International flavor to Cordilleran Roundup

Delegates to the recent 1993 Cordilleran Roundup heard about exploration activity at home, in particular in British Columbia and the Yukon, and also about opportunities overseas.

In British Columbia, the trend of lower investment and exploration which began in 1990 continued through 1992, delegates were told.

Exploration expenditures last year are expected to total about $113 million, down from $137 million spent in 1991. The estimated 26,000 new mineral claims staked last year represent a 55% drop from those staked in 1991, and a 74% drop from those staked in 1990. One new mine opened last year, the Dome Mountain gold operation near Houston, but five closed because of exhausted reserves, or because of technical or financial problems.

Like most mining conferences, the roundup was international in scope and featured talks on exploration and mining projects in various countries, including Chile, Argentina, the former Soviet Union and Vietnam. A delegation from the newly elected Yukon government attended the event to deliver the message that the territory is “open for business.” Economic Development Minister John Devries and geologists from the Canada/Yukon Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) office were on hand to provide information on the MDA mapping program in the Yukon, and on the Yukon Mining Incentives Program. This new program provides financial assistance for grassroots prospecting and exploration work in the Yukon.

“The Yukon has enormous potential for mining development and I want the industry people to know that the Yukon government encourages mineral exploration and investment,” Devries said.

This year’s roundup also featured a talk by diamond expert Christopher Jennings, who provided details of activities in the Lac de Gras region, as well as details of his travels to Africa where his companies plan to acquire diamond properties.

Awards were also presented for outstanding achievement in prospecting and mine development. Anthony Petrina was presented the Edgar A. Scholz Medal for his many accomplishments at Placer Dome, where he was actively involved in bringing a number of projects into production, including several large gold mines in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Petrina is currently vice-chairman of Placer Dome’s board of directors, and chairman of the Mining Association of Canada.

The “Spud” Huestis Award for outstanding achievement in prospecting went to Eric Denny, a native of Nelson, B.C. Since the 1960s, Denny has been one of the province’s busiest full-time prospectors. Concentrating his efforts in southeastern British Columbia, Denny and his son Jack were involved in upward of a dozen properties, many of which were optioned to senior mining companies.