The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.
BLACK RIVER-MATHESON – Primero Mining Corporation is aiming to have a new open pit mine in operation by 2018. Ernest Mast, the newly appointed president and chief operating officer, said they plan to begin construction on the Grey Fox open pit next year.
Primero currently operates the Black Fox Mine Black River-Matheson which has both an underground and open pit operation. “That open pit operation will cease later this year,” said Mast, who was appointed president last month. “We will see a decrease in employment from that but then when Grey Fox opens, it is just going to take up that personnel.”
Based solely on confirmed reserves, the Black Fox underground mine may have just another four years of operation. However, Mast said there is considerable evidence to suggest Black Fox will enjoy a considerably longer lifespan. The Grey Fox property is located about three kilometres south of Black Fox Mine.
Both mines are on the geological Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone which extends from Val d’Or to to the west of Timmins.
“Obviously numerous mines are on that trend,” said Mast. “One of the characteristics of the mines on this trend is that most go down to 1,200 to 1,400 metres, and right now we’re only at 520 metres and our drilling at around the 650 metre level has given us the best intercepts (drill results) in the history of the mine and those were recently announced.
“We built an exploration drift at the 520 metre level to gives us different points in which to drill deeper down. And we’re drilling up to 1,050 metres.”
As for the Grey Fox Mine, Mast said, “Currently, we have 558,000 ounces in measured and indicated resources (at Grey Fox). Most of that is in an open pit so we’re looking to augment the underground from Black Fox with production from Grey Fox.
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