Overview
| Stage | Permitting |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
- Continuous
- Bord-and-pillar
|
| Mine Life | 28 years (as of Jan 1, 2016) |
The Groundhog Project is the world’s largest undeveloped anthracite deposit, located in British Columbia, Canada.
The massive Groundhog project (100% Atrum) has been the subject of multi-decade historical exploration work and contains an existing JORC Resource estimate of over 1 Bt (156 Mt Measured, 453 Mt Indicated and 407 Mt Inferred).
In 2016, PFS for the starter mine of Groundhog North complex was completed.
September 30, 2022 - Atrum and its wholly owned subsidiary Atrum Coal Groundhog Inc. continued to evaluate options for the Groundhog project to further define the regulatory pathway to commence mining. These activities will commence in the fourth quarter 2022. Atrum also intends to commence a Scoping Study in Q4 2022 on the Groundhog project to further refine development options and mining scenarios. |
Source:
p. 1
The Groundhog project is 100% owned by Atrum Coal Ltd.
Contractors
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Summary:
The Bowser Lake Group comprises a 3,500 m thick sedimentary succession in the Groundhog project area and consists of the following formations:
- The Devil’s Claw Formation;
- The McEvoy Formation;
- The Currier Formation; and,
- The Ashman Formation
Currier Formation
The approximately 1,000 m thick Currier Formation overlies the Ashman Formation and is the primary coal bearing formation of the Groundhog Coalfield. It is deltaic in origin and records a change from the underlying Ashman Formation to alternating marine and non-marine deposition. The formation consists of alternating beds of shale and sandstone with lesser amounts of siltstone, conglomerate and coal. Prior to 1991 the Currier Formation was referred to either as the Groundhog Sequence or Groundhog Unit.
Coal Seam Geology
The coal-bearing Currier Formation consists of alternating beds of shale and sandstone, with lesser amounts of siltstone, conglomerate and coal. Strata are generally arranged in coarsening-upward units ranging from 30 to 60 m thick in the lower part of the formation. Within Groundhog tenure areas, the thickness of the coal-bearing unit, locally known as the Currier Formation, is approximately 600 m thick.
Coal occurrences indicate the base of the Currier Formation.
Target Coal Seams
At least 21 known coal seams occur within the Currier Formation on the Groundhog property. These are broken into four horizons start ........
Mining Methods
- Continuous
- Bord-and-pillar
Summary:
Initial production is planned from lower cost continuous miner operation, with modified pillar extraction.
The preferred location of the bulk sample has been identified on the basis of anthracite quality, structural geology, seam thickness, shallow floor dip, ease of access and high product yield. The mine design and associated mine plan for the bulk sample is complete, utilising a simple bord and pillar mining method accessed through an adit to provide the Company with a low-capital entry to production. It is likely that the adit will double as the access point for the commencement of small scale mining and future commercial production.
Source:
Summary:
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Projected Production:
| Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual |
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
kt
| 880 |
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.
Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | |
|
Raw coal annual capacity
| 1,400 kt of ROM coal * |
* According to 2016 study.
Reserves at June 11, 2016:
The Mineral Resources as at 2022 at Groundhog North are unchanged from 2016.
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity |
|
Measured
|
156 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Indicated
|
453 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Inferred
|
407 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Total Resource
|
1,016 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| | Commodity | Units | Average |
|
Cash costs
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
USD
|
59 / t *
|
|
Total cash costs
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
USD
|
96 / t *
|
|
Assumed price
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
USD
|
156 / t *
|
* According to 2016 study / presentation.
Operating Costs:
| | Units | 2016 |
|
UG mining costs ($/t processed)
|
USD
| 30.1 * |
|
Processing costs ($/t processed)
|
USD
| ...... |
* According to 2016 study.
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2016 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :
| Metrics | Units | LOM Total |
|
Total CapEx
|
$M USD
|
......
|
|
After-tax NPV @ 7.6%
|
$M USD
|
......
|
|
After-tax IRR, %
|
|
......
|
|
After-tax payback period, years
|
|
......
|
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Proposed Heavy Mobile Equipment as of June 11, 2016:
| HME Type | Quantity |
|
Continuous Miner
|
.......................
|
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Mine Management:
| Job Title | Name | Profile | Ref. Date |
|
.......................
|
.......................
|
|
Nov 13, 2022
|
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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