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Canada

Aries (Ram River) Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePre-Feasibility
Commodities
  • Coal (metallurgical)
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Ram River Coal Corp. 100 % Direct
Ram River Coal Corp. is a private Canadian company holding a 100% interest in the Ram River property that contains two well-defined metallurgical coal deposits located in Alberta, Canada. The Ram River property contains an NI 43-101 in-place coal mineral resource estimate. In 2017, a Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") was completed on its flagship project, the Aries Project within the Ram River property.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Ram River property is divided into two areas containing coal resources (designated as North Block and South Block) with a similar level of structural complexity. Both blocks have a gentle syncline structure. In both blocks, a thrust fault has been identified. The structure of this area exhibits the features that cause it to be categorized as a Moderate Geology Type in both blocks.

The North Block bifurcates from the South Block, with the North Block, measuring approximately 15 km in length and 3.5 km in width and with the South Block measuring, approximately 14 km at its longest point and 2.7 km at its widest point.

The Luscar Group is the dominant host rock in the vicinity of the Ram River Property. The orientation of the Luscar Group in the property is aligned with the regional Northwest -Southeast orientation of the Rocky Mountains. The Alberta Group flanks the western side of the property. Northwest-southeast thrust faults occur to the west and east of the property area. The major regional Burnt Timber thrust fault is located 1 km to 2.5 km northwest of the property lease boundary. The thrust has a northwest-trending strike and a southwest dipping angle of 35° to 40° with vertical displacement of approximately 90 m.

The general structure of the Ram River property
consists of northwest-trending anticlines and synclines. The major folding structure is the Ram River anticline. Most of the coal, in close proximity of the anticline axes, was eroded and the area of interest was divided into two blocks (northeast and southwest blocks) with gentle syncline structure.

The dipping angle of Seams 2 and 3 is less than 15° in large portions of the blocks (Drawing 11). Higher dipping angles (up to 35°) are observed in the northern part of the South block and the southern part of the North block along Ram River anticline axes.

The Ram River Property is intersected by northwest-southeast trending anticlines and synclines. The distance between the troughs of the folds is approximately 700 m in the central part of the North Block. Commonly, the dips of the stratigraphy vary from 10° and 36° (Erdman, 1945). The Ram River Anticline has had the largest impact on the property, as most of the coal that was near the axes of the Ram River Anticline was removed by erosion. The location of this anticline structure generally aligns with the break between the North and South blocks.

Drilling has penetrated total of four seams on the property. The seams are named, from base to top, Seam 1, Seam 2, Seam 3 and Seam 4. Seam 1, Seam 3 and Seam 4 occur as single ply seams.

Seam 2 has splits or a “Rider Seam” associated with it (Seam 2R). This rider is typically thinner and usually not as laterally continuous as Seam 2. Occasionally the rider seams achieve thickness more than 1 m.

Seam 3 is the primary seam in the area. No major partings were observed within the seam intervals. The seam thickness varies, and has an average thickness of 3.5 m. The sediment above Seam 3 varies from 0 m near outcrops to 150-200 m in the northwest block, to more than 500 m in the southeast block. The covering materials are mainly shale, sandstone and silty sandstone.

Seam 2 is thinner than Seam 3, with an average thickness of 2.3 m, as illustrated on Drawing 13. Shale to silty shale occur above Seam 2 between Seam 2 and Seam 2R.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. Annual
Coal (metallurgical) Mt 4
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Raw coal annual capacity 6 Mt of ROM coal *
Coal washing plant annual capacity 6 Mt of ROM coal *
Stripping / waste ratio 13.2 bcm/t *
* According to 2017 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Coal (metallurgical) USD 91.2 / t *  
Assumed price Coal (metallurgical) USD 143.55 / t *  
* According to 2017 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
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After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 5% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 5% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
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After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

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Aerial view:

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