Suppliers News (April 16, 2007)

Tyhee gets own lab

Vancouver-based Tyhee Development (TDC-V, TYHJF-O) has installed a sample preparation laboratory at its Yellowknife gold project, about 90 km north of Yellowknife, N.W.T.

The laboratory is owned, staffed and operated by B.C.-based Acme Analytical Laboratories. It began operating in late March.

“(The lab) enhances the turnaround time for sample processing and ensures dedicated access to this prep facility,” says Dave Webb, president and CEO of Tyhee.

The company had more than 15,000 samples processed last year.

Tyhee has two diamond drills testing Yellowknife and there is a resampling program under way at the Nicholas Lake gold deposit.

Further exploration is planned in the area this summer.

Some of the more significant results from the recent winter drill program at Yellowknife include an intersection of 10.5 metres grading 2.9 grams gold per tonne in hole NDM401 and 2.3 metres of 5.89 grams gold in hole NDM402.

Sandvik lauded for new products

Sandvik Mining and Construction had two entries among Aggregates Manager magazine’s top 25 new products list: Sandvik’s Telescopic Chute — one of the company’s Wear Tuff line of wear protection products — as well as the company’s Rock Pilot drill system.

Each year, editors of the magazine review numerous product introductions and choose 25 “rollouts” they determine to be worthy of a closer look from readers.

In 2005, Sandvik brought the Telescopic Chute and the WearTuff line of modular wear protection products to the North American market. The chute is designed to prevent the emission of dust and the loss of material in the handling of dry bulk materials. A vacuum is created in the chute by the material flow, thereby reducing the need for filtration systems.

Sandvik’s Rock Pilot straightens drill holes and will adjust drilling power automatically, reacting to changing rock formations and sending the correct amount of power to where the drill meets the rock; this extends the life of the steel.

With several recent acquisitions, Sandvik has expanded to become a major supplier to the global mineral exploration industry.

Among these recent buys are UDR Group, a drill manufacturer; Sweden’s Hagby-Asahi, a leading supplier of diamond tools and core drills; and SDS Corp., which builds diamond and percussion drilling bits, diamond saw blades, percussion hammers, and ventilation fans for both underground and surface mines.

“These acquisitions are in line with Sandvik’s long-term strategy of continued profitable growth,” says Lars Josefsson, president Sandvik Mining and Construction.

The Sandvik Group has sales of roughly US$8.9 billion annually. Sandvik Mining and Construction, a business area within the Sandvik Group, has annual sales of US$2.9 billion, with 10,600 employees.