It wasn’t official at presstime, but Minnova Inc.’s schedule for its Ansil property just outside of Rouyn- Noranda, Que., calls for a production start-up at the end of 1988 or the beginning of 1989. When the copper- zinc-silver-gold mine does start producing, it will be the culmination of an exploration program dating back to 1982. In that same area over the years, Minnova (formerly Corporation Falconbridge Copper) has successfully mined three other copper deposits — the Norbec, Millenbach and Corbet. (Reserves at the Corbet mine were exhausted in September, 1986.) The Ansil, with its sloping, oval-shaped, 1,000-ft-wide massive sulphide deposit, is the deepest of the four. While the deposit averages 7% copper, some sections reach as high as 20%.
Production plans call for the mining of 1,500 tons of ore per day, which, based on known reserves, means a lifespan of four years for the mine. Ore from the project will be shipped for concentrating to the company’s nearby Norbec mill, which was built in 1961. The copper concentrates will be taken to the Horne smelter at Rouyn-Noranda, while the zinc concentrates will be forwarded to Valleyfield, Que., just outside of Montreal.
The main shaft was originally sunk to about 4,600 ft; further digging will take it down to about 5,100 ft. Six levels in all are planned. The ventilation shaft has been completed.
Total cost to bring the Ansil mine into production will be about $30 million. Exploration work on the property began in 1982 and then was dropped, until 1984 when the work began in earnest. The deposit, a typical massive sulphide, was first intersected in a series of 12 drill holes ranging in depth from about 3,950 ft to more than 4,900 ft.
Minnova is controlled by Kerr Addison Mines, which in turn is controlled by Noranda Inc. Ansil Notebook Location: ……. Rouyn-Noranda,Que. Major owners:……. MinnovaInc.
(Ansil Resources of Toronto is entitled to a royalty payout equal to 20% of the first $2 million of net proceeds and 7.5% of the balance of the net proceeds) Commodities:……. copper,zinc,silver,gold Start-up:……. (unofficially)theendof1988, beginning of 1989 Capital cost:……. $30million Reserves:……. 2.1 million tons of 7% copper, 0.5% zinc, 0.7 oz silver and 0.05 oz gold Means of access:……. shaft,to reach about 5,100 ft; six levels planned Mining method: ……. probably cut-and-fill Mining equipment:……. trackless Production rate:……. 1,500 tons ore per day Milling: ……. Norbec mill Major contractors:……. Dynatec Mining doing shaft work Current status:……. pre-production
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