The Canadian Resource Economy

[Xelebes]

I thought I would create a thread for mine developments going on in Canada. Feel free to start.

[Cyro]

Mega agreement signed for northern Manitoba gold mine

A mineral exploration company trying to develop a gold reserve in northern Manitoba it believes could become "Canada's next great gold mine" has landed financing that could see it through the development process.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bus...234712431.html

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

I thought I would create a thread for mine developments going on in Canada. Feel free to start.

I'm guessing this is somehow related to the spat in the tar sands thread? If so, this thread isn't sufficient to cover the oil sands, as the majority of the oil there will not be mined, but extracted by different methods.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I'm guessing this is somehow related to the spat in the tar sands thread? If so, this thread isn't sufficient to cover the oil sands, as the majority of the oil there will not be mined, but extracted by different methods.

wut

[Cyro]

Oil Mining, Subsurface

a method of petroleum extraction that is based on the digging of a system of underground mining excavations. The method is used to mine pools containing high-viscosity oils, or bitumens, and heterogeneous pools of medium-viscosity oil that are no longer productive by other methods. Oil may be mined either by washing or by drainage.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictiona...ng,+Subsurface

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Xelebes

wut

I don't know if you're trolling me or not, but most of the oil in the oil sands is too far underground to be mined, and will be extracted by methods such as SAGD (steam assisted gravity drainage).

[Architype]

Originally Posted by Cyro

Oil Mining, Subsurface

a method of petroleum extraction that is based on the digging of a system of underground mining excavations. The method is used to mine pools containing high-viscosity oils, or bitumens, and heterogeneous pools of medium-viscosity oil that are no longer productive by other methods. Oil may be mined either by washing or by drainage.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictiona...ng,+Subsurface

Isn't that just "tar-mining" with a different name?

[Surrealplaces]

As far as I know the term 'mining' covers pretty much anything that is purposefully taken out of the ground. Not necessarily from digging, but any method.

[Allan83]

Also note that this thread doesn’t cover at all the issue of the Saudis cutting the world oil price to undercut the new American shale oil sources, which is of course the big issue of the last few days. Is there anything that can be done about this guy interfering with legitimate discussions on this board?

[Calgarian]

What happened to all the Ring of Fire stuff in Ontario?

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

What happened to all the Ring of Fire stuff in Ontario?

I believe the price of the mineral to be mined (chromium? cobalt? I forget) collapsed and talks with the First Nations never really went anywhere.

[milomilo]

So, to clarify, is this now the thread for oil related discussions?

I debated posting my initial post in the economy thread instead of the tar sands one this morning, I wish I had as now that discussion is lost.

[Xelebes]

Oil is fair game here. Oil is mined and drilled, so it's all good.

[Denscity]

Mining in BC:

-One of the world's major mining regions
-Copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc, molybdenum, and coal
-Since the late 60's, 45,000 hectares in BC has been mined
-As of late 2010, there are 9 major metal mines and 10 major coal mines, plus 35 major industrial mineral mines in BC

LNG in BC:

-Latest estimates puts BC's natural gas reserves at 1965 Trillion cubic feet of LNG - or 150+ years worth.

Oil in BC:

-Most of BC's oil is situated in Northeastern BC just like our LNG, while the rest is under our Pacific Ocean, and there's no appetite to go and get those reserves given our strong environmental sentiments.

[shreddog]

So before this thread gets into the debate of oil vs tar vs bitumen vs rainbows how about a spotlight on what may be one of the biggest environmental challenge in Canada's mining industry .. Elk Valley, BC.

Elk Valley watershed: Why has this unfolding disaster been ignored? link

Few people know more about selenium poisoning than Dennis Lemly and that’s why Environment Canada turned to him to assess federal research in British Columbia’s Elk Valley watershed.
...
“As these surface mines have expanded, so has the volume of their selenium-laden water discharges to nearby stream and rivers,” he states. “The increase in water pollution … all point to the same conclusion, that is, the Elk River watershed is now at a tipping point. Selenium toxicity is evident in fish, especially in the Upper Fording River, and further increases in waterborne and fish-tissue concentrations can lead to only one outcome … total population collapse of sensitive species such as westslope cutthroat trout.”
...
You’d think this unfolding environmental disaster would generate a lot of headlines in B.C., but so far it has largely been ignored. People seem far more worried about the potential damage that might be caused by a possible oil spill from a proposed pipeline than they are about what’s actually happening right now in the Elk Valley.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by Denscity

... and there's no appetite to go and get those reserves given our strong environmental sentiments.

Kind of ironic you say that given the storey I just posted about the Elk Valley issues.

[Xelebes]

Originally Posted by Denscity

-Latest estimates puts BC's natural gas reserves at 1965 Trillion cubic feet of LNG - or 150+ years worth.

In units that make sense: 55.6 trillion cubic metres.

[Denscity]

I think Ive heard about this situation ^^^ but ya not exactly in the headlines everyday. Perhaps because nothing has "suddenly happened"?? Perhaps a small population of trout is not "front page worthy"?

[Chadillaccc]

Originally Posted by shreddog

Kind of ironic you say that given the storey I just posted about the Elk Valley issues.

Arm-chair environmentalism mixed with wilful ignorance! Isn't it just wondrous?

[Xelebes]

Where did you post it shreddog?