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By Hugo Melo

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North America

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Hugo Melo

August, 2018

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Ekati
Since 1998, BHP Billiton Diamonds has mined diamonds at the Ekati Diamond Mine near Lac de Gras in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Current operations are based on mining multiple pipes by the open pit method. Some pipes are now being converted to underground mining, as pits deepen. Since 1999 SRK has worked with BHP Billiton’s team to select and design appropriate underground mining methods for individual kimberlite pipes.

San Manuel
The BHP Copper San Manuel Mine is a former underground and open pit mine located in south central Arizona. BHP Copper retained SRK to evaluate closure options and prepare the necessary engineering and environmental documentation. SRK personnel from throughout North America, South America and the U.K. contributed to this project, including specialists in groundwater hydrology, aqueous geochemistry and mining engineering.

Duval Canal
In September 1998, Phelps Dodge Sierrita, Inc. (PDSI) experienced a significant storm event at their major copper mine in southern Arizona that resulted in damage to the Duval Canal, a lined surface water conveyance 3.2 miles long, linking the mill and the tailing impoundment area. SRK designed a new canal to meet the PDSI environmental objectives of surface and groundwater protection.

Red Dog Mine
The Red Dog Mine, near Kotzebue, Alaska, is the world’s largest zinc producer.  Since 1998, SRK has assisted Cominco Alaska and Teck Cominco Alaska Inc. with several projects at the site, including long-term investigations of acid rock drainage. In 2003, SRK was selected to act as the primary consultant for the development of a closure and reclamation plan.

Langlois Mine
The Langlois underground zinc mine in northwestern Quebec, in production since 1995, had become uneconomic by 2000, when Breakwater Resources hired SRK to prepare a feasibility study to bring the mine back to profitability. SRK developed concepts and options to introduce only those changes required to address the most serious operating problems. Risk was reduced by relying on historical productivities and costs.

Britannia Mine
The Britannia Mine, located just north of Vancouver, Canada, was once the largest copper producer in the British Empire. More recently, it has been characterized as the largest uncontrolled source of metal pollution in North America. SRK first developed a closure plan for the site in 1994, and is currently working with Golder Associates, Klohn Crippen and the provincial government to collect, store and treat contaminated water.

Standard Mine
Apollo Gold retained SRK to undertake the detailed design for permitting and construction of the heap leach pad at their new Standard Mine, Nevada. This new greenfields project is located approximately 10 miles south of Apollo Gold's existing Florida Canyon Mine. The pad is constructed on steep ground in an area of high seismicity. Construction began in May 2004; ore stacking is planned for the third quarter 2004.

Giant Mine
Roasting of the arsenopyrite ore at the Giant Mine, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, produced 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust. The dust is stored underground in mined-out stopes and chambers. Since 1999, as Technical Advisor to the Giant Mine Project Team, SRK has been involved in developing, communicating and licensing a long-term plan for dealing with the highly toxic material.

Alamo Dorado
Pan American Silver is in the process of updating the final feasibility study of their 35 million tonne silver-gold deposit at Alamo Dorado in Sonora, Mexico. Using detailed structural mapping, combined with 3D Leapfrog modeling of grade distributions, SRK produced a geological model of the complexly folded deposit that served to guide a recent drilling campaign and was incorporated into the new resource model.

Victor
De Beers recently completed a feasibility study of the Victor Diamond Project, the only advanced diamond project in Ontario. The Victor kimberlite is located in the lowlands of northern Ontario, approximately 100km west of James Bay. The harsh environment poses challenges for the mine design. SRK, with Itasca and HCI consultants, has assisted De Beers with mine design and hydrogeology since the prefeasibility stage.

Chino Mines
In 1995, Chino Mines Company, a subsidiary of Phelps Dodge Corporation, retained SRK to assess potential human health and ecological risks associated with historic smelter and processing emissions in New Mexico. This project required close coordination between state and federal regulators as well as the involvement of other technical specialists.

Uranium Projects
SRK is preparing uranium mill Title II (commercial energy fuel) sites for license termination and transfer to the US Department of Energy. At Panna Maria, we expect approval of our application for Alternate Concentration Limits (ACLs) in 2005, with license termination and transfer in 2006 – a first for the State of Texas. At nearby Conquista, SRK will apply for ACLs in 2005, with license termination and transfer in 2012.

Robinson Mining
The Robinson Mining District in Nevada has been mined since the late 1800’s. SRK became involved in 1996 with BHP operations, which incorporated selected use of waste rock from new mining operations to stabilize and close historic facilities. When operations temporarily ceased in mid-1999, active closure planning began. SRK provided detailed engineering and permitting assistance to meet all regulatory requirements and maintain strategic facilities as operating assets. With sale of the property to Quadra Mining Ltd., SRK has provided help with “re-start” engineering design and permitting for resumed operations.

20 Years at Faro
SRK has worked at the Faro Mine, a major zinc and lead producer in Canada’s Yukon Territory, since the mid-1980’s, and is currently assisting Deloitte & Touche Inc. and the Federal and Yukon governments to prepare a comprehensive closure plan. Recent projects range from basic geochemical studies to supervising the engineering and construction for breaching a major fresh water supply dam.

Bagdad Mine
Phelps Dodge Corporation retained SRK to complete the Aquifer Protection Permit, a comprehensive groundwater permit program, for the Bagdad open pit mine in Yavapai County, Arizona. Challenges in the permit process include maintaining operator flexibility to modify the mine plan during the life of mine with appropriate modifications to the permit.

Molycorp Questa
SRK’s Larry Cope, senior hydrogeologist, inspects innovative underground instrumentation to record groundwater inflow to an underground mine in New Mexico. In this project, flow data were combined with water quality information to create a water and constituent load balance for the mine. Experts provided geochemical interpretations for the project.

Brewery Creek
The Brewery Creek Mine was a gold producer located near Dawson in the Yukon Territory, and operated the most northerly heap leaching process in Canada. SRK directed investigations and prepared documents for licensing of the project in the early 1990’s, and has recently been retained for advice and review of closure measures.