New Afton Mine.
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
February 23, 2016 - 4:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - The company behind the New Afton Mine is looking at the possibility of expanding the mining area, which would extend the life of the underground mine by six years.
New Gold is looking at the feasibility of creating a new section of the underground mine. It would be a deeper section to the mine, underneath an area currently being mined. If New Gold decides to proceed with the expansion, the area would take about six years to develop. A report estimates the current section will likely wrap up production in 2022.
If the new section of mine moves forward there wouldn’t be any long term jobs, but the jobs that do exist would likely be extended, New Gold spokesperson Julie Taylor says.
“There are no expectations for increased labour except for possible short term contracts for construction related projects,” she says in an email.
The report says the expansion wouldn’t have a significant environmental impact. The report also says there will be continued exploration around New Afton to continue exploring the feasibility of the news section and other areas.
“The goal is exploring underground to expand the C-Zone ore body which is currently open to the west and at depth,” Taylor says.
The company posted record gold production for 2015. Taylor says New Afton is running at a lower cost than some other industry competitors, making production more economical.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin at bkergin@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016