Consultant Norwest this week submitted its report on the Barbour and Horizon blocks of its Five Cabin property. In-place, surface mineable, bituminous coal resources total 45.6 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources, and a further 8.2Mt of inferred resources.

Hillsborough is continuing exploration on the Northridge block and the northern portion of the Horizon block, and expects to complete drilling by the end of February. Norwest has been commissioned to prepare a technical report on these blocks, due to be completed by the end of April.

Based on the coal resources being delineated on these blocks, Hillsborough is proceeding with a feasibility study for mining Horizon.

Baseline environmental work is largely complete and the Horizon mine project is in the pre-application stage of the provincial environmental assessment process. The company will file the application for a project certificate by July this year.

Mine permit approval for production of bulk sample tonnage has been received and Hillsborough is developing plans for a mobile wash plant, site development and access construction with the objective of producing the bulk sample later this year.

Hillsborough operates the Quinsam underground thermal coal mine in Campbell River, British Columbia and the Crossville underground coal mine in Tennessee. It is developing metallurgical coal properties near Tumbler Ridge in northeast BC, as well as the Bingay Creek metallurgical coal project in the Elk Valley region of southeast BC.