Barrick officials discuss projects

Officials at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine discussed three underground projects at last weeks Community Transition Advisory Committee meeting in Whitehall.

Mine Environmental Superintendent Chuck Buus said they are currently working with the state to update permits to go underground at the North Area Pit South Area Extension (NASA), and 2B locations at the mine. He said both had been previously permitted for open pit mining and they would be changing them to underground. He said they are hoping to get the change on the NASA area to the state by the end of October.

Buus and Mine General Manager Dan Banghart both said they are still currently working with the state on the proposed Apex Project at the site. The mine has previously responded to the “deficiency letter” from the state, and according to Banghart is currently preparing the “second round” of response. Buus said they are hoping to turn this in next week, and most of the comments from the state were in response to geotechnical issues.

Buus said they are very happy to get the NASA and 2B projects going before they start Apex.

Banghart reported that through one of their contractors, they have been able to secure an underground core drill and a reverse circulation drill. He said they are seeing opportunities at the mine but not getting enough information back, so it will help to have the drills on site full time.

Banghart reported the production at the mine during September was 2,800 ounces. He said there is a mill run currently taking place and another is scheduled later in October. He was pleased with production underground the performance of the mill, but said they are still having a lower grade than they budgeted for. Banghart said added materials in stoping have ended up diluting the ore.

Banghart told the committee there are currently 50 Barrick and 80 contractors reporting to the mine and the employee numbers have been relatively stable.

He added they had a pretty significant drop in third party ore, with 2,400 tons in September from one supplier, about half of what they have been seeing.

Buus said in a couple weeks they will be getting help from Montana Tech to identity where confer trees will grow best for their reclamation projects.