Pine Valley cuts ribbon at Willow Creek

Vancouver — Politicians recently joined management and guests of Pine Valley Mining (PVM-V) to open the first major metallurgical coal mine in Canada in more than two decades. Willow Creek, as the mine is known, is near Chetwynd in northeastern British Columbia.

On hand was Bill Bennett, minister of state for mining, who confirmed the government’s commitment to “a thriving, globally competitive, safe and environmentally responsible exploration and mining sector.”

Pine Valley Chairman Jeff Fehn praised the company’s deceased founder, Orval Gillespie, for his vision in pursuing the project 12 years earlier, when coal prices were considerably lower than at present.

The new mine shipped its first coal to customers in September 2004, and produced 290,000 tonnes in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2005. The company completed commissioning of the mine and related equipment in the first three months of this year.

Willow Creek is capable of producing 2.2 million tonnes of coal per year. Pine Valley expects monthly production to reach 180,000 tonnes after a coal-preparation plant and related projects are completed and commissioned this fall.

The company intends to increase its permitted production level to 2.2 million tonnes per year from the present rate of 900,000 tonnes.