Project Overview and Location

 

HD Mining International Ltd. (HD Mining) proposes to develop Murray River Coal Project (Project) as a 6 million tonne per year (6 Mtpa) underground metallurgical coal mine. The Project is located 12.5 km southwest of the town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia (BC; Figure 1). The coordinates are E 112°54'03"-121°18'07", N 54°56'59"-55°09'59".

 

(Figure 1.1)

 

The Project will produce approximately 4.5 million tonnes of metallurgical coal product, and 6 million tonnes of ROM coal per year over 31 years. A 5-year construction phase is currently planned, and the mine will operate for 25 years. The closure phase is approximately three years and HD Mining has planned for a 6-year post-closure monitoring program (i.e., following the closure phase). The monitoring results will be used to assess reclamation success and whether certain aspects of the post-closure monitoring program can be shortened or extended. 

 

Coal will be mined using long-wall mining, which is designed to maximize extraction rates while maintaining worker safety.

 

 

Project Infrastructure

• underground mine;
• decline site;
• shaft site;
• coal processing site; and,
• secondary shaft site.

Major Project Components

• waste rock storage facilities;
• overburden and soil storage areas;
• explosive and soil storage areas;
• coal rejects storage areas;
• coal handling and preparation facilities;
• coal conveyor; and,
• rail load-out.

Key Benefits of Underground Mining

• Underground mining will produce limited waste rock, and the mine will have a small surface footprint compared to an open pit mine of equivalent production rate;
• Project infrastructure and disturbance will be limited to areas of low elevations (outside of core caribou habitat) and in areas of pre-existing disturbance;
• Roads and utilities infrastructure (e.g., power, natural gas, rail) already exist and minimal expansion of this infrastructure will be required to support the Project; and,
• Dewatering of flotation tailings will allow co-mingling of coarse and fine coal rejects in a single facility so there will be no subaqueous tailings storage, reducing closure liability.