pathfinder

elements (e.g. Tl, As, Bi, Hg) and detect elements that are simply

unavailable by ICP-OES (e.g. Re). When combined with ICP-OES,

the analytical range available can be over many orders of magni-

tude (e.g. Tl 0.01 ppm – 10,000 ppm) (Figure 6).

ConCLUsIon

The modern analytical geochemistry assay laboratory is a full

partner working with the client to contribute to the overall success

of the geochemical program. A client’s criteria for deciding on which

lab to choose should always include: quality of data (ISO 17025 ac-

creditation), location, and of course, price. The decision should also

include a review of the scope of the laboratory’s analytical packages

to suit each particular type of program. An open dialogue with the

assay laboratory regarding analytical packages will be ongoing as

part of a successful program and partnership.

Figure 5: Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES).

Figure 6: Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS).

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