LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Parys Mountain project revisited

Your story “Anglesey’s plans for Parys holds historical significance” (T.N.M., Jan. 21/91) was of much interest. It may be of further interest to your readers to learn about the history of the Parys Mountain project over the past 25 years leading to the rediscovery of the “ore zone” and the decision to bring it into production. The Parys Mona property which historians document as being discovered by Caesar’s troops invading Wales in 55 B.C. was first brought to the attention of the Canadian mining industry by the late William Richardson. An inveterate reader of history, world traveller and Bay Street prospector, he was behind several interesting discoveries since his involvement in the exploration play in Ireland in the late 1950s.

I first visited the property in 1958 for Denison Mines. Richardson, however, couldn’t make a deal with Stephan Roman. “Wild Bill,” as he was known, eventually made a deal with Pat Hughes of Northgate (1961) and an exploration program was carried out in early 1962 under the direction of Duncan Derry. Northgate dropped the property and Richardson “peddled it” around Bay Street, eventually making an agreement with Maurice Strong of Power Corp. in 1965.

Power Corp. transferred the property to its oil and gas subsidiary Cigol, now known as Norcen. Norcen founded Parys Mountain Mines (U.K.) and carried out an extensive program of exploration throughout the latter part of the 1960s.

During this period, Ontario based Intermine Ltd. was exploring throughout continental Europe. Edward Bovey, chairman of Norcen, approached Intermine, which consummated an agreement with Norcen to option the Parys Mona property in 1970.

Intermine brought in Noranda Kerr Mines in the early ’70s and a 5,000-metre program of drilling was carried out under Intermine’s direction. This included the Engine zone, historically known as Morpha Du and now being developed by Anglesey Mining.

Noranda Inc. dropped its option and returned the property to Intermine. Intermine then brought in Imperial Chemical Industries (ICC), the large English Chemical House, through its subsidiary British Kynoch Metals. British Kynoch carried out an extensive program of exploration with no apparent success and returned the property to Intermine.

Intermine then optioned the property to Cominco Ltd. in 1976 and Cominco started a detailed program based on past work. This was under the direction of Dr. Brian Young, and the extension of the Morpha Du zone was found.

Cominco (U.K.) Ltd. returned the property to Intermine in 1982. In 1984 Imperial Metals approached Intermine with respect to acquiring an option of the property. Hugh Morris of Imperial had formally been chief geologist at Cominco and was knowledgeable with the favorable results that Cominco (U.K.) had discovered.

Intermine signed an agreement with Imperial Metals (1984) and a program of diamond drilling to confirm the Cominco results was initiated. This program was successful and the property was assigned to Anglesey Mines. This led to the sinking of a shaft and underground development which confirmed the economic viability of the Engine zone. On the basis of this work, a feasibility study was carried out by Kilborn Engineering and the property is now gearing for production by Anglesey.

During the 20 years when Intermine has held the property, the company has raised millions of exploration dollars, and tens of thousands of feet of drilling were carried out. It is of note that Intermine was the first to recognize that Parys Mona was a volcano genic massive sulphide deposit. Intermine and Norcen retain a carried net profit interest in the property.

We take no objection to Hugh Morris naming the mine shaft after himself. It is suggested, however, that the mine be named after Brian Young, who made it possible with his competence as a geologist. Stanley Holmes, President Intermine Ltd. Toronto, Ont.