Shree Niwas Chawla’s Post

To help fuel domestic #mining and #mineralprocessing for the #energytransition, it would be great to see action on the Interagency Working Group's recommendation to develop something like the Western Solar Plan for mining on federal lands. Working with various stakeholders, BLM and USFS should put together a plan identifying "priority areas" where proposed projects would be subject to a streamlined #permitting process because there is high development potential with minimal conflicts with #localcommunities, #wildlife, and #plants. Proactive conflict identification and mitigation can help us ramp up production to meet the demands of the #energytransition while not sacrificing #tribal and local #communityengagement and #biodiversityconservation. Great background and additional recommendations contained in the report: https://lnkd.in/eYbMBfq2 "Conflicts over mining and ancillary uses are more likely to arise when mineral-rich areas also contain other highly valuable resources. The IWG believes that much more can be done to identify, avoid, minimize, and mitigate environmental impacts and development conflicts by better integrating land management planning and mineral exploration and development efforts. The IWG encourages the BLM and USFS to identify areas possessing high critical mineral resource development potential and where mineral development is less likely to result in unacceptable impacts to known competing resources. This effort can be modeled after programmatic planning efforts identifying priority areas for wind and solar development, provided additional data is collected in the location of potential mineral resources."

A couple of years ago, a client of mine requested me to review the water management strategy of a major greenfield copper project that they were interested investing in. At the time, the Canadian Junior Mining Company had recently released a NI43-101 pre-feasibility technical report that stated “sufficient water rights were secured for the requirements of the mining operation”. The report did not indicate whether these water rights could be exercised or were restricted in any way. It should be noted that the water requirements were quite relevant considering the size of the project. At the same time, from a processing perspective, the calculated water requirements seemed very underestimated when benchmarked against similar projects. The well-known consultant that prepared the technical report did not include a financial analysis based on possible Modifying Factors. According to the CIM definition standards, Modifying Factors are considerations used to convert Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves. These include, but are not restricted to, mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. In other words, the Junior Mining Company, the consultant and its qualified persons, did not estimate that water supply would be any restriction to the project. Directly after the release of the technical report, in 3 weeks time the junior mining company saw a 60% increase of its stock value. One year later, all gains were gone, stock price to levels below pre-NI43-101 report, and the company had lost time, energy and money in an inaccurate and incomplete project definition. Fast forward to today, an updated NI43-101 technical report has been released, including the incorporation of several water management and supply modifications (at much higher Capex and Opex). Even a caution: Mineral reserve estimate could be materially affected by future changes in the Modifying Factors. The market perception? No company value change. My client? Decided at the time not to invest in this project. The picture: Surface of Mount Sharp, planet Mars, potentially abundant Mineral Resources, just apply for water rights to convert to Mineral Reserves.   #CIM #ModifyingFactors #Water #Mining #NI43-101 #Investment #qualifiedperson #NDA

The 30-day public comment period for the Coyote Creek Mine Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) closes on January 5, 2024. All emailed and mailed comments must be received or postmarked by January 5, 2023 to be considered. Comments may be emailed to: OSM-nepa-nd@OSMRE.gov with the subject line "ATTN: OSMRE, Coyote Creek SEA". Comments may be mailed to: ATTN: OSMRE, Coyote Creek SEA C/O: Logan Sholar, OSMRE Western Region P.O. Box 25065 Lakewood, CO 80225-5065 Please note that comments made on social media are not considered official records. Coyote Creek Mining Company owns and operates the Coyote Creek Mine in Mercer County, North Dakota. The Coyote Creek Mine uses standard surface strip-mining procedures to mine private and Federal coal resources. Coal is currently mined from two permit areas: NACC-1302. The proposed Federal mining plan under consideration would mine coal in Federal lease NDM-110277 within the existing boundaries of North Dakota Public Service Commission Permits NACC-1302. If approved, the proposed Federal mining plan would allow the mining of 5.2 million tons of Federal coal within approximately 320 acres. The EA and the unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) are available for review as of December 7, 2023. To review the planning documents and find more Coyote Creek Mine information, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eMz98FtT Photo Courtesy of Coyote Creek Mine.

Reminder of the ongoing public comment period for the Coyote Creek Mine Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA)! The public comment period opened on December 7, 2023, and will close on January 5, 2024. Coyote Creek Mining Company owns and operates the Coyote Creek Mine in Mercer County, North Dakota. The Coyote Creek Mine uses standard surface strip-mining procedures to mine private and Federal coal resources. Coal is currently mined from two permit areas: NACC-1302. The proposed Federal mining plan under consideration would mine coal in Federal lease NDM-110277 within the existing boundaries of North Dakota Public Service Commission Permits NACC-1302. If approved, the proposed Federal mining plan would allow the mining of 5.2 million tons of Federal coal within approximately 320 acres. The EA and the unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) are available for review at: https://lnkd.in/eMz98FtT All emailed and mailed comments must be received or postmarked by January 5, 2023 to be considered. Comments may be emailed to: OSM-nepa-nd@OSMRE.gov with the subject line "ATTN: OSMRE, Coyote Creek SEA". Comments may be mailed to: ATTN: OSMRE, Coyote Creek SEA C/O: Logan Sholar, OSMRE Western Region P.O. Box 25065 Lakewood, CO 80225-5065 Please note that comments made on social media are not considered official records. 📷: Courtesy of Coyote Creek Mine

The cleanup cost for British Columbia’s Elk Valley river, polluted by toxic materials from Teck Resources Limited’ coal mining activities, could amount to at least C$6.4 billion ($4.7 billion), as indicated by a report from the not-for-profit group Wildsight. The report commissioned by the Kootenay-based environmental organization underscores a substantial disparity between the $1.9 billion required by the province for Teck to reserve for emergency shutdowns and mine reclamation, and the projected expenses of the company’s initiatives to combat selenium pollution resulting from coal mining in B.C.’s Elk Valley. Selenium, a naturally occurring element toxic to fish in high concentrations, has been seeping for decades from waste rock piles surrounding Canadian miner Teck’s coal mines. #mining #coal #Canada

Happy Birthday to the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA)! SMCRA grew out of the environmental concerns around strip mining. Surface coal mining had been around since the 1930s, and some states began regulating them in the 1940s. Despite this, with high demand for coal power, environmental concerns were often set aside or ignored. With regulations varying from state to state, it was hard to hold mining companies to a consistent standard. In the early 1970s, as surface mining became more prevalent, Congress sent mining regulation bills to President Ford, only to be vetoed. Congress persevered, however, and in 1977 President Carter signed SMCRA into law. SMCRA both regulates active coal mines and created a reclamation program for abandoned mine lands. The active mine program sets standards for environmental impacts, require companies to obtain permits and post reclamation bonds prior to mining, gives inspectors authority to review mining operations and enforce violations; and restricts mining altogether on certain lands such as National Parks and Wilderness Areas. For inactive coal mines, SMCRA created an Abandoned Mine Land (AML) fund, financed by a tax on coal, to pay for reclamation and safeguarding of mines that were abandoned prior to 1977 (it was later amended to allow funds to be spent on post-1977 abandoned mines as well). Part of the fund also supports responding to emergencies such as coal fires, subsidence, and landslides. Colorado's Inactive Mine Reclamation Program receives, on average, $3 million each year in "fee based" funding for safeguarding and program operations, in addition to approximately $10 million for coal related reclamation from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. There is no other program to address past mining hazards, and minimal funding is available for environmental projects.

🌟 Hydraulic Fracturing Technology for initial roof caving in coal mining by CCTEG 🚀 At the Jinjitan Coal Mine's 110 and 111 top coal caving working faces, we made a successful hydraulic fracturing process for initial roof caving, addressing the challenge of initial roof caving in top coal caving faces. 🛠️ The project employed a novel technique combining "conventional short-hole hydraulic fracturing" with "directional long drilling hole hydraulic fracturing." This approach not only solved pre-splitting in the coal seam roof but also addressed the problem of controlling the range and intensity of overburden movement caused by the transformation of large rock masses into smaller ones in the roadway surrounding rock. The short-hole drilling totaled 2,435 meters, with 724 segments fractured, while the long-hole drilling reached 891 meters, with 18 segments fractured. 🔍 The comprehensive assessment of the multi-dimensional hydraulic fracturing in weakening the overburden showed that all indicators met the expected outcomes. When the working face advanced 34 meters, the basic roof pressure occurred, indicating excellent initial roof caving results. 💡 This new technique of multi-dimensional hydraulic fracturing for initial roof caving represents a green, environmentally friendly, and efficient technology for hard roof pressure relief. It offers a novel alternative to traditional explosive blasting techniques for cross cutting and advanced pre-treatment of dynamic pressure disasters. This innovative technology provides a solid technical guarantee for mine safety production and leads the way in advancing mine dynamic disaster prevention towards proactive pre-treatment, regional multi-dimensional pressure relief, and safe, green, and efficient development. #Mining #HydraulicFracturing #CoalMining #GreenTechnology #CCTEG #MiningSafety

⚫ Thar Coal Reserves and Mining Activities: Pakistan Government to start construction of Railway Project from Thar to Port Qasim ⚫ ✒ Located in the Tharparkar district of Sindh province, Pakistan's Thar coal reserves stand as a beacon of hope for the country's energy needs. With an estimated 175 billion tons of coal, this reserve is one of the largest in the world. The potential for energy production and economic growth is immense. ✒ In recent years, significant strides have been made in mining activities and infrastructure development in Thar. The Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) and the Thar Foundation have spearheaded efforts to harness this valuable resource sustainably. ✒ SECMC's flagship project, the Thar Block II Mine, is operational, with a capacity to produce 3.8 million tons of coal per year. The company has invested in state-of-the-art mining technology to ensure efficiency and minimize environmental impact. Additionally, infrastructure such as roads, railways, and power plants has been developed to support mining operations and facilitate coal transportation. ✒ The Thar coal project is not only about energy production but also about socioeconomic development. It has created thousands of jobs for local communities and improved infrastructure, healthcare, and education in the region. ✒ Despite challenges such as water scarcity and environmental concerns, the Thar coal project represents a significant step towards energy security and economic prosperity for Pakistan. With continued investment and responsible management, Thar's coal reserves have the potential to drive sustainable development for generations to come. #TharCoal #SustainableDevelopment #PakistanProgress #EliyaCoalTrading

Northback Holdings Corp. has three applications in front of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER), seeking permission for a coal exploration program, a deep drill permit for Crown and private land, and a temporary diversion licence for 1.5 million litres of water. None of those are applications for a mine proper, but for the kind of exploratory activity that comes before developing a detailed plan to get to the veins of metal-making [metallurgical] coal that run deep and plentiful across this part of southern Alberta.   In 2021 a joint federal-provincial panel rejected previous plans for a mine proposed by Benga Mining Ltd. The panel’s decision was released at a time of intense public backlash over coal mining in Alberta, which forced the government to halt exploration for metallurgical coal on sensitive land and cancel a series of leases earmarked for potential new mines.   However, Blair Painter, the mayor of Crowsnest Pass, is a vocal proponent of the project and said he mainly hears pro-mine sentiment around the topic of Grassy Mountain. That’s in large part owing to the economic benefits that it could bring to the region, including hundreds of much-needed jobs. “The anti that we’re hearing comes from people that don’t even live in the proximity of our community,” he said in an interview. “Those folks still view this as a pristine mountain area, and I’m sure you can agree it’s anything but.”   The AER has received hundreds of objections to Northback’s new applications, but plenty of local residents, businesses and the Piikani First Nation, about 50 kilometres from the project site, have registered their support.   “Building major projects and even getting exploration permits are no longer geological, or engineering problems. The coal mining situation in the Crowsnest Pass Alberta highlights that community and Indigenous support cannot be afterthoughts. Building support and addressing opposition must be one the key goals in the early stages of developing a major project. In this case, opposition from ranchers and environmentalists can make support for projects unpalatable to decision makers from either side of the political spectrum. Whether it’s a metallurgical coal mine, or a solar farm you need to build support early.” - Jack Middleton, Director of Policy, Sedgwick Strategies Read more: https://lnkd.in/gdzqRe4F

Soil Solutions could significantly contribute to enhancing the sustainability and environmental stewardship of mining operations like Anglo American's Minas-Rio iron-ore and Barro Alto nickel mines. By integrating Soil Solutions' innovative and environmentally friendly soil stabilization and dust control technologies, mining companies can reduce the environmental impact of their operations. This approach aligns with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance's (IRMA) standards, which aim to promote transparency and best practices in sustainable and responsible mining. Soil Solutions' expertise in providing sustainable solutions for challenging environmental conditions can help mining companies like Anglo American, Sibanye-Stillwater, and Syrah Resources Ltd achieve higher levels of environmental performance and compliance with global sustainability standards, thereby supporting their commitment to responsible mining practices and enhancing their contribution to sustainable development. Intelligent Mining Solutions - https://lnkd.in/dR32Z2qU #sustainablemining #responsiblemining #sustainabledevelopment #environmentalstewardship #innovativesolutions #environmentfriendly #soilstabilization #dustcontrol #environmentalimpact #carbonreduction #waterconservation #roadconstruction #greenmining