The Hemlo camp is one of Canada's most prolific mining regions, having produced approximately 24 million ounces of gold in less than 20 years. The gold has been extracted from open pit and underground operations, which have been owned by a continually evolving group of companies. Currently, Teck Cominco Ltd. And Barrick Gold Corp. jointly own both the Williams underground and open pit mines and the David Bell underground mine, with Teck Cominco as operator. Newmont Gold owns and operates the Golden Giant underground mine. While the initial discovery of gold off the Trans-Canada highway in the 1980s ignited one of the most competitive staking rushes ever seen, and the subsequent legal battles for control of the gold were hostile, the mood in the camp has mellowed and collaboration is today's mantra. As evidence, Newmont states that information near the property boundaries is shared and ore is traded between the mines to ensure maximum extraction of the resource. This operating plan also helps ensure ground stresses are minimized.
展开▼
