Located in north-eastern British Columbia, the area underwent extensive exploration in the 1970s and early 1980s. Feasibility reports indicated the potential for large-scale opencut coal mining operations.
The partners plan to spend $C20 million to expand and reclassify the coal resources in these historically identified resource areas. New feasibility studies are also planned to assess developing operations capable of producing 6-10 million tonnes per annum.
NEMI and Western have each recently closed equity financings set up to provide funding for their respective commitments.
Charles Pitcher will head up the management of the limited partnership. With 35 years mining experience, much of Pitcher’s work in the past 10 years has been in international project development, and for the last two in project management at Western’s coal properties.
Four main areas are targeted for surface mining potential: Red Deer, Holtslander, Saxon East, and Saxon South. Combined historical resource estimates for the four main potential surface mineable areas are in excess of 150 million tonnes.
