Tulsequah Chief gets green light

Redfern Resources (RFR-T) has been given the go-ahead to reopen the Tulsequah Chief mine in northwestern B.C.

The government of British Columbia officially approved the mine proposal on March 20 in Victoria. Energy, Mines and Northern Development Minister Dan Miller and Environment Minister Cathy McGregor signed the approval certificate. This ends a three-and-a-half-year environmental review process that saw Redfern spend more than $8 million to meet the technical, environmental and public consultation requirements.

“Environmental reviews in British Columbia today are among the most rigorous and stringent in the world,” said Redfern Chairman John Greig. “So, as one of the first mine proposals in the province to be fully reviewed under B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Act, we believe the Tulsequah Chief may be the most exhaustively studied mining project in B.C. history.” With the project now approved, Vancouver-based Redfern can set about completing financing arrangements and beginning the process of acquiring routine permits for construction and operation of the mine.

“We have worked very closely with local communities over the past three-and-a-half years, particularly the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, to ensure that the Tulsequah Chief Project achieves local priorities for environmental protection, as well as for economic and social development,” said Redfern President Terry Chandler. “We fully expect those relationships to continue in the future, to ensure that the construction, operation and reclamation of this mine respects local priorities and concerns, and maximizes local benefits.”

The Tulsequah Chief polymetallic project is a former producer that hosts minable reserves of 7.9 million tonnes averaging 6.35% zinc, 1.23% copper, 1.18% lead, 2.42 grams gold and 100.9 grams silver per tonne. The mine’s life is set at nine years and production is pegged at 2,466 tonnes per day.

The deposit remains open along strike and at depth.

The project will supply a total of 1,100 direct and indirect jobs during the 2-year construction phase and 600 jobs will be created when the mine is brought online.

Government revenues generated over the life of the mine will be in the order of $190 million. Construction wages and operational payroll are expected to be $40 million and $15 million, respectively. Additional annual supply and service expenses will run to $32 million.

Redfern is currently trying to secure project financing from potential joint-venture partners.

If all goes according to plan, the first concentrates will be shipped from Tulsequah Chief by the end of 2000.