[Timmins] Miners dig deal – by Kristine MacDougall (Timmins Daily Press – July 20, 2011)

The Daily Press is the newspaper of record for the city of Timmins

Goldcorp, Xstrata Copper finalize partnership agreement

A new partnership agreement between Xstrata Copper and Goldcorp is providing a sustainable future for both operations in Timmins. “We’ve been working on this agreement for over a year, and to finally see it be signed is a great accomplishment,” said David Yaschyshyn, Xstrata Copper’s superintendent of environment and industrial Hygiene.

“It truly is a win-win for both operations.” The announcement came Tuesday morning at Goldcorp’s Hoyle Pond Mine Site, just east of the met site property in Hoyle Township.

“We’ve secured a long-term supply of tailings for the paste filling operations at the Kidd Mine for its life. As well as being able to secure a supply of rock for our construction activities at the Kidd Concentrator site,” said Yaschyshyn.

“It really helps reduce our operating costs at our Kidd operations here in Timmins, for both the mine and the concentrator facility,” explained Yaschyshyn. “As we are able to reduce our operating costs, we have the potential to increase the life of the Kidd mine, which is currently 2017.

“It’s been a real great benefit to our Kidd Operations and our employees here in Timmins.”

Under the new agreement, Xstrata Copper’s Kidd Operations will gain access to Goldcorp tailings and waste rock materials to use in construction, rehabilitation and paste fill operations in exchange for mineral rights to claims located near Porcupine Gold Mines’ Hoyle Pond operation.

“Goldcorp and Xstrata have a good partnership here, we have for a long time,” said David Bucar, Goldcorp’s strategic development manager. “This (agreement) will extend it for probably over the next 10 years, throughout the life of mine, in both the Hoyle Pond and the Kidd mine.”

Bucar spoke of an area being mined at Hoyle Pond called the 10/60 zone which may have “the highest grade material in the Porcupine Camp.”

He noted some future possibilities that the area might hold.
“We see that continuing on for at least another decade or more and hopefully the opportunity to find more of the same is very good, as we extend to depth,” he added. “It’s ground that hasn’t truly been explored, so we have the opportunity to explore and hopefully generate the future mine from that area.

“We’re able to provide Xstrata with some of our rock and tailings that we have an abundance of, that they can use in their constructions projects. It’s a benefit to us and to them as well.”

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