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aus Investorensicht sicher einen Blick Wert. Der Mineralreichtum der Prairie Creek Mine gibt dem Unternehmen seinen Wert. Das Problem sind die ungelösten Eingentumsrechte der Ureinwohner sowie einzuhaltende Umweltstandards, welche von verschiedenen Behörden gesetzt werden. In dem nachfolgenden Artikel -auch wenn dieser bereits aus 2005 stammt- ist die Situation mit allen Chancen und Risiken zum Betrieb bzw. Start der Prairie Creek Mine sehr gut beschrieben. Gruß Permanent Western Standard
Independent Voice of the New West March 14, 2005
Canadian Zinc Corporation By Leonard Melman Mining history can be fascinating and few events have impacted the mining community like the collapse of the price of silver in 1980, when it fell from over $50 per ounce to barely $5.00 in just a few days. Yet, out of that collapse has emerged one of the most interesting of all current mining ventures. When silver plunged during that fateful period, the Hunt brothers made headlines with their efforts to corner the silver market. Most observers attribute much of silver's price rise to those efforts and it was the subsequent fall in silver's price that played a prominent role in the sudden collapse of their financial empire. However, the Hunt brothers left behind a most unusual legacy: a mining property located in Canada's Northwest Territories that was explored, developed and brought almost to completion-but one that has never operated. The property is known as the Prairie Creek Mine and, following the financial demise of the Hunt brothers, the property was placed into receivership in 1982. Prairie Creek then sat dormant until 1992 when San Andreas Resources Corp.-later renamed Canadian Zinc Corporation-purchased the property and resumed development of the mine and surrounding properties. During the period of San Andreas' subsequent development work, it was determined that zinc, not silver, was truly the mine's primary resource and subsequent studies determined that a profitable mine could be operated as long as zinc was priced at US$0.345 or higher. In fact, as of mid-February 2005, zinc's market price was on the order of US$0.60 per pound. The most important use of zinc is in the production of galvanized zinc to prevent corrosion, particularly when it is used as a coating for iron-based metallic products. Zinc is also an ingredient in dry batteries and roof cladding. When used as zinc oxide, it is an important component of paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and printing inks, while zinc sulphide is used for luminous dials, x-ray and TV screens and florescent lights. Prairie Creek's geographic situation has been the source of some considerable difficulties through the years for two important reasons. In the first case, the Prairie Creek mine is located in the southern Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories, in the area to the north of the Nahanni National Park Reserve, and is positioned along Prairie Creek in the watershed of the South Nahanni River. Nahanni National Park Reserve and the South Nahanni River are highly valued as recreational wilderness areas and have been designated as a World Heritage site and a Canadian Heritage River respectively. Next, the entire area near Prairie Creek is involved in aboriginal land rights issues and negotiations involving Canadian Zinc, nearby aboriginal people-represented primarily by the Nahanni Butte Dene Band of the Deh Cho First Nations-and various federal and NWT regulatory agencies have been ongoing for many years. While the federal government has successfully negotiated land claim settlements with all other aboriginal peoples in the Mackenzie Valley, the Deh Cho claims alone remain unresolved. Because of the property's situation involving both a particularly beautiful wilderness area and also unresolved aboriginal land disputes, the permitting process for Canadian Zinc has been, as noted in the corporate Due Diligence package, particularly "cumbersome." Historically, all permits necessary to open the mine had been obtained in the early 1980s under the simpler, more relaxed standards of that era. However, the company notes that "In 1998, a totally new regulatory management scheme was introduced in this part of Canada." Since that time, in order to obtain all currently required permits, a host of aboriginal and regulatory agencies have become involved in the process, including: - Nahanni Butte Dene Band of the Deh Cho First Nations
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans
- Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development
- Environment and Conservation, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs
- Environment Canada
- Parks Canada
- Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Northwest Territories Chapter
- South Mackenzie District Office
- Water Resources, INAC.
Not only is the sheer number of agencies and departments somewhat daunting, so also is the variety of rules, regulations and laws which must be understood and followed. A short list of these might include: - Northern Inland and Waters Act
- Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
- Mackenzie Valley Resource Assessment Management Act of 1998
- Gwich'in and Sahtu Land Claim Settlement Agreements
- Mackenzie Valley Land Use Regulations
- Northwest Territories Waters Act and Regulations
- Federal Real Property Act
- Territorial Lands Act
Despite all obstacles, Canadian Zinc was successful in obtaining permits to perform development work on the property, and this past year expended approximately $1.7 million while drilling 27 holes involving approximately 6,000 meters of drilling during 2004. In addition, an underground development program is planned for Prairie Creek during 2005, which will encompass 8,000 to 10,000 metres of underground drilling targeting both vein and stratabound massive sulphide mineralization. Whatever else may be said about the Hunt Brothers, one reality is that they planned and financed a first-class operation at Prairie Creek. Canadian Zinc estimates that to replace the mine infrastructure and equipment the Hunts provided would now cost in excess of $100,000,000. The Hunts also left behind a virtually complete mill with many parts still in operating condition, including ore bins, apron feeders, jaw crusher, cone crusher, screen, dust collection system and conveyors. Canadian Zinc commissioned a complete scoping study, completed in early 2001, which determined that the mine, mill and supporting facilities could be put into operation for a capital expenditure of approximately $22,000,000 if the mine operated for eight months per year using a winter road, or close to double that figure if an all-weather access road was constructed from the mine site to the Liard Highway. Canadian Zinc estimates that the mine has sufficient reserves to operate for a minimum of 18 years and could provide enormous economic benefits to the area. Initially, a sizable number of jobs would be created for renovation, construction and road-building in order to bring the mine into production. Once operational, it is estimated that 230 full-time employees would be required with an annual payroll of over $14 million. Using a standard multiplier of 2:1, it is estimated than an additional 460 spin-off jobs would be created throughout the Northwest Territories and the rest of Canada. In addition, it is estimated that payments to government for corporate, income, employee and royalty taxes would amount to about $15.4 million, and third party contracts for catering, air transport, incoming freight, outgoing concentrate, mill supplies and general consumables would amount to another $20 million per year. And, in accord with the Prairie Creek Development Cooperation Agreement negotiated and signed in 1996, the Nahanni Butte Dene Band would be provided with a 5% equity interest in profits after taxation. Back to Press Releases
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