Holcim (US) Trident Plant celebrates 100 years – see page 60.

Transcription

Holcim (US) Trident Plant celebrates 100 years – see page 60.
Photo Courtesy of Tintina Gold
PROVIDING CORE DRILLING SERVICES
FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY
P.O. Box 267 | Clark Fork, ID | 83811 | P. (208) 266.1151
Branch Office | Bozeman, MT | P. (406) 586.6266 | E. offi[email protected]
www.ruendrilling.com
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metso.com – email: [email protected]
in this issue
MMA President’s Message – Mike Mullaney
MMA Mission Statement
MMA Executive Director’s Message – Debbie Shea
Introduction to Laura Feist, MMA Director of Member Services
Mining and exploration in Montana: 2010 review
Montanans’ mode uncovered in Chamber’s poll
Report on the 62nd Montana Legislative Session
Educating local teachers for more than a decade
Mr. Ambassador: profile on Robin McCulloch
American Mining Insurance Company: “Insurance from people who know mining”
Kendall: past, present and future
Taking ownership of safety: Revett Minerals
Geology (and mining) rocks!
Successful mining starts with successful exploration
A trusted authority for both private industry and public agencies
Stillwater Mining Company advances growth
and diversification goals for sustainable development
Ash Grove Cement’s Montana City Plant anticipates future business
H-E Parts Crown: Thriving in Montana, serving mines across the globe
The more you dig – It all starts with mining
Dedicated maintenance supervisor, John Hinther,
kept industry relationships in good working order
MTI invests in hydrogen technology for underground mining equipment
Northwest Pipe proud to be serving Montana’s mining industry
Holcim (US) Trident Plant celebrates 100 years of production and community building
Montana Resources LLP explores for the future while maintaining a focus on safety
Talc in Montana: An important industrial mineral for the U.S. – and the world
Holcim (US) continues commitment to educating future leaders
Geomatics announces release of GPS interface program MagMap2000 V 5.0
The history of Apex Abrasives
Benefits of membership in the MMA
MMA Membership Application
Thank you to MMA members
6
6
8
12
14
20
22
26
28
30
32
34
38
42
44
46
50
52
54
55
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
69
72
73
74
index to A D V E R T I S E R S
A-Z Industries, Inc.
AFFCO
AMEC Geomatrix
American Mining Insurance Company
Ash Grove Cement Company
Becker Wholesale Mine Supply, LLC
Billings Clinic
Bison Engineering
Brenntag Pacific, Inc.
Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, P.C.
Buckley Power Co.
Bucyrus
Butte War Bonnet Hotel
CAMP
Cattron Group
Champion Charter Sales & Service
Chemical Montana Company
Crowley Haughey Hanson
Cummins Rocky Mountain
Dick Irvin, Inc.
Ernest K. Lehmann & Associates
Ezzie’s Wholesale, Inc.
F & H Mine Supply, Inc.
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
Fickler Oil Company, Inc.
4
66
33
13
31
51
13
22
36
42
69
29
56
65
28
7
21
60
57
16
11
34
43
48
44
12
Geometrics Inc.
5
Golden Sunlight Mine
9
Golder Associates
24
Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, PLLP 58
Graymont Western US Inc.
19
GSE Lining Technology, LLC
12
H-E Parts Crown
53
Hardsteel, Inc.
36
Holcim
61
Holland & Hart LLP
39
Hydrometrics, Inc.
45
Industrial Automation Consulting, Inc.
8
Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Ltd. 43
Intermountain West Energy
25
Interstate PowerSystems
23
Interstate BearingSystems
49
JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc.
30
LeTourneau Technologies, Inc.
41
MDM Supply
32
Metso Minerals Industries, Inc.
3
Mi Swaco
54
Mines Management, Inc.
OBC
Mining Technologies International Inc.
57
Montana Crane Service
67
Moore Oil, Inc.
32
Montana Mining Association — Montana Mining 2011
Nelson Brothers Mining Services, LLC
Noble Excavating Inc.
Northside Welding & Fabrication, Inc.
Northwest Mine Supply
Northwest Pipe Company
Outotec North America
Pierce Leasing
Revett Minerals
Richwood
Rio Tinto Minerals
Ruen Drilling Incorporated
Small Mine Development
Spring Valley Drilling
Starfield Resources Inc.
Stillwater Mining Company
Stone Raven Resources, LLC
Tetra Tech
The Whitmore Group
Thiessen Team USA, Inc.
Tractor & Equipment Co.
Westate Machinery Company
Western States Insurance – Missoula
Western Wyoming Community College
WWC Engineering
18
22
56
67
59
52
46
35
58
IBC
IFC
42
71
11
47
23
30
20
33
17
37
65
21
12
MONTANA MINING
is published by
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Cover Photo:
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President’s Message
MIKE MULLANEY
President, Montana Mining Association
I
’ve been honored to take on the responsibility of being president
these past four years. It has been a rewarding learning experience,
working with board members and the association staff. We have set
up a team-type association that actively listens to feedback, and
then makes sound decisions on a consensus basis.
Over these past four years, the largest milestone achieved has
been creating active committees within the association.
Commitment to these committees is essential to our success – that
success being a strong safety culture both on and off the job; active
involvement in the legislative process; environmental stewardship
and compliance with reasonable rules and regulations; spreading
our message through increased membership; and educating people
of all ages about the importance of our natural resources. The foundation has been put in place for a bright future for this association.
Safety is a top priority and we need to have the appropriate
behavior instilled in us – on and off the job – to ensure no one is
injured. The safety committee, led by Jerry Laughery, continues to be
very active. Committee members have been meeting monthly and
quarterly at mine sites to share incidents and best practices, and to
discuss on-going MSHA regulatory changes and how to best deal with
them.
The legislative committee, chaired by Bruce Gilbert, is active and
staying on top of issues such as the nutrient criteria standards, the
wilderness bill, proposed mining law changes, etc. In addition, an
environmental committee was started last year, which is being led by
Tad Dale. Both of these committees worked very hard before and
during the legislative session drafting and editing MMA bills. There
were long hours and many conference calls put into these bills.
Thank you all for your hard work on this important process.
The membership committee was formed last year and is led by
Mark Redfern. This committee has come up with some great ideas
and made them a reality in order to increase both individual and
associate membership. Thanks to the individuals involved in this
committee for your contributions.
It is a privilege to be part of this mining industry. We work so hard
in our typical day’s work that we take little time to reflect on our
accomplishments and to tell our stories. By putting out our annual
magazine, we have been telling our stories and communicating
what we are doing.
I thank the board for the opportunity to serve as president of the
Montana Mining Association. Please continue to give feedback and
ideas to Debbie, Laura and the board in order to help us continue
achieving our objectives. ✦
Montana Mining Association Mission Statement
The Montana Mining Association (MMA) is a Montana
trade association dedicated to helping mining companies, small miners and allied trade members succeed,
understand, comply and function in a complex business and regulatory world. The primary purpose of the
Montana Mining Association is to protect and promote
the mining industry in the state.
The Montana Mining Association monitors issues of
concern and provides representation for its members at
the state legislature and with various state and federal
regulatory agencies. The Montana Mining Association
supports national mining initiatives.
The Montana Mining Association provides information and education for its members and distributes
information to the general public about the contribution of minerals and mining to our economy and well-
6
being. One of the MMA’s primary functions is to promote and enhance the image of the mining industry.
The Montana Mining Association works in cooperation with other state and national mining associations,
natural resource trade associations and groups with
similar interests and needs.
The MMA serves the industry on a wide range of subjects through the expertise of its members. Many of the
MMA’s activities are conducted by various committees.
The association has many active associates. Committees within the association are health and safety
(including the health and safety of employees within
the association), education, membership and legislative
(including environmental and land use and political
action committee).
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Executive Director’s Message
DEBBIE SHEA
Executive Director, Montana Mining Association
T
his has been a year of change and growth for the Montana Mining
Association. In early fall of 2010, we moved our office back to the
Colonial Inn, which was home to the MMA for many years. We are
enjoying our new space on the first floor, Suite 3A. We also recently welcomed a new staff member, Laura Feist. In addition, our membership
has grown considerably over the last year, and with that growth has
evolved new energy and new ideas.
As a voice for the mining industry, we promote every part of what
responsible mining entails, from innovative technology and environmental responsibility to community involvement, education and economic development. A key factor in all of this is the committees that
serve the MMA. I am grateful to the chairs and committee members for
their valuable time in advancing very ambitious and worthwhile ideas.
Safety and Health Committee: Chaired by Jerry Laughery, the Safety
and Health Committee continues its monthly conference calls (quarterly on site), where members review MSHA activities and information,
share safety alerts and offer monthly training and available resources
that can be shared with various mines. Under the committee’s leadership, our 2010 and 2011 annual meetings have introduced highly rated
speakers, who offer expertise in the mining arena to attendees.
Legislative and Environmental committees: These two committees
(separate in their makeup, but similar in their direction), chaired by
Bruce Gilbert/John Beaudry and Tad Dale respectively, have had a very
busy and successful agenda over the last year as they worked together
to advance some very important legislation (see the Legislative Report
in this issue for further details).
Membership Committee: This important committee is chaired by
Mark Redfern. The direction of the Membership Committee is to promote membership in the MMA through various forums while defining
the opportunities and advantages of being a member. The committee
is highly engaged in putting together a package of materials that
describe the MMA and the opportunities the association offers to perspective members.
Education Committee: The Education Committee oversees the Gary
Langley, Don Lawson and Mike Ivins memorial scholarships. The goal
of this committee is to educate all Montanans where we get our
“things”, as well as to inform them of the efforts the mining community has taken to ensure environmental regulation and adequate bonding. It is my personal goal to advance this committee’s agenda and
direction over the next year. Any member wishing to join this effort,
please contact me at the MMA office.
Others items of interest to MMA members:
RAC: Self-employed exploration geologist and MMA member Ted
Antonioli was appointed to the Western Montana Resource Advisory
Council (RAC) and MMA director Bruce Gilbert, from Stillwater
Mining, was appointed to the South Central Advisory Council (RAC)
for the USFS. The RAC is an official federal advisory committee that
provides advice and recommendations on all aspects of public land
management to the Bureau of Land Management. Congratulations
to both Ted and Bruce; the RAC will be well-served by these outstanding appointments.
MMA Display: After months of research and planning by board members, and with assistance from the Bureau of Mines and Geology at
the Montana Tech campus, the Montana Mining Association
unveiled its new display at the Northwest Mining Association convention in Spokane Washington. Our plans are to reintroduce the
MMA in many such forums over the next year, thereby promoting
Montana and the Montana Mining Association.
Website: Last but not least, our website has served to promote mining
and educate the hundreds of people who visit us online daily.
Features include mining facts, community involvement, environmental advances and stewardship, scholarships, newsletters and a
directory of our membership that can only be accessed by members
of the association. Within our ‘members’ only’ directory is also a
search feature that enables you to enter a keyword to search our
members by name, company, or nature of business. We have also
added a ‘preferred member’ list. We believe all of these features are
important tools in uniting members and promoting business opportunities among them.
Finally, I would like to offer a special thank you to Mike Mullaney for
his leadership as president of the MMA over the last four years. Mike’s
vision for the MMA has been inspirational to all who worked with him.
Tap ‘er light!
Debbie Shea
8
✦
Reclaimed waste rock facility, Golden Sunlight Mine, July 2010
Responsible Mining
in Montana
The employees of
Barrick’s Golden Sunlight
Mine are proud to
resume gold production
in Jefferson County.
We thank all of our
neighbors and partners
for their support and
confidence as we safely
bring new prosperity to
the Great State of
Montana.
Gold pour, Golden Sunlight Mine, March 2011
2011 Montana Mining Association Board of Directors
Mike Mullaney, President ................................O (406) 285-4970
Holcim (US) Inc.
4070 Trident Road, Three Forks, MT 59752
Email: [email protected]
Doug Miller, Vice President.....................O (406) 295-5882 x 222
Troy Mine – Revett Genesis
PO Box 1660, Troy, MT 59935
st
Mark Redfern, 1 Vice President .......................C (406) 671-4105
Brenntag Pacific
123 West Boulevard, Lewistown, MT 59457
John Junnila, 2nd Vice President........................O (406) 373-6010
Westate Machinery Company
P.O. Box 50370, Billings, MT 59105
Tim Smith, Past President................................O (406) 495-2803
Montana Tunnels Mining Inc.
PO. Box 176, Jefferson City, MT 59638
Matt Wolfe, Secretary / Treasurer .....................O (406) 932-8259
536 East Pike Avenue, P.O. Box 1330, Columbus, MT 59019
Mark Cole, Director .........................................O (406) 434-5583
Dick Irvin Inc.
P.O. Box 950, Shelby, MT 59474
Tad Dale, Director ...........................................O (406) 496-3200
Montana Resources
600 Shields Ave, Butte, MT 59701
Tim Dimock, Director ......................................O (406) 287-2046
Barrick - Golden Sunlight Mine
453 MT Hwy 2 East, Whitehall, MT 59759
Jason Ellis, Director .........................................O (406) 266-5221
Graymont Western U.S. Inc.
P.O. Box 550, 450 Indian Creek Road, Townsend, MT 59644
John Fitzpatrick, Director.................................O (406) 442-5032
Fess Foster, Director ........................................O (406) 287-3261
Geological & Environmental Consultant
21 Paul Gulch Road, Whitehall, MT 59759
Bruce Gilbert, Director.....................................O (406) 322-8700
536 East Pike Avenue, P.O. Box 1330, Columbus, MT 59019
Dick Johnson, Director.....................................O (406) 442-8855
Ashgrove Cement
100 MT Hwy 518, Clancy, MT 59634
Jim Liebetrau, Director.............................O (406) 563-8494 x 11
AFFCO ..............................................................C (425) 210-3653
1015 East Sixth Street, Anaconda, MT 59711
Robin McCulloch, Director ...............................O (406) 496-4171
Montana Tech
W. 1300 Park Street, Butte, MT 59701
Gene Nelson, Director......................................O (406) 549-8856
Yellow Band Gold Inc.
3926 Bellecrest Dr., Missoula, MT 59801
Fred Panion, Director ......................................O (406) 285 5303
Rio Tinto Minerals
767 Old Yellowstone Trail, Three Forks, MT 59752
John Parks, Director ........................................O (406) 683-3324
Barretts Minerals
8625 Hwy 91 South, Dillon, MT 59725
Roger W. Rohr, Director ...................................C (406) 698-1563
Tractor and Equipment Co.
Major Accounts Manager
Jim Volberding, Director ..................................O (406) 538-2501
ATNA Resources, LTD.
P.O. Box 799, Hilger, MT 59451
Debbie Shea, Executive Director.......................O (406) 495-1444
Montana Mining Association
P.O. Box 5567, Helena, MT 59604
Laura Feist, Director of Member Services..........O (406) 495-1444
Montana Mining Association
P.O. Box 5567, Helena, MT 59601
[email protected]
www.montanamining.org
10
The Montana Mining Association
recognizes the following committee members:
Environmental Committee
Alan Holubec
Allan Kirk
Bruce Gilbert
Brian Schrage
David Mott
Debbie Shea
Dick Johnson
Doug Parker
Fess Foster
Fred Panion
Greg Gannon
Hal Robbins
Jason Juntunen
Jeff Briggs
Jeff Chaffee
John Parks
Laura Skaer
Mark Thompson
Matt Wolfe
Mike Mullaney
Paul Kukay
Tad Dale
Terry Grotbo
Membership Committee
Bill Mack
Carole Armstrong
Debbie Shea
Jason Nelon
John Hinther
Mark Redfern
Mike Mullaney
Roger Rohr
Terry Larson
Legislative Committee
Alan Jocelyn
Allan Holubec
Allan Kirk
Bruce Gilbert
David Mott
Debbie Shea
Dick Johnson
Doug Miller
Doug Parker
Fess Foster
Fred Panion
Gene Nelson
Greg Gannon
John Hinther
Mike Mullaney
Hal Robbins
John Junnila
Paul Kukay
Jackie Clark
John Parks
Roger Rohr
Jason Ellis
K.D. Feeback
Shirley Hartley
Jeff Briggs
Laura Skaer
Sonya Rosenthal
Jeff Chaffee
Leo Berry
Tad Dale
Jim Daley
Mark Cole
Tammy Johnson
Jim Liebetrau
Mark Compton
Ted Antoniolli
Jim Volberding
Mark Redfern
Terry Grotbo
John Beaudry
Mark Thompson
Tim Dimock
John Fitzpatrick
Matt Wolfe
Tony Panchyshyn
Safety and Health Committee
Brett Clute
Jeff Briggs
Kelly Stolp
Dave Corner
Jeff Franke
Larry Goroski
Debbie Shea
Jerry Laughery
Larry Hoffman
Dirk Nelson
Jim Waldbillig
Matt Wolfe
Jason Ellis
John Hinther
Mark Cole
Jason Franke
John Parks
Mark Thompson
DII
Dick Irvin, Inc.
Transportation
Mike McGivern
Mike Mullaney
Pete Steilman
Randy Waits
Ron Hyatte
Ronald Dorvall
Shane Hanninen
U.S./Can. 800-332-5131
INTERNATIONAL
MOTOR CARRIER
P.O. Box 950
575 Wilson Avenue
Shelby, MT 59474
Phone: (406) 434-5583
Fax: (406) 434-5505
Cell: (406) 450-1127
Ray Irwin
Vice President Explorations
420 Alvarado Dr, NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Tel: 505.266.6340
Cell: 505.217.5877
120 Adelaide Street West, Suite 900
Toronto, ON M5H 1T1
Tel: 416.860.0400
Fax: 416.860.0822
Toll Free: 1.877.233.2244
Email: rirwin@starfieldres.com
www.starfieldres.com
Digital copy available online at www.montanamining.org
11
Introduction to
The MMA
introduces
Laura Feist
By Debbie Shea
aura Feist came to the MMA by way of the Western Environmental
legislative process renewed, in “old guards” like me, an appreciation
Trade Association. Born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, Laura
of a citizen’s legislature and the contributions we all can make to it.
L
and her husband Steven moved to Helena with their two children
Along with Chairman Redfern and the membership committee,
Morgan and Joe in the spring of 2010. Her outstanding office skills and
Laura has taken on the job of advancing membership within the asso-
welcoming personality secured for her a part-time position with WETA
ciation. Their work together has advanced membership and offered
and an opportunity to work for the MMA, as well; good fortune for
additional benefits to members.
both associations.
Laura’s contribution to MMA office management has been signifi-
It was baptism by fire, as Laura’s employment almost immediately
cant, and her enthusiasm for her work with the association, in pro-
threw her into the 62nd annual Montana legislative scene. Her enthu-
motion of the mining industry, has made her a welcomed addition to
siasm for natural resource legislation and her curiosity regarding the
the MMA family. ✦
Fickler Oil Company, Inc.
Dave Cerise
Lubricants Sales Manager
1480 Continental Dr.
Butte, MT 59701
Phone: (406) 782 0616
Fax: (406) 782 0260
Cell: (406) 490 3891
[email protected]
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13
Mining and exploration in Montana:
2010 review
By Robin McCulloch, Mining Engineer - Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
his past year saw many extremes in the
minerals industry. In spite of high commodity prices, there was a continuing scarcity of venture capital and exploration companies. For the most part, industrial mineral
companies experienced steady growth, and
even hired a few employees to replace those
lost during the business decline of 20082009. However, the crash of the housing
market had severe implications for the
Portland cement industry; capital investments in infrastructure were delayed or
reduced. Although the industrial use of
cement has recovered steadily, the housing
industry is not expected to show any significant change until 2013 or later. This has
resulted in an oversupply, and has caused
temporary closures at local plants.
The metals portion of the mining industry
has enjoyed high demand and spectacular
prices. However, as costs have risen steadily
for energy, steel and equipment, company
profits have not been as high as one would
have expected.
T
Mines
Troy (Cu, Ag) - Genesis, Inc., a subsidiary of
Revett Silver, Inc., maintained steady production at its Troy mine (Lincoln County). Labor
has been steady and mine ore grade and
commodity prices have increased. The company has continued to expand the reserve
base, with discoveries in underlying quartzite
beds. A 3,000-foot decline has been completed to the “C” bed, where substantial reserves
have been delineated.
The company has reduced production
costs and will continue to expand its reserve
base as they wait for the permitting of the
Rock Creek mine to be completed.
Rock Creek (Cu, Ag) - The development of
the Rock Creek mine (Revett Resources, Inc.)
(Sanders County) was delayed yet again as
U.S. District Judge Donald Malloy retracted
earlier permits based on discrepancies in
prior records of decision. However, earlier
14
critical analysis was deemed adequate. The
issues to be corrected are minor and will be
resolved with a Supplementary EIS, expected
to be completed in the current year (2011). A
final determination for production is likely to
occur in the near future.
Montanore (Cu, Ag) - Mines Management,
Inc. has continued to work through the repermitting of the Montanore mine (Lincoln
County). A grizzly bear study has shown that
the ecosystem around the mine site contains more bears than originally thought,
and that they may be at or near the limits of
the system. The permitting agencies have
also chosen a preferred alternative for the
power corridor.
Although the Montana Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S.
Forest Service appear to be working together
through this process in a relatively efficient
manner, the speed of completion has been
slowed by the Corps of Engineers and the
Environmental Protection Agency.
Lyons Gulch Placer (Au) - Near Trout Creek,
on the Vermillion River, John Cochran and
Jim Williams mined placers near the mouth
of Lyons Gulch (Sanders County). Cochran’s
deposit was nearly depleted at the end of the
summer. The pay gravel consisted of a relatively tabular zone, four- to five-feet thick,
lying above barren gravels and overlain by
one to two feet of silty sand and organic silt.
Numerous two- to four-foot diameter boulders of the Pritchard Formation were found
within the pay gravels. The pay zone has distinct limits, and appears to be nearly
exhausted. Limited potential exists on the
south side of the river and the next bench
downstream below the falls.
Existing workings indicate the pay zone
has its origins in the Lyons Gulch drainage.
An adit located on the Vermillion River road
contains a gold-bearing quartz vein approximately 20 inches wide at the portal and
pinching to less than six inches at the face.
There is limited alteration of the wall rock,
and the vein appears to be formed along a
bedding placer within the Pritchard shale.
This lode property is not likely the source of
the placer deposit.
Jim Williams has mined for a number of
decades on the Vermillion River placer.
During the past year, he identified limonitic
gravels in the Glacial Lake Missoula remnant
fill of the drainage. Gold values appear to be
quite promising, and further exploration is
planned for the coming year.
Bearmouth Placer (Au) - Near Drummond,
Les Towner completed testing of the placer
deposit in Bear Gulch and began mining.
Excavation started immediately upstream
from the end of the bucket-line dredge piles.
Initial work outlined six feet of pay gravel
covered by eight feet of overburden that
was, in turn, covered by 35 to 40 feet of topsoil. The gold was bright, flat and disc-like in
a debris-flow deposit. Mining has exposed
numerous mined-out stopes where gravel
was mined and hoisted to the surface for
processing. Mining is scheduled to continue
in the spring.
Deep Creek Placer (Au) - Closer to the
Garnet ghost town (Granite County),
Randy Rice and Ralph Smith continued mining the upper Deep Creek gold placer. The
majority of the existing alluvial
placer between the Forest Service roads
has been exhausted. Operations were
focused on mining the remaining alluvial
values, as well as a residual gold deposit
in the hydrothermally altered Jefferson
Formation. Much of the alteration has
reduced the limestone/dolomite to calcareous sand with remnant bedding features.
Limonite pods and zones are likely the
source of the gold.
Pioneer Placer (Au) - The Golden Rule
Mining Company mined placer remnants at
Pioneer in the Gold Creek drainage near
Garrison (Powell County). Utilizing two trom-
mels, the company processed the remaining
resources under dragline spoil piles. In addition to gold, the company produced an
impressive number of stulls from earlier
drift mining. As they rapidly expanded to
their five-acre limit, the company has
applied for an operating permit. It was
rumored that they were operating through
the subzero weather of the winter of 20102011.
Continental Pit (Cu, Mo, Ag) - In Butte
(Silver Bow County), Montana Resources
maintained steady production while enjoying elevated copper and silver prices.
Molybdenum prices fluctuated but were still
very good. The company did not make any
major purchases of production equipment,
but continued with their three-year program
of upgrading the control system within the
mill.
They initiated a reserve expansion drilling
program on the pit limits that is expected to
continue over the next three years. Initial
results have been promising. Operations are
steady, with low employment turnover.
Madison Project (Cu, Au) - West of Silver
Star (Madison County), Coronado Resources
maintained production for many months of
high-grade copper ore and gold ore that
could be direct-shipped to a smelter. The
copper grade declined in the fall, and operations closed until milling problems with
pyrite suppression could be worked out.
Glen Mill (water-jet cutting media, scheelite) - South of Melrose (Beaverhead County),
Apex Abrasives completed the production
circuit of their mill and started bagging and
shipping water-jet cutting media. Apex
Abrasives fine-tuned its scheelite-recovery
circuit, as well as the drying circuit. The market softened early in the year, when suspension of deep-water drilling in the Gulf of
Mexico, as a reaction to British Petroleum’s
blowout, caused garnet supplies to be
shipped inland rather than be used in Gulf
operations.
Red Wash Quarry (Garnet Products) - Near
Alder (Madison County), Ruby Valley Garnet,
LLC exhausted its available reserves of placer garnet in their Red Wash alluvial deposit.
They closed at mid-year to convert to mining
their lode garnet deposit. The mill will be
redesigned with a crushing and grinding cir-
cuit, along with modifications to improve
recovery and efficiency. Production is
expected to resume early in 2011.
Trident Quarry (Portland cement) Trident Holcim Inc. (Gallatin County) continued with planned improvements at the
plant. The clinker cooler and crushingscreen circuits were modified to decrease
energy consumption. Transportation costs
were steady. Industrial consumption
increased slightly, but the domestic building
industry is slow to dead, and is expected to
remain so until after 2013.
Regal (Talc) - East of Dillon (Madison
County), Barretts Minerals completed a new
shop and facilities at its Regal mine. They
have continued to upgrade the main plant,
and have purchased some support equipment. Exploration to expand the reserves has
continued with success.
In general, both demand and the workforce have increased, but not to levels prior
15
to 2008-2009. By doing more with fewer
employees, Barretts has broken a number of
production records.
Yellowstone (Talc) - South of Ennis
(Madison County), Rio Tinto Minerals continued production at the Yellowstone mine.
Capital improvements included completion
of energy-efficiency upgrades in one processing circuit. Demand increased modestly,
somewhat in line with overall industry recovery, and the company hired a few staff in
response. Prices have been steady.
Rio Tinto continues to explore the divestment of its talc business. The Behre Dolbear
Group, Inc., mentioned a possible purchase
by Imerys in their newsletter a couple of
times, but since the price changed between
articles, it appears they are in negotiations.
Rio Tinto Minerals has made no announcements.
Drumlummon (Au, Ag) - North of Helena
(Lewis and Clark County), RX Exploration initiated limited production from the
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16
lurgical bulk test. Initial mill recoveries were
92 percent for gold and 87 percent for silver.
Production from the test was 2,584 ounces of
gold and 54,698 ounces of silver over two
months.
An internal decline was driven on the
Charley vein from the main haulage on the
400 level to the 500 level. The company
resumed development of the external
decline, and plans to connect the two
declines at the 600 level providing an alternative escape route. Exploration is continuing
on the many epithermal veins within the
property. Selected drill intercepts on the Dblock ranged from eight to 22 feet and grades
ranged from 0.28 to 0.84 opt Au. Silver values
ranged from 1.69 to 7.31 opt Ag. Intercepts
on the Charley vein ranged from two to 14
feet, with grades of 0.22 to 2.23 opt Au. Silver
values ranged from 6.30 to 90.7 opt Ag.
Although there were spectacular intercepts, most reported holes appeared to
have a 0.1 to 0.5 opt Au flavor on intercepts
over two to five feet in width.
Pumping of the workings was delayed
briefly, as the chemistry of the water had
changed with pumping and modifications
to the water treatment plant were necessary.
Montana Tunnels (Pb, Zn, Au, Ag) - Near
Boulder (Jefferson County), Elkhorn
Goldfields has continued to search for funding for their Montana Tunnels mine and
Golden Dream project near Elkhorn.
Permits are in hand but venture capital has
been limited.
Indian Creek (Burnt Lime) - Near
Townsend (Broadwater County), Graymont
Western U.S.A. continued burnt lime production in a slowly improving market. The
company reported fierce market conditions
and intense competition. Prices have been
stable, and the company has hired a few
new employees.
Graymont has initiated some development on its southern claims, and reports a
high-quality deposit that has been exposed.
Golden Sunlight (Au, Ag) - Near Whitehall
(Jefferson County), Barrick Gold’s Golden
Sunlight mine received a permit to mine an
ore body adjacent to the crushing circuit at
the mill. This will allow the mill to open
eight months earlier than projected. The
development for the Stage 5B optimized pit
is on schedule and possibly a little ahead of
schedule.
The company has aggressively explored
the mine area in search of satellite ore bodies, and has identified three potential
zones. One is very promising and funding
has been secured for the coming year.
Production will resume early in 2011.
Stillwater Mining Company (Pd, Pt, Ni,
Cu, Rh, Au, Co) - Near Columbus, Stillwater
Mining Company has had a banner year,
announcing a $50-million profit for 2010.
Stillwater initiated its “Blitz” project at the
Stillwater mine (Stillwater County) to
expand their reserve base. They will extend
the 5,000 and 5,600 levels east 13,500 feet,
in search of higher grades and production.
The company expects to develop 9.5 million tons of resources grading 0.71 opt PGM
group metals. The project is expected to
cost $60 million. The company is actively
hiring miners, as well as strengthening its
miner-training program. Stillwater has
experienced a five- to six-percent employee
attrition rate due to retirements and those
leaving for other opportunities.
The company has also been developing
the mine for a Kiruna electric-truck system.
These 35-ton trucks will operate on a mainline trolley system with a diesel-electric
auxiliary for dumping. The haulage levels
will be paved to sustain production at optimum speed.
Many levels have been rehabilitated to
resume production. Costs are up slightly,
but commodity prices are up more. To
operate effectively with MSHA safety rules,
the company assigned haulage and infrastructure levels to managers and miners for
safety compliance. It appears the strategy is
working.
At Columbus (Stillwater County), the
company completed the second furnace at
the smelter. Stillwater has also completed
a new Catalytic Converter Recycling and
Sample Plant, which contains an automated X-ray system for assay of catalyst material.
South of Big Timber, the company continued production at its East Boulder mine
(Sweetgrass County). They initiated the
Graham Creek project, which will advance
the mine 7,900 feet to the west, where they
will develop an additional ventilation raise.
Stillwater anticipates finding increased values and ore-zone thickness. They expect to
develop six million tons of ore grading 0.41
opt PGM metals over the next five years.
The project is expected to cost $8 million.
The company has increased the labor force
by 15 employees and has completed both
of their life-of-mine ore passes. Production
at the mine has been sustained with rampand-fill and sublevel mining methods.
Exploration
Lower Meadow Creek Placer (Au) - Near
Superior (Mineral County), Ken Miller finally
received permission to explore the placer
gold deposit in Lower Meadow creek. He first
constructed a new stream channel to divert
floodwaters from the process site. After completing his pond area and process site, he
then excavated a small area near the old drift
mine from the 1930s. Some values have been
identified on the north side, but the south
side of the drainage is yet to be explored.
17
Further work near the old drift mine is planned in the coming year.
and flaky. Substantial values were found in both the virgin ground
Calumet Placer (Au) - In Quartz Creek (Mineral County), Shannon
and the old tailings. Komberec will complete defining the pay zone
Anderson continued to define the pay zone on the Calumet claim,
limits in the coming year and prepare for mining.
Highland (Au, Ag) - In the Highland Mountains south of Butte
(Silver Bow County), Timberline Resources and Small Mines
Development continued work on their Highland joint venture. They
drove the decline 1,700 feet and developed another 800 feet of
workings for diamond drill stations. These were developed in both
the hanging wall and the footwall. They have applied for an operating permit.
They developed a dewatering well that will be tested in early
2011. A bulk test is also anticipated early in 2011. Drill results are
anticipated shortly into 2011.
Grant (Au) - Near Virginia City, Madison Mining Company continued work in the Grant mine (Madison County) on an intermittent
basis.
Bald Butte (Au) - Near Marysville (Lewis and Clark County), RX
Exploration drilled seven holes on narrow gold structures at the old
Bald Butte mine. Results were not as good as they had hoped, but
then again they did not complete their planned program. They were
snowed out but plan to continue drilling in the spring.
Sheep Creek (Cu, Co) - North of White Sulphur Springs (Meagher
County), Tintina Gold Resources, Inc. continued re-drilling holes on
the former Cominco American Sheep Creek property. The property
contains sediment-hosted zones of massive sulfide mineralization
(copper-cobalt) in the lower part of the Precambrian Belt
Supergroup.
The land package currently held comprises 5,775 acres. The company will continue to verify the presence of high-grade coppercobalt deposits to become 43-101 compliant. After that is accomplished, drilling will continue to expand available resources and
explore for additional deposits.
Upper zone intercepts ranged from 22- to 34-feet in thickness,
containing 3.0 to 3.4 percent copper and 0.15 to 0.36 percent cobalt.
The lower zone appears to range from 5.6- to 20.8-feet-thick, with
copper at 3.24 to 10.84 percent and cobalt at 0.03 to 0.11 percent.
Stillwater Complex (Cr, Cu, Ni, PGM) - Starfield Resources has a
substantial land package in the Stillwater Complex near Nye
(Stillwater County). They did not initiate exploration after buying out
Nevoro, but anticipate further exploration in 2011.
which is in drainage adjacent to that of the Lower Meadow Creek
Placer. The zone appears to have been buried by material flowing
out of drainage on the north side. Gold values are typically 25- to
28-feet deep on the claim. Under the alluvial fan, values may be in
excess of 40- to 45-feet deep.
Garnet (Au, Ag, Cu) - Along the crest of the range near Garnet
(Granite and Missoula Counties), Grant Hartford Corp. continued
defining its deposits by drilling with 67 reverse circulation holes
(34,848 feet) and four NC core holes (1,699 feet). The drilling program identified 940,298 tons grading 0.222 opt Au or 208,753
ounces of gold. They are preparing to submit an operating plan to
the Montana DEQ. Preliminary estimates and mine development
and production costs for a 250- to 300 tpd mill have been completed. They appear to have gathered enough data to reliably predict the locations of the ore zones. The company appears to be
approaching the development stage of its program.
Reynolds City Placer (Au) - Near Garnet, at the head of Elk creek
(Powell County), Richard Komberec tested gravels from 1800’s
workings. The 10-foot-thick gravel contained a few cobbles but not
many boulders, and the majority of the recovered gold was coarse
Coal
Coal mines in the Powder River Basin again dominated Montana’s
coal production, which increased 12.8 percent to 44,711,771 tons.
The most significant changes were at the West Decker and Signal
Peak Energy mines.
Decker - Decker Coal company reduced production at the East
Decker mine by 5.8 percent to 2,699,951 tons. Production at the West
Decker mine was reduced by 86.8 percent to 228,006 tons. This is the
second year of massive reduction from a production level of 6.4 million tons in 2008.
Spring Creek - Near Decker, Cloud Peak Energy, Inc. increased production at its Spring Creek mine by 9.86 percent to 19,345,61 tons.
18
Savage - Westmoreland Savage Corporation increased production
Otter Creek - After purchasing the Otter Creek (Powder River
by 4.28 percent at its lignite mine near Sidney. Production of 351,502
Basin) coal leases on 572 million tons, Arch Coal, Inc. is permitting
tons was well within their normal fluctuation levels of production.
44 confirmation drill holes. The company is anticipating a full min-
Coalstrip - At Colstrip, Western Energy Company increased pro-
ing permit within a year, and an operating mine within the decade.
duction by 18.3 percent to 11,957,340 tons. The waste coal plant
Carpenter Creek - Near Melstone (Musselshell County), Maple
Carpenter Creek, a subsidiary of Maple Energy, has a permit appli-
production was up by 20.5 percent to 273,006 tons.
Absaloka - Near Hardin, Westmoreland Resources, Inc. decreased
production at its Absaloka mine by 7.5 percent to 5,467,954 tons.
Signal Peak - Near Roundup (Musselshell County), Signal Peak
Energy increased production from its underground coal mine by
406.3 percent to 4,388,851 tons. This change has come with the first
full year of production with the new longwall in place.
cation for a 300,000-ton test pit pending before state regulators.
The company is anticipating a producing underground mine by
2013. They are also considering a second underground mine,
known as Snider Ranch, by 2014.
Bridger - Management Energy, Inc. is working on the BridgerFromberg-Bear Mountain project near Bridger (Carbon County).
This project could encompass more than 56,000 acres of coal-bear-
Coal Exploration
ing land. In September, the company merged with Maple Carpenter
Coal exploration is slowly grinding through the permitting phase
of operations.
Creek Holdings, Inc. and then changed its name to MMEX Mining
Corporation. No additional fieldwork has been detected. ✦
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19
Montanans’
mode uncovered
in Chamber’s poll
By Jon Bennion
T
he results of the 2010 Montana
Chamber’s annual poll of Montana voters are in, and they reveal some interesting
new political and economic trends.
The Power Base (P-base) is an annual scientific of 600 Montana-likely voters on a variety of business and political issues, with a
margin of error of 4.1 percent. The poll is
done to find out what regular Montanans
think about important economic issues facing our state. Here are some of the results.
Economic Development
As you would imagine, the unemployment
levels are a top concern for Montanans.
20
48 percent listed it as the top problem facing
age more timber; 79 percent want more oil
our state, and the next highest problem,
and gas development; 73 percent want
taxes, was a distant 11 percent. Montanans
more coal development; and 73 percent
want to get back to work, and they are look-
want more mining. In fact, the support
ing for businesses to provide the jobs. For
comes from majorities of Republicans,
their top pocketbook concern, healthcare
Democrats and Independents polled on
costs continue to dominate with a plurality of
every industry category.
30 percent.
Montanans are still pessimistic about
As in prior Montana Chamber surveys,
the national economy. Sixty-one percent of
the P-base shows Montanans want to see
voters believe the U.S.’s economy is on the
more business growth, especially in high-
wrong track, as opposed to 23 percent who
wage businesses like the natural resource
think we are on the right track. Voters
industries. For example, 83 percent of
believe the state’s economy is better off,
Montana voters want the state to encour-
with 42 percent saying we’re on the right
track versus 31 percent saying wrong
track.
Strong majorities of voters believe
businesses can be trusted to make
important decisions in treating workers
fairly when it comes to benefits, hiring
and firing employees, and protecting
the environment. Only 17 percent of
Montana voters support raising taxes on
business, compared with 62 percent
who want to see taxes decrease or stay
the same.
State Issues
Respondents in the poll expressed
strong dissatisfaction with Montana’s
medical marijuana laws, with twothirds saying the laws have gone too far.
A majority of voter would require the
Legislature to consider the impacts to
small businesses before new laws or
rules are passed. And a plurality of
Montanans (47 percent) believe school
funding levels are currently adequate,
while 38 percent would like increases.
Federal Issues
If the presidential election were held
today, 63 percent of Montanans would
prefer someone new over President
Barrack Obama. Around 60 percent of
respondents disapprove of the federal
healthcare reform bill, with 44 percent
of those folks “strongly” disapproving of
the bill. In addition, a majority of voters
would like Congress to reign in or stop
the EPA from implementing new regulations that affect timber, mining, agriculture and energy industries in Montana.
Conclusions
The message from the survey is clear:
Montanans want to see the state move
toward long-term, sustainable growth
by increasing natural resource development, improving our business climate,
and creating more good-paying jobs.
Encourage lawmakers during the next
legislative session to pursue common
sense, pro-growth policies that will put
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21
Report on the 62nd
Montana Legislative Session
By Debbie Shea
T
he 62nd Montana Legislature assembled January 3, 2011 with
52 new members, just a little over one-third of the legislative
body new to the process. Since statehood, the Montana legislature
has been consistently split along party lines; this session found the
Republican Party in control of both houses, with Governor Brian
Schweitzer, a Democrat, at the helm in the executive office.
As the last days closed in, state budget, medical marijuana, school
budget and eminent domain proved to be a major standoff between
the legislature and the executive office. Key pieces of mining legislation had great legislative support, as pro-mining activists channeled
these pro-job/pro-mining bills from introduction to the governor’s
desk.
The main message restated as each mining bill was introduced
came from a poll conducted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce.
The poll confirmed Montanans agree that properly regulated natural resource development can go hand-in-hand with strong environmental protection. When asked, “Do you think state and federal government should encourage and promote these industries because of
the jobs and economic benefits provided, or restrict and discourage
these industries because of potential environmental impact?”, 73
percent of Montanans answered that they wanted to promote mining, and only 17 percent said they wanted to restrict or discourage
mining.
Legislation sponsored or supported by the MMA included:
• HB 422 (Rep. Hale) allowing for third-party contractors to directly
bill mining companies. It was signed into law by Governor
Schweitzer.
• SB 312 (Sen. Vincent) revises the permitting process in Montana’s
Metal Mine Reclamation Act to provide some predictability and certainty for applicants. SB 312 requires that the applicant and the
DEQ conduct considerable upfront work during the application submittal and review process, before committing to a lengthy and costly MEPA review. The applicant will be required to invest additional
time and money to prepare a detailed application with complete
technical data and analyses. The DEQ will be required to conduct a
stringent review of the application and make a determination
whether the project will indeed comply with all substantive laws
and rules that govern mining. After a determination of completeness and compliance, a draft permit will be issued and will serve as
the basis for MEPA review.
The DEQ cannot attach stipulations or make modifications, during
or after the MEPA review, without approval of the applicant, except in
the case where a stipulation is required to ensure compliance with a
substantive law. This legislation will also reduce the burden on DEQ to
produce redundant and unnecessary MEPA documents for insignificant modifications to existing operating permits. SB 312 returns
administration of MEPA to its role as a procedural law with emphasis
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on public disclosure of what the DEQ considered when making a decision on a particular project.
There are also safeguards built into the bill for the unforeseen possibility that the MEPA process reveals a deficiency in the draft permit
that does not comply with the laws and rules as set forth. However, SB
312 clarifies that the application belongs to the proponent. As such,
should a provision of the application not meet with the laws or rules,
the applicant has the option to revise its application to ensure that the
proposal is brought into compliance. Alternatively, the applicant can
agree to a specific mitigation or stipulation that will bring the proposal into compliance with the law.
As has always been the case, a final permit may not be issued if the
permit is not in full compliance with all substantive laws (and rules) of
the state of Montana. SB 312 revises the permitting process in
Montana’s Metal Mine Reclamation Act to provide some predictability
and certainty for applicants. The bill was approved by the Senate and
the House and was signed by Governor Schweitzer.
• SB 367 (Sen. Vincent) allows the Department of Environmental
Quality to grant individual, general and alternative variances from
numeric nutrient standards upon adoption of those standards in
rule. This legislation was the product of a year's work on the part of
DEQ, industry, municipalities and the environmental community.
SB 367 passed out of the House and Senate with bi-partisan support, and Governor Schweitzer signed this legislation into law.
• SB 306 (Sen. Murphy) served to clarify mining laws regarding
cyanide heap and vat leaching of open-pit ores. SB 306 would have
allowed ore to be shipped to facilities that past initiatives have lawfully permitted to use cyanide. After meeting with the DEQ and
addressing, through amendments, their concerns, and with no
opposition in the last hours from the DEQ, the legislation passed
through the Senate and the House; but sadly, the bill was vetoed by
Governor Schweitzer.
• SB 233 (Keane) and SB317 (Vincent) were the two major MEPA revision bills introduced in the session. SB 233 served to clarify the purpose of the Montana Environmental Policy Act, inform the public,
administration and legislature of potential impacts of a project,
clarify alternatives on impact analysis and narrow the focus to
Montana borders (with minor exceptions). SB 233 became the vehicle for MEPA reform. It was amended to include, from Senator
Vincent’s MEPA bill (SB317), the provision that if the court finds the
remedy in SB 233 invalid, the remedy from SB 317 goes into effect.
The remedy in SB 233 only allows the court to remand an inadequate EIS back to the agency to be fixed, and prohibits the court
from invalidating the permits. The SB 317 remedy allows the court
to suspend or invalidate the permits, but makes it more difficult
than current law to do so. The environmental groups, in their continued stand to oppose any changes to MEPA, said that the bill takes
away the ability to have public input and private property rights.
DEQ director Richard Opper weighed in, offering informational testimony and informing the House FRET Committee that neither allegation by the environmental group was true. SB 233 passed handedly out of the Senate and House and was sent to the governor. It
became law without the governor's signature.
The MMA legislative team included: Tammy Johnson, Doug Parker,
Mark Thompson, Tim Dimock, Terry Grotbo, Fess Foster, John Schaffer,
Tad Dale, Ted Antonioli, Don Serba, John Beaudry, Leo Berry, Debbie
Shea, and Don Allen from the Western Environmental Trade
Association. Their efforts included meetings with DEQ director Richard
Opper and staff, chief business development officer Evan Barrett and
Governor Brian Schweitzer. The objective was to work in partnership
with all entities to ensure positive and progressive legislation for the
industry, as well as the state of Montana. Many of our team members
were seasoned in the legislative arena, while others were new to the
process.
GARDAR G. DAHL JR.
1595 Riverbend Road
Superior, MT 59872
Tel: 406.822.0027
Fax: 406-822-0027
23
Shown in the Montana House of Representatives gallery (left to right):
Mark Thompson, Don Allen, Fess Foster, Tammy Johnson and Terry
Grotbo.
Posing before House Natural Resource Committee meeting are (left to
right): Mark Thompson, Rep Alan Hale, John Schaffer, Fess Foster and
Tammy Johnson.
The following comments come from varied perspectives.
As the 62nd legislative session winds to a close, we will have achieved
some very positive victories. The association members should be proud
of the work they have accomplished. A huge ‘Thank You’ is due to the
many who did their part to shepherd the process along. Some served by
offering the genesis of ideas for legislation, while others worked tirelessly crafting and reviewing language; some assisted with laying an important foundation at the Jobs Listening Session, while others were always
willing to show up in Helena to offer important testimony or to visit with
the administration and communicate with legislators. Many mine
employees and supporters faithfully sent messages of support and
offered the legislators much-appreciated thank-you notes. I would like to
tip my hat to all who contributed. Without you, there would be no legislation, no success, and no forward progress. A sincere and hearty
‘thank you’ also goes out all the legislators who took the time to understand our concerns, issues and proposed solutions, and especially to
those who pushed “the green light” for responsible reforms and clarifications.
Additionally, special appreciation is due to those who carried key legislation in the Senate and the House and without whom, no idea takes
flight or finds the necessary champions to achieve success in the legislative process. Primary sponsors included Senator Terry Murphy (Cardwell)
– SB 306; Senator Chas Vincent (Libby) – SB 312, SB 317, SB 367;
Representative Alan Hale (Basin) – HB 422; and Senator Jim Keane
(Butte) – SB 233. Those who carried legislation after transmittal to the
other side of the body are Representative Jerry Bennett (Libby) – SB 312,
SB 367; Representative Duane Ankney (Colstrip) – SB 306; Representative
Harry Klock – SB 233; and Senator Chas Vincent – HB 422.
Please take time to celebrate these victories. Begin the process anew
with faith and hope that responsible and necessary reforms are possible with time and energy. I am convinced the best people I know are
those who come from our rural, resource-providing communities. It has
been my distinct pleasure to have worked with you all. Illegitimi non
carborundum!
~Tammy Johnson – Environomics, Inc.
The legislative process is neither swift nor certain, but the Montana
Mining Association has every reason to be very pleased with what has
been accomplished thus far. The Montana mining community vigorously supported a package of legislation that was designed to improve the
permitting process; limit opportunities for litigation and project injunctions; improve the accounting functions for those who perform necessary
environmental analysis for a project and the regulatory agencies;
address nutrient water standards; and hopefully encourage others in the
mining sector to consider Montana as worthy of investment.
The 2011 legislative session was my first involvement in governmental affairs. Fortunately, I had the privilege to work with some excellent
people and it became a tremendous learning experience for me. The
greatest lesson I learned was how organized, well funded and deep-
24
rooted in the legislature our opposition is. Without the Montana Mining
Association and active participation by its membership, the future for
mining opportunities in Montana would be very different than it is
now. I thank everybody that worked so hard and can share in the victories as well as the disappointments.
~Mark Thompson – Environmental Superintendent, Barrick
Golden Sunlight Mine.
This was my first involvement with actually participating in the
modification of existing laws. It was quite the process, and not for the
faint-of-heart. The perspective provided by various people on word
changes and tweaking to ensure that the revision to the law (in this case
the MMRA) met the general intent of modification was invaluable.
Thanks to all who participated in this effort.
~Terry Grotbo – Consultant, AMEC.
I’ve worked on the nutrient legislation and provided some support to
Debbie, Tammy and the others working on the other bills. It’s amazing
the amount of effort it takes to get a few lines of legislation pulled
together, and how many late-night emails it takes to get everyone to
agree to the wording.
~Doug Parker – Consultant, Hydrometrics.
This was a very active legislative session for the MMA. We decided late
last fall to mount a strong effort due to the pro-industry makeup of the
legislature. A number of individuals and companies rose to the task,
working for free or working on days off. I would like to thank Golden
Sunlight, in particular, for all of their efforts; we would have been far
less successful without them. I think this session shows what we can
accomplish if we start working on legislation early, and all work together. I hope that in the future, more individuals and companies will
become involved in these efforts.
~Fess Foster – Independent Consultant.
I have been impressed with the level of commitment and effort that
is required to make our system work – not only on the part of the legislators, but also on the part of the associations, the lobbyists and Joe
Public. I have also learned that there is no such thing as a “simple
change”, especially when your adversaries are so good at fear-mongering and putting out half-truths. Finally, I have learned that I never
want to go into politics.
~Tim Dimock – General Manager, Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine.
It was great to see the Montana Mining Association go on the offensive in seeking some important changes in the 2011 Legislative Session.
Much of the success of WETA as an umbrella organization is due both
to our members’ efforts on behalf of their own industries, and also that
everyone then joins together on issues of common interest. The MMA’s
active involvement is valuable, not only to their members, but also to
other natural resource industries as well.
~Don Allen – Executive Director, WETA.
A day at the Capitol pictures (left to right): Senator Terry Murphy, Bruce
Vincent, Senator Chas Vincent, John Shanihan, Tammy Johnson, John
Beaudry, Senator Jim Keane, Tim Dimock and Tad Dale.
Like most prospectors and miners, I, too, am an optimist. The discovery
of the huge Revett-hosted copper-silver deposits of Montana at Troy, Rock
Creek and Montanore by geologists – and loggers – is exactly in the tradition of the pioneering prospectors of Montana. But all the effort, expense,
ingenuity, and insight of discovering minerals is wasted if these discoveries are not [actually] mined. Take careful note of the word “waste”. Placing
our mineral resources beyond reach is not conservation, but rather waste;
just as much of a waste as leaving forests to burn or become food for pinebark beetles. Teddy Roosevelt said it best this way: "Conservation means
development as much as it does protection." In Roosevelt's mind, the center principle of conservation is that we avoid waste.
~Ted Antonioli’s remarks to the mining rally in Libby, Montana. ✦
150 Sheep Camp Road
Whitehall, MT 59759-9647
Phone: 406.287.3229
Chris Hyle
Technical / Sales Representative
Cell: 406.490.3059
[email protected]
25
Educating local teachers
for more than a decade
Minerals Education
Workshop going strong
in Montana Operations
E
very year in July, 90 miles from
Yellowstone National Park, the annual
Teachers’ Minerals Education Workshop
takes place. This three-day event, hosted by
Rio Tinto Minerals and led by Dave and
Doug Scott of DST Associates, educates up to
40 local teachers about minerals and mining.
The idea for the workshops began in
1996, when the U.S. Bureau of Mines was
closed and Dave and Doug decided to continue educating teachers in Colorado,
Washington and Montana. The exclusive
partnership with Rio Tinto Minerals in
Montana was formed in 1998, and has
become so popular that, today, 50 percent
26
of attendance is by word-of-mouth. While
most of the teachers are from southwest
Montana, there have been some from as far
away as southern Idaho and California.
Twin brothers Dave and Doug Scott, geologists by profession, work for the federal
government. From a very young age, they
had a fascination with rocks (being fourthgeneration miners and rock-shop owners,
this runs in their family). This passion has
been carried through to the workshops they
organize.
Teachers who attend the workshop gain
continuing education credits each summer
when they participate; then they teach children between kindergarten and Grade 12
what they learned in the workshops. Several
teachers from the region now include field
trips to the mine or milling operations as
part of their rocks and minerals modules.
Linda Perlinski and Patty Bartholomew,
third-grade teachers in Bozeman, have
been bringing their students for tours for
several years running.
The workshop begins in the classroom,
with two days of instruction covering identification of minerals; geology; various mining methods; reclamation; reasons why we
need to mine commodities; and hands-on
activities that encourage learning at all levels.
Day three consists of a tour of Yellow-
Photos courtesy of Luzenac America, a division of Rio Tinto Minerals.
stone mine, the largest talc mine in
North America. The day begins with a
comprehensive safety briefing held by
the mine team, and teachers are fully
outfitted with safety equipment. A few
are selected to initiate a blast in the
mine or ride in a haul truck – exciting
activities that teachers later share with
their students. They have a barbeque
lunch with the mine crew, followed by
“Talc 101”, an introduction to talc and
its many applications in paper, paints,
rubber, plastics, ceramics and agriculture. After a visit to the lab, they attend
a debriefing session to share lessons
learned, followed by one final stop to
pick talc and crystal specimens to take
back to the classroom.
Belgrade teacher Joe Rossman has
attended seven workshops and learns
something new each visit. “Getting to
know tools and techniques to help educate the children is the best part of the
workshop,” Rossman states. Rossman
also helps teach one of the modules in
the two-day classroom section of the
event.
Dan Northway and Marsha Mellon,
long-time employees at Yellowstone
Mine, have been part of the workshops
since their inception and both look forward to the event every year.
“I love to showcase the mine and
what we do here. It’s always great to see
the surprise on teachers’ faces when we
explain how much the world relies on
talc,” Northway remarks.
“I get a great sense of achievement
from introducing non-technical people
to mining, and proving there are great
roles for women in the mining industry,”
Mellon states.
For more information about Montana
Operations’ Minerals Education
Program, please contact Pat Downey at
[email protected], or Dave Scott
at [email protected]. ✦
27
Mr. Ambassador
Through dedication, proven knowledge, and the occasional
wisecrack, Robin McCulloch of the Montana Bureau of
Mines has earned the respect and trust of the industry.
By Nicole Ritter
R
obin McCulloch describes his typical
workday as “herding cats.”
As a research mining engineer and staff
field agent for the Montana Bureau of
Mines and Geology, McCulloch visits mining
and exploration operations across Montana,
helps small mines get started, coordinates
information for large mines, and serves as
an informal ambassador for the mining
industry.
He calls the position – which he has held
for the past 23 years at Montana Tech in
Butte – a good match for his personality.
“I work with people all the way from education to reality,” he explains. “I help with
feasibility and where the costs should come
in, try to educate them on the most environmentally sound techniques, assist them
through permitting… Basically, I do a little
bit of everything you can possibly imagine –
20 or 30 things at a time.”
He deadpans that the pace means he
sometimes can’t wait for five o’clock to arrive
– but only because it will mean the first
bathroom break of the day.
McCulloch’s hard work, deep knowledge
and vast experience with the mining industry were just part of what led the Montana
Mining Association last year to present
McCulloch with the Montana Mining
Association's
2010 Award of Excellence.
“He is such an advocate for mining and
such a knowledgeable guy,” enthuses
Debbie Shea, executive director of the
Montana Mining Association. “He really has
his hand in things, and has a sense of where
it all fits together.”
Shea adds that the award signifies an
exceptional level of contribution to the
mining industry in Montana.
“We don’t give out awards all the time,”
she says. “It really is only for people who
have given a lot of time and really advanced
the industry.”
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• Flotation Testing • Pyrometallurgy
METALS — Precious Metal Recovery & Refining Testing • Nickel/
Cobalt Applications • Arsenic/Antimony Applications • Gold • Silver •
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CAMP is located on the campus of
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1300 West Park Street • Butte, Montana 59701
Phone: (406) 496-4875 • Fax: (406) 496-4512
E-Mail: [email protected]
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MATERIALS — Composites/Metals • Thermo-Mechanical Analysis •
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Gold • Silver • Copper • Iron • Titanium • Zinc • Lead • Nickel •
Cobalt • Uranium • Rare Earths • Platinum • Palladium • Iron •
Coal • Tungsten • Arsenic • Antimony •
Molybdenum • Gallium • Selenium
For his part, McCulloch says that the
award left him “absolutely speechless” –
joking that the award might have come
sooner if the association “had only realized
something like that would shut me up.”
He then turns serious, adding that the
award was a complete surprise.
“I definitely didn’t expect it, and I am
really appreciative,” he says.
McCulloch’s roots in the industry – and
Montana – run deep. He grew up in northwestern Montana and turned toward mining after a degree in fisheries management
from North Dakota State University didn’t
lead to a job in that field. He worked with
the U.S. Bureau of Mines, then went back to
school, ending up at the University of
Idaho for another undergraduate degree,
this one in mining engineering. Ultimately,
he would earn a graduate degree from
Montana Tech in the same subject.
Before returning to Montana in 1988, he
worked for 12 years in Spokane as a mining
engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, a
position that took him into projects in pro-
posed wilderness areas in six western states
and gave him a broad base of knowledge
for his work in the mining industry, not
only in Montana but throughout the northwest.
He says that the work he does at the
Montana Bureau of Mines is similar to what
he was doing in Spokane – but with one
important distinction: “I have this horrible
disease, you see,” he says with mock solemnity. “I love hunting elk, and I need to have
time off in the fall to do that.”
Of
course, McCulloch’s vision for
Montana – and especially rural Montana,
where he makes his home – is far more
than herds of elk. Living about 1,000 feet
on a ridge above Butte, where he and his
wife raise a few head of cattle, McCulloch
says that he cherishes his “rural existence”
but states that he wants more prospects for
others there.
“I’d like to see opportunities developed
to bring more business into the rural parts
of Montana,” he explains. “I would love to
see two to three new major mines show up,
and I think that there is a real vacuum in
medium-sized, underground operations. I
think we could bring on 20 to 40 mines in
the 500- to 1,000-ton per day range, for
example. Those are the big opportunities
I’d like to see developed here.” ✦
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Kendall:
past, present
and future
O
ver 100 years ago, gold mining began in the mineral-rich hills
outside Lewistown, Montana, in an area known as the Kendall
Mining District. For more than 40 years, mining activity flourished in
this district with a fervor similar to many of the Old West’s mining
camps. The Kendall District, located in the North Moccasin
Mountains, produced 450,000 ounces of gold between 1900 through
1942 from ores averaging 0.20 ounces of gold per ton.
Named after Harry T. Kendall, a prospector and mining innovator,
the district was the site of furious activity at the end of the 19th century. The town of Kendall, first formed in 1900, quickly grew into a
booming mining camp with a population of 1,400 by 1910. Nestled
in a sloping valley between two mountain ridges leading up to the
mining district, Kendall boasted a 23-bedroom hotel, two churches,
a blacksmith’s shop, Jones’ Opera House, general and drug stores,
cafes, and of course, several saloons and the occasional “sporting
house”. The miners participated in “double jack” drilling contests,
and on weekends, members of the Knights of Pythias Band serenaded the community from a bandstand that still remains.
By 1912, miners began to encounter ores that were increasingly
difficult from which to extract gold, and as a consequence, mining
MDM
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Kendall today: the original bandstand visible in the distance.
activity began to fade. By the early 1920s, the once prosperous community had dwindled to just a few inhabitants. Devastating fires
swept through the now largely abandoned town, reducing most of
the wooden structures to ashes and leaving only stone foundations
in their wake. Today, these foundations, the old bandstand, and the
graves of miners and their families are the only remains of the once
picturesque and thriving community.
With rising gold prices and the advent of modern mining and
mineral processing techniques, mining the Kendall District revived
in the early 1980s and continued until near-surface ores were
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Town of Kendall, circa 1910.
exhausted in 1995. During this time, the Kendall Mine, operated by
CR Kendall Corporation, produced 50,000 to 55,000 ounces of gold
per year, for a total production of approximately 330,000 ounces.
Reclamation of the site, including clean up of historic mine tailings,
has proceeded since that time.
In November of 2010, CR Kendall Corporation, now a subsidiary
of Atna Resources, Ltd., completed the transfer of approximately 58
acres of land containing a large portion of the old Kendall town site
to the Montana Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The Montana
Council owns the adjacent property on which it operates the K-M
Scout Ranch.
Of the transfer, Jim Volberding, manager of Montana Operations
for Atna Resources, said, “This donation stems from CR Kendall’s
desire that the Boy Scouts have this property for use with their
camp, and his desire to preserve this historically significant site for
future generations of Montanans.”
“The Montana Council now owns this entire historic site, and will
preserve and protect it while allowing public access for future generations to study and enjoy,” stated Ray Wahlert, president of the
Montana Council, while accepting the property.
With the transfer, the K-M Scout Ranch became the only Boy
Scout Camp in the nation to own a ghost town. Through the years,
a campout has been conducted at the old town site. Those Scouts
who stay the entire night unscathed earn the honor of wearing the
“Ghost Badge”. ✦
Jim Volberding (right) presents a photo of Kendall during its heyday to Ray
Wahlert, Montana Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
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33
Taking
ownership of safety
F
or the workers at Revett Mineral’s Troy mine, safety is a passion.
The vast majority of workers at Troy moved into the world of
mining when their northwest Montana timber jobs were lost.
Training in the art and science of safe mineral production is a huge
part of each miner’s introduction to the world of mining underground.
In “the good old days”, mining’s reputation as a dangerous occupation was rightfully earned. One hundred years ago, over 2,500 miners being killed per year was considered “normal". After December
1907 – the deadliest month in American mining history, with over
700 fatalities across the nation – the culture of mining and the issue
of mine safety became the subject of a national debate. Starting with
the 1910 formation of the federal Bureau of Mines, the role of safety
in the miner’s workplace began to evolve. The 1952 Coal Mine Safety
Act and 1969’s Coal Mine Health and Safety Act were precursors to the
all-encompassing Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
Modern miners – both coal and hard rock – are served well by the
lessons learned over the last century. While the occupation can still
be regarded as dangerous, the goal to have each and every miner
return home safely, each and every day, moves ever closer to a reality. 2009 was the safest year on record for mining, with 16 fatalities in
metal and non-metal mines and 18 in coal mines. In 2010, the latest
year of records, mining fatalities nationwide increased to 23 in metal
and non-metal mines and 48 in coal mines. Clearly, there is more
work that can, and should, be done concerning mining safety.
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Recognition of the need to improve should not, however, diminish
the decades of incredible work that has been accomplished in mine
safety.
Today, most Americans would be surprised to learn that decades of
diligent focus on safety has produced a coal, metal and non-metal
mining industry that is not even in the top ten “most dangerous” occupations. In fact, fisherman, loggers, airline pilots, farmers and ranchers, roofers, ironworkers, sanitation workers, industrial machinists,
truckers and drivers/sales workers and construction workers are consistently more dangerous occupations than mining.
Safety is paramount at Revett’s Troy Mine, and individual responsibility is coupled with teamwork to assure that safety makes it out of
the training room and into decision making on the job. Revett’s management assisted in the formation of a worker-elected safety committee in 2007.
“We wanted to ensure that the worker’s voice in safety had a clear
and open pathway throughout our corporate structure,” says Doug
Miller, general manager at Troy.
Six workers and three alternates are elected to be members of “The
Safety Committee” to represent each of the mine areas, including the
mine, the mill and equipment maintenance.
“The committee is responsible for ongoing communication
between the workforce, the safety team of the mine and the mine’s
management,” says Kevin Goe, a committee member, adding that
“Anonymous reporting of safety questions and concerns are handled
through the committee.”
Committeeman Chris Johnson says, “Our committee works with the
safety managers to ensure that day-to-day issues are dealt with and
that worker needs concerning training and equipment are met. We
also participate in safety audits, and work with management in resolving MSHA citations.”
The workforce knows that they are supported in their efforts by the
company at all levels. In fact, Revett Minerals’ president and CEO, John
Shanahan, has given his phone number to each and every worker at
the mine.
“All of us have John’s number with the understanding that if a worker wants to discuss a safety issue or any other matter, they know they
can phone John,” explains Mike Roby, a safety committee member.
In early 2009, during the darkest days of collapsing copper prices
and rocky economic times for the mine, a worker in Troy called his
CEO in the middle of the night with a concern.
Mining in Sanders County, Montana, circa 1908
Photo: Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
Times have changed. So has mining.
Montana has made a lot of progress over the last
100 years. Mining has progressed, too.
In the old days, miners focused solely on recovering
valuable ore and metals. In fact, the state motto is
“Gold and Silver” and Montana is known as “The
Treasure State.” But this historical single-minded
approach is no longer acceptable to society or
modern mining companies.
Today, the old ways are gone, replaced by modern
technology, science, and environmental protection.
Modern mining projects are closely monitored by
regulators and comply with thousands of pages of
federal, state, and local regulations to ensure that
the environment is protected. In addition, mining
geologists and engineers utilize advances in science
and technology that were unknown in the old days.
Key among those improvements is our ability to
protect water quality.
Today’s mining projects are designed with multiple
layers of environmental protections that must be
approved before a single spade of dirt is turned.
For example, all of the water at The Rock Creek
Project – whether natural ground water, processing
water, or rainwater that has fallen on the tailing facility
collected through an under drain system – will go
through a dual water treatment process to ensure
that it exceeds drinking water standards.
In addition, we will protect water quality by ensuring
that the tailing created by processing the quartzite
ore – actually just beach sand – remains within the
designated storage area to be covered and
landscaped to mirror the surrounding habitat both
concurrently and at the conclusion of the Rock
Creek Project.
To guarantee that this protection extends long
after projects are completed, modern mines fund
multimillion dollar bonds set by Montana’s
Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S.
Forest Service.
A lot has changed over the years, but one thing hasn’t
changed: mining provides good paying jobs.
For example, The Rock Creek Project will provide
300 jobs paying $50,000 a year, and over its life,
Rock Creek will contribute $400 million in salaries,
$50 million in tax revenue, and $200 million in revenue
for local businesses.
Mining helped build Montana in the past.
With care and commitment, it can help build Montana’s future.
For more information, call 866-921-2294
“After the mine was shut down for four
To broaden the base of safety resources
and expertise. Revett has also ongoing rela-
long days, the concern was answered as a
and response potential, Troy’s managers
tionships with local volunteer ambulance
result of a thorough review, and education of
long ago forged civic and industry partner-
and search and rescue services, as well as
the miner, and thankfully it was not a real
ships. For instance, Revett’s mine rescue
local hospital and emergency services.
safety issue,” Roby states. “We acquired proof
team is a member of Central Mine Rescue, an
Revett workers have also found that
that management’s dedication to safety is as
organization through which inland north-
their voice is important in the national dis-
deep as our own,” he adds.
west mines share rescue training exercises
cussion of mine safety. When California’s
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36
Representative George Miller used an aging
MSHA report to denigrate the safety of the
Revett operation in Troy, the workers took
the slight personally. In the summer of
2010 Rep. Miller, then-Chairman of the
powerful House Subcommittee on
Education and Labor, proposed legislation
that seemed to do little to assist in preventative actions on the job, and the miners
took offense. In response, the Revett
Worker Safety Committee initiated communication with Representative Miller.
“We thanked him for his concern about
miners’ safety, and invited him to discuss
safety with those of us most impacted by
the discussion and his proposed legislation
– the miners,” recalls committee member
Don Wallace. “We also asked that the representative assist us in building a healthy relationship with the MSHA, so that we could
work as a team with a common goal of safety, rather than forge antagonistic postures
that do nothing for worker safety,” explains
Robert Garcia, another committee member.
The committee and worker voices from
Troy were shared with Governor Schweitzer,
senators Baucus and Tester, Representative
Rehberg and President Obama. The worker’s voice had a significant impact. Rep.
Rehberg met with the safety committee and
hand-delivered workforce letters to Miller.
Prior to offering his bill in the House,
Representative Miller stripped hard-rock
mining issues from the legislation and the
safety committee wrote the chairman and
thanked him for his consideration. When a
similar bill was introduced in the Senate,
the safety committee met with Senator
Tester and received praise for their efforts,
along with a promise from the Senator to
relay their voices in the discussion of the
(ultimately stalled) senate bill.
Revett’s Troy workforce and their elected
safety committee members are proud of
what they have accomplished. They are also
aware that a commitment to safety means
there can never be an end to “doing more
and doing better.” A fatality suffered several
years ago still serves as a reminder of the
need for this ongoing commitment. “We
know that success depends upon individual
dedication to being a safe worker, and being
a safe partner for fellow workers,” Goe
states. “We pride ourselves in working on
safety like we own it,” he explains.
Tim Lindsey, Chairman of Revett Minerals,
Inc. sums up the issue succinctly. Lindsey was
raised in the Troy area, and loves both the
environment and the culture of northwest
Montana. When discussing Revett Minerals
and the Troy Mine with Lindsey, it is clear he
understands the value of the ore body in
Troy and the need to care for the environment while accessing that ore body.
Lindsey flatly states that, “We must make a
profit to operate – but the most important
resource in and on the mountains we love
are the people who go to work every day
with us and who comprise the family we call
Revett.”
“Our most important goal is to ensure
that each member of our work family is
delivered safely to their family at the end of
every shift,” Lindsey states. ✦
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1-800-999-6676
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37
Geology (and mining) rocks!
The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
By Susan Barth, Editor, MBMG
What is the MBMG?
The first time you hear about the Montana
Bureau of Mines and Geology ("the Bureau",
or the MBMG), it might sound like just another government agency, working away on
obscure projects.
False! The work of MBMG scientists and
staff directly affects you: your everyday life,
your safety – and particularly, your industry.
The information and support we provide
have assisted thousands of miners and mining, construction and energy companies to
find and extract Montana's resources, safely
and effectively. When you add the information delivered to private citizens and various
agencies, it’s a monumental pile of data.
When the MBMG was established by the
Legislature in 1919, as a public service and
research agency, we were given a mission: to
conduct and publish investigations of
Montana geology, including mineral and fuel
38
resources, geologic mapping, and groundwater quality and quantity. We don't have any
regulatory power – we simply provide unbiased scientific information and support. Over
the years, our programs have expanded as
groundwater and resource issues have
become critical in many areas of Montana.
We currently have approximately 60 full-time
staff at our offices in Butte and Billings.
But What Do You Do?
Lots – our scientists travel all over
Montana performing investigations on
groundwater, geology, energy, and mineral
resources. Our network of 38 seismic stations
provides information on earthquakes in
Montana and neighboring states – and is the
only source of seismic information in
Montana!
We cover natural resources pretty well, but
the programs below probably affect the min-
ing industry the most.
Geology and Mapping - Geology is in our
name, and it's fundamental to what we do.
Since the 1980s, we have mapped 77 percent
of Montana at the 1:100,000 scale, and all of
these maps are available digitally to the public at no cost. More detailed maps are available for selected areas. We also publicly
release geologic maps produced in Montana
by university students.
But what are all those maps used for? The
first uses that generally come to mind are in
locating mineral deposits and finding
reserves of coal and other fossil fuels. But
geologic maps serve as the “road map” for
any geological investigation, from evaluating
the potential for geologic hazards such as
earthquakes, unstable slopes, or materials
prone to shrinking and swelling that result in
foundation damage; engineering applications, such as location and platting of roads
and waste-disposal and power facilities; or
groundwater investigations, which may
range from locating an individual well to
evaluating an aquifer for water resources or
pollution. Residual soils are directly derived
from the underlying rocks, so the implications of geologic maps to agriculture are
immense. Scientists in non-geological fields
commonly find that geologic maps have
answers to questions on topics from variations in forest vegetation to fish habitats; and
the list goes on.
Mining Assistance Program - The MBMG
program that is most visible and has the
most direct impact to the mining industry is
the Mining Assistance program, administered by our mining engineer, Robin
McCulloch – you probably know about that
one already! Through this program, we:
• assist companies and individuals in finding information on properties, contacts,
exploration targets, consultants, and occasionally employees;
• aid all of the players in permitting, from
the agencies to individual miners;
Robin McCulloch speaking to a
group at Indian Creek.
• help in designing exploration, mining,
and reclamation plans for smaller projects;
• provide archival data on mines and exploration from our dynamic collection;
• gather mineral statistics and answers
questions for industry, individuals, and
state and federal agencies;
• gather field data on various properties
and deposits while we assist with projects
on-site; and
• perform basic metallurgical research on
free-milling metallic deposits.
Our data are shared through publications,
numerous talks, and personal field visits. In
2010, Robin was recognized for his contribu-
Holland & Hart has provided comprehensive representation for the mining industry for more than 60 years.
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Acquisition, disposition, and financing
of mineral projects worldwide
Financial and regulatory due diligence
Development of mining infrastructure
State and federal legislation for mining
Mineral patenting and permits
Title opinions, quiet title actions, and
title curative work
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Access, surface/mineral owner, and
royalty dispute resolution
Environmental, public lands, and NEPA
issues
Litigation and arbitration
Corporate compliance
Governmental investigations
Indian law
Larry W. Petersen
[email protected]
William W. Mercer
[email protected]
Charles W. Hingle
[email protected]
401 North 31st Street, Suite 1500, Billings, MT 59101
(406) 252-2166
www.hollandhart.com
39
Geologists working in the field.
tions to the mining industry with the Award of Excellence from the
Montana Mining Association.
Energy Resources - MBMG staff deal with many types of energy
resource issues, including oil and gas, coal, coalbed methane, and
geothermal energy. We are currently working on:
• mapping deep coal (underground coal gasification) – at least 60
percent of Montana’s vast coal resources lie more than 500 feet
below the surface;
• identifying geologic sites that might provide permanent storage
and use of CO2 to reduce greenhouse gases;
• providing geologic data, maps, and other information to industry,
legislators, and the public for oil, gas, and coalbed-methane studies;
• monitoring springs and wells within and near areas of coalbedmethane development, to evaluate impacts on Montana’s water;
and
• working with the U.S. Department of Energy in a national effort to
compile Montana’s geothermal data and use oil-well logs to map
subsurface temperatures in eastern Montana.
Groundwater Issues - The MBMG has two major programs that
deal with groundwater issues across Montana: the Ground Water
Assessment Program (GWAP) and the Ground Water Investigation
Program (GWIP). The GWAP is designated as a regional assessment of
Montana’s major aquifers, including a statewide monitoring network, whereas the GWIP focuses on more limited areas where specific groundwater issues, usually contentious, have been identified.
GWIP work is particularly relevant to the mining industry, as it investigates issues that affect water rights and availability.
Mineral Resources
When mineral resources are mentioned, usually metallic deposits
come to mind. In spite of the current slowdown in the housing market, recently the demand for sand and gravel has grown. Conflicts
between gravel companies and residents have increased, because
both usually reside in the same area of the valley. HB 486, passed by
the 61st Montana Legislature, amended MCA 6-1-601 to include “sand
40
and gravel resources” in growth policies that will be written and established by individual counties in Montana. SB 297 established a sand
and gravel mapping program in the MBMG, and directs us to evaluate
and report on sand and gravel resources in Montana. The new program is intended to provide a greatly needed uniform set of information for state agencies, individual counties, and sand and gravel operators. Permitting, planning, and resource evaluations should be greatly enhanced by this effort. (Note: no funding was attached to the bill
for actually doing the work, so this is moving slowly.)
The MBMG also has a continuing program of research into mineral
commodities that are being mined or have the potential to be mined
in Montana. In recent years, the results of investigations on barite,
talc, chlorite, vermiculite, and zeolites have been released. Research is
also focused on metallic districts and gold placers.
Curiously, Montana has been the leading producer of sapphires for
many years in the U.S. – known deposits have produced more than 50
tons of sapphires. Yet except for the famous Yogo deposit, little was
known of the origin of these deposits. Dick Berg’s research has
revealed that these sapphires probably were transported to the surface in volcanic rocks before being concentrated in gravel deposits.
So How Do I Get Hold of All This research?
The MBMG distributes most of our data through our website,
http://www.mbmg.mtech.edu/. Much of it is downloadable for free, or
available at a minimal cost. In the past year, alone, we sold over 1,000
different reports, more than 5,500 copies, through our website and
sales office. In that same time frame, nearly 127,000 reports or maps
were downloaded.
You can stop in and visit us at our new home, the Natural
Resources Building on the west side of Montana Tech’s campus,
or at our Billings office, located on the MSU-Billings campus at
1300 N. 27th Street. We are always happy to assist with questions or
information. Or please feel free to call at 406-496-4180, or email us at
[email protected]. ✦
Successful mining starts
with successful exploration
G
olden Sunlight’s exploration program is simple: deliver
resources and reserves in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. With over a century of mining in the district, there is still
a golden opportunity for exploration and discovery at the mine site.
Although Golden Sunlight’s mill has been shut down for 18 months
while overburden was removed from above the Mineral Hill ore,
gold production has recently resumed with ore from the small satellite pit called the East Area Pit. GSM’s current exploration program
aims at bringing more of these satellite resources into reserve and
production before the current Mineral Hill reserve is exhausted.
Although the window for exploration, feasibility analysis, and per-
Building & Operating
America’s
Underground Mines
For more information
visit our website at
www.undergroundmining.com
or call
775-635-2095
42
mitting is short, Golden Sunlight believes that with careful planning
it will be successful at extending its mine life and maintaining safe
responsible employment for more than 250 employees and contractors beyond its current 2015 mine life.
Safety is ‘Job One’
At the core of Golden Sunlight’s exploration program is safety. The
mine considers that “No job should be done if it isn’t safe – None”.
Starting with Barrick leadership right through the Golden Sunlight’s
site leadership, employees, and contractors, safety is the responsibility of each and every employee and contractor at the site.
Environmental Commitment
Golden Sunlight’s commitment to managing its impact on the
environment and community begins with its exploration program.
Every drill site is evaluated for potential environmental impacts from
the drilling process and steps are taken to mitigate those impacts,
whether it is providing water to eliminate dust or establishing sumps
and erosion control to mitigate the impacts of drilling fluids.
Golden Sunlight is also aware that its $3-million dollar exploration
program has significant potential to help ensure that the benefits of
our activities at GSM are realized in the local communities.
Consequently, a concerted effort is made to obtain local contractors
and supplies.
Brenntag Pacific, Inc.
7535 Mossmain Lane, Billings, MT 59106
J. Mark Redfern
Telephone: (406) 628-3640 | Fax: (406) 628-2072
Cell Phone: (406) 671-4105 | Email: [email protected]
“Chemicals for the Mining Industry”
Geologic and Mining Picture
Golden Sunlight (named after the Golden and Sunlight mines) has
seen operations since 1890. Through the 20th century, early highgrade miners tapped into gold ores throughout the district. In the
1940s, a large deposit of low-grade ore (called breccia) was recognized.
In the 1980s, the modern Golden Sunlight mine started production
and has been operating continuously ever since, providing employment opportunities and revenue for the local community for 30 years.
However, mining of the main ore body is currently scheduled to
end in the fourth quarter of 2012, with ore being provided from stockpiles until 2015. To extend the mine life beyond 2015, an aggressive
exploration program is in progress. This year, $3 million will be used
to explore nearby "satellite" deposits. These satellite pitsare planned
on the south edge and just northeast of the main Mineral Hill pit. The
objective is to develop and permit these areas for mining by 2013. If
these deposits can be mined successfully, GSM will also gain the time
it needs to explore for larger targets that could further extend the
mine life. In addition to these surface mining areas, GSM is investigating a third phase of underground mining of the remaining Mineral
Hill resource.
Additionally, Golden Sunlight has actively pursued purchasing of
outside ores from nearby underground mining and tailings reclaim
projects in order to help sustain its milling operations; GSM is currently
contracted to purchase ores from a number of local sources. This
process not only helps to extend the profitable mill life of GSM, but
also helps to stimulate entrepreneurial development and reclamation
of resources and abandoned mine tails that would otherwise lie dormant underground or remain in uncontained facilities on the surface.
short period, in order for GSM to successfully extend its profitable
mine life, it has been working hard with both the Montana Mining
Association and Western Environmental Trade Association to establish
some new laws that may help to streamline both its ability to permit
projects in a timely manner and to purchase and process ores from
outside sources.
The Golden Sunlight has been in operation for some 30 years, struggling through a decade of low gold prices and a challenging regulatory climate. However, the employees of GSM have a high degree of
ownership in their mine and they are survivors. They have been working diligently to take advantage of the current positive markets to continue the safe, profitable, and socially responsible operation of GSM
into the future. Golden Sunlight believes that successful exploration
will pave the way for new gold discoveries and continued mine operations. Golden Sunlight hopes to make a “golden” future for generations to come. ✦
We Could Use Some Help!
Given the large amount of permitting that will be required over a
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43
A trusted
authority for
both private
industry and
public agencies
(Left to right) Terry Grotbo, Bruce Gilbert and Doug Parker swap mining
stories at the Montana Mining Association’s 2010 Annual Meeting at
Fairmont Hot Springs.
Doug Parker helps research proposals and has
assisted dozens of clients in the permitting process
By Laura Tode
I
t would be hard to find a mining operation in Montana that hasn’t tapped the
expertise of Hydrometrics Inc. Whether it’s
in the early stages of permitting for a startup or the monitoring of a long-retired facility, the consultants at Hydrometrics have
been moving Montana mining forward for
the past three decades.
Hydrometrics is headquartered in
Helena, and serves the region with offices in
Billings, Missoula, Kalispell, Whitefish,
Colstrip and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
at Meetings “Just
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Banquet, Meeting and Convention Facilities
*Meeting Space for up to 400
*153 Guest Rooms and Suites
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Visit
V
isit us at www
www.fairmontmontana.com
.fairm
montmontana.com or call 1.800.332.3272
1..800.332.3272
* I-90 Exit 211,
211, 15 miles west of Butte, Montana
Mo
ontana
44
While the company’s name might allude
to a focus on water, the 40 employees at
Hydrometrics are a mix of environmental
scientists and engineers. With a strong
emphasis on teamwork, company expertise
includes civil, environmental and geotechnical engineering, hydrology and hydrogeology, chemistry, biology, data management and computer science.
The company’s mission is to provide
cost-effective and practical scientific and
engineering services to clients. “Our role is a
supporting role,” says company vice president Doug Parker. “We provide services that
a company might not have the expertise or
resources to provide itself.”
With an interest in mining and degrees in
geology and environmental sciences,
Parker’s work centers on soil science and
hydrology. Parker, who was among the
founding partners of Hydrometrics, has
helped research numerous proposals and
has assisted dozens of clients in the permitting process.
On water issues, Parker has become a
trusted authority for both private industry
and public agencies, says Don Allen, executive director of the Western Environmental
Trade Association.
“His vast knowledge of water issues, at
both the state and federal levels, enables
him to provide valuable responses to pro-
While the company’s name
might allude to a focus on
water, the 40 employees at
Hydrometrics are a mix of
environmental scientists
and engineers.
Stream flow measurement.
posed rules and legislation,” Allen added.
This past year, Parker helped to coordinate Montana mining’s interest in a proposed state law that establishes numeric
water quality standards for nutrients such
as nitrogen and phosphorus. Senate Bill
367 easily passed through the 2011 State
Legislature and the proposed standards
are expected to be adopted by the
Montana Environmental Protection
Agency. The regulation includes a variance
process for water discharge permits with
regard to nutrients, Parker explains.
Variances will be available for mining
operations and other industry players for
20 years, which will give present water
treatment technology the chance to catch
up with the new standards.
Dave Galt, executive director of the
Montana Petroleum Association, sat on the
legislative work group with Parker and
states, “He’s the guy you want in your
camp when you’re working on this stuff.
He’s extremely capable on the technical
side, and he recognizes the political side as
well.”
In addition to his public service work,
Parker and Hydrometrics assisted with several projects across the state.
In 2010, Hydrometrics continued to
offer its water quality monitoring expertise
to operators in Montana, including the
Montana Tunnels Mine, Troy Mine,
Barrett’s Minerals and Stillwater Mining
Company. Work also included consulting
for remediation at the East Helena smelter
site, Mike Horse Mine site and several
abandoned coal mines east of Great Falls.
Additionally, Hydrometrics helped with
permitting for the Revett Rock Creek property and began closure work for the
Kendall mine property north of
Lewistown. ✦
Stream flow monitoring by a mountain stream.
Wilderness dam reconstruction with mules and muscle power.
Hydrometrics, Inc.
Consulting Scientists and Engineers
Founded in 1979, Hydrometrics provides an
expansive range of science and engineering services.
We have serviced many projects, large and small, for
the mining and smelting industries, ranging from the
Arctic Circle to South America.
For more information, contact:
Billings, MT - Al Hilty, P.G.
(406) 656-1172 [email protected]
Helena, MT - Mike Wignot, P.E.
Missoula, MT - Doug Parker, P.G.
Mine Permitting
Reclamation Plans
Baseline Investigations
Operating Plans
Acid Drainage Control
Stormwater and Sediment
Control
Abandoned Mine
Reclamation
Water Supply
Development
Wastewater Treatment
and Disposal
Property Audits
Wetland Delineation
45
advances growth and
diversification goals for
sustainable development
S
tillwater Mining Company has plans to
proceed with two mine resource delineation and development projects along the
Stillwater Complex: the Graham Creek
Project, immediately to the west of the
company's East Boulder Mine, and the
Blitz Project, immediately to the east of
the company's Stillwater Mine.
Both projects lie within the boundaries
of existing mining permits, and each
would initially be serviced from existing
mine infrastructure. Based on indications
from historical surface delineation drilling
in these areas, both proposed projects are
viewed by the Stillwater as having a high
46
probability of ultimately adding significantly to the company's probable PGM
reserves.
Over the next several years, the Graham
Creek project aims to extend development
of the East Boulder Mine ore resource
about 7,900 feet further to the west. East
Boulder Mine's tunnel boring machine
(TBM), which was used about a decade ago
to develop initial access to the JM Reef and
then the west footwall lateral access paralleling the mineralized JM reef, has recently
been recommissioned for this new project.
Initial work will assess the continuity and
structural controls related to the JM Reef in
this area on the far western end of the
Stillwater Complex.
Based upon historical surface drilling
and production experience to date at East
Boulder, the project potentially could
develop over time up to six million additional tons of ore grading on the order of
0.41 in-situ ounces per ton. Once the initial
development is completed, any future
mining in this area would require adding
ventilation raises and additional infrastructure prior to beginning ore production. Costs to complete the TBM development drive and assess the PGM resource
for the Graham Creek area are projected at
about $8 million over the next five years.
The project is expected to yield information on the Graham Creek resource as diamond drilling work is completed behind
the TBM drive.
The Blitz project at the Stillwater Mine is
designed to explore and define the PGM
resource along the far eastern extent of the
JM Reef. It will extend some 13,500 feet to
the east of the existing Stillwater Mine, via
two conventionally driven footwall laterals
from the 5,000 and 5,600 levels. Diamond
drilling and geologic evaluation will be
concurrent with footwall lateral advance
on both levels.
Once the Blitz assessment project is completed, additional development will require
excavating new ventilation raises to support
bulk sampling, final pre-production development and eventual ore production.
Based upon production experience to date
and historical surface drilling, Stillwater
believes the project has the potential over
time to define up to 9.5 million additional
tons of resource grading on the order of
0.71 ounces per ton. The project will begin
to yield resource results within its first couple of years. Initial development and
resource evaluation costs for the Blitz area
are expected to total about $60 million, to
be spent over the next five or six years.
These two projects, coupled with the
recent acquisition of the Marathon
PGM/Copper project in Canada and the new
recycling facilities commissioned in 2010,
provide a robust growth profile for
Stillwater over the next few years. The delineation and development projects in
Montana fit well with the company's acqui-
only
united states
producer
1321 Discovery Drive
Billings, MT 59102
406.373.8700 Tel. | 406.373.8701 Fax
www.stillwatermining.com
47
sition of the Marathon PGM/Copper project, located near the town of Marathon,
Ontario, Canada, at the north end of Lake
Superior.
Completion of planned permitting and
development efforts at Marathon is
expected to take about three years. The
Marathon project not only brings
Stillwater a financially attractive growth
opportunity, but it also advances the
company’s diversification efforts on several fronts. With most of the world's PGM
production coming from Russia and
South Africa, Stillwater views the acquisition of a Canadian PGM property as offering the company operating and geographic diversity within another very stable political environment. While the
Marathon project certainly falls within
48
Stillwater’s core focus of palladium and
platinum, it also offers involvement in the
copper market, which has strong fundamentals of its own at this time and is an
area where Stillwater’s management group
has substantial experience. The PGM cost
structure of the Marathon project, with the
potential for copper credits, at recent
metal prices would reduce Stillwater’s
average corporate PGM cash cost per
ounce.
The Marathon project is expected to
increase Stillwater's annual platinum and
palladium production by approximately 40
percent within three years. Based on PGM
and copper prices as of September 3, 2010,
the transaction was immediately accretive
on a net asset value per share and reserve
per share basis, and is expected to be highly accretive to Stillwater's cash flow once
the Marathon PGM/Copper Project begins
production, which as noted is planned to
occur within three years. Stillwater intends
to fund the development of the Marathon
PGM/Copper Project with current cash balances and future free cash flow, but may
seek long-term financing if conditions and
opportunities so warrant. The Marathon
PGM/Copper Project reserves are situated
on one of Canada's largest PGM-Cu
resources, which Stillwater believes hold
significant potential for further growth in
reserves and future production.
Along with the Marathon project, the
company also acquired from Marathon
PGM Corporation the Geordie Lake property, a promising, partially explored PGM
prospect about eight kilometers to the
west of Marathon, along with an interest in
an exploration property in Manitoba
known as Bird River. Following the completion of the Marathon transaction,
Stillwater also acquired other exploration
properties between Marathon and Geordie
Lake from Benton Resources Corp. To facilitate exploration of all these properties,
Stillwater recently organized a dedicated
exploration team comprised of geologists
from the company’s own operations and
from Marathon. Stillwater expects to spend
between $4 and $5 million in 2011 on
exploring these Canadian properties and
conceivably others.
Stillwater Mining Company is the only U.S.
producer of palladium and platinum, and
is the largest primary producer of platinum group metals outside of South Africa
and the Russian Federation. Stillwater's
shares are traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol SWC.
Information on Stillwater Mining can be
found by visiting the website: www.stillwatermining.com. ✦
49
Ash Grove Cement’s Montana
City Plant anticipates business
for many years to come
Ash Grove’s Montana City quarry.
A
sh Grove Cement’s Montana City Plant
and quarries are located in and around
the Montana City area in Northern Jefferson
County, a few miles South of Helena MT. The
facility quarries limestone, shale, and silica
on-site, and combines them with an iron
source to manufacture Portland cement.
The plant, built in 1963 by the Kaiser
Cement Corporation, was constructed to
supply cement for the Yellowtail and Hungry
Horse Dam project, as well as to meet the
expanding need for concrete in Montana
and the Northwest. In 1987, the facility was
bought by Ash Grove Cement, a familyowned business out of Overland Park,
Kansas, during the company’s expansion
into the western United States. Ash Grove
currently manufactures cement at nine locations in the West and Midwest and is the
largest U.S.-owned cement manufacturer.
Limestone is the major ingredient in the
process with silica a distant second. The
process takes the calcium from the limestone reacting it with the silica to form calcium silicates, the major constituents of
cement. The formation of this reaction is
controlled by the ratio of calcium to silica;
the shale also provides silica, but contains
the aluminum that forms the other basic
ingredient of cement calcium aluminate.
The iron provides flux for the process, as well
as a control for the calcium aluminate reaction, and gives cement and concrete its grey
color.
The process at Montana City begins with
the drilling and blasting of the limestone.
The limestone rock is hauled to a primary
crusher and crushed to a two-inch minus
rock; it is then passed through a secondary
50
crusher, in an effort to achieve at least a ¾inch (minus material), which is then stored
in a silo to be fed to a grinding mill. Ash
Grove occasionally drills the silica, but more
often than not, the silica and clay are
ripped, hauled and passed through the
same crushing process. The iron is passed
through the secondary crusher only. The
mineral makeup of all four constituents is
quite stable; however, the ability to control
the quantity of each element into the next
grinding step is critical.
The next step is to grind a precise mineral composition of the rock into water-based
slurry of around 70 percent solids (by
weight). The slurry needs a fineness of
around 65 percent, passing 200 mesh to
facilitate proper processing; this is done in a
ball mill. The slurry is then pumped into
large storage tanks with agitators, to keep
the rock from separating from the water,
and to uniformly mix the “mud” before
introducing it into the kiln, where the reaction of the original minerals to the proper
silicates will take place.
The kiln is a long (450-foot) rotating steel
cylinder, internally lined with refractory, and
fired counter current to the introduction of
the slurry. The kiln has a slight slope, so as it
rotates, the slurry slowly moves from the
feed end to the end being fired. First the
water is evaporated; then the limestone is
calcined. As the temperatures increase, the
balance of reactions begins to take place,
with the quantity of each reaction product
being determined by the original mineral
composition. The final reaction is to a mineral called tri-calcium silicate, the major
constituent of most cements; the reaction is
actually exothermic, allowing for significant
energy recovery. This exothermic reaction,
along with the fuel, creates a “burning zone”
in the kiln that can typically exceed 2,500
degrees Fahrenheit. The new minerals are
now in a molten state, and form balls called
“clinker” before being discharged from the
kiln into a cooler. The cooler is a refractorylined piece of equipment that forces large
amounts of air through steel grates and hot
clinker, thereby cooling the hot material as it
is transported. Typical temperature reductions in a clinker cooler are from around
2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to 200 degrees
Fahrenheit. The cooler is a major source of
heat recovery, as it supplies the pre-heated
combustion air for the kiln.
The clinker is mixed with gypsum, and
then ground to a very fine powder (cement)
in a ball mill. A large portion of the cement
particles are smaller than 45 microns.
Mineral constituencies and fineness determine the type of cement made, as different
cement types can have different applications. The milling circuit has an adjustable
separator for precise control of the product
fineness. The cement is then pneumatically
pumped into storage silos for gravity loading
into trucks and rail cars.
The main use of cement is in the making
of concrete. Concrete is a mixture of properly sized sand and gravel mixed with cement
and water. A typical “mix design” for concrete is around 12 percent cement, eight
percent water, 30 percent sand, and 50 percent gravel. The water causes the cement
minerals to hydrate bonding to the sand
and gravel, and over time, the concrete
becomes stronger. The addition of gypsum
Montana City kiln.
Kiln feed slurry.
to the ground cement actually slows the reaction down, which
enables the concrete to be transported, placed and finished in many
different environments, shapes and sizes. Tests have shown that concrete in the proper environment can continue to gain strength for
many years.
Cement is also used in securing pipe in many oil-well applications.
Additionally, cement can be mixed with soil and fill material to make
a strong and stable base called cement-treated base (“CTB”) for many
construction applications. Cement can be mixed with mining waste
and pumped back into underground mines to fill and stabilize the
shafts, thus enabling mining to take place near the previously mined
area. Cement has been used in leach pads for stabilization, and to
help keep a good porosity in the pad. Finally, cement is used in many
masonry applications, from the stucco that sides houses to the bonding agent for tile, rock, and brick.
Over the years, the cement from Ash Grove’s Montana City Plant
has been used in all of these applications, and many more. New and
unique applications for this versatile material are constantly being
developed and presented to potential markets. With these new markets and all the successes of the current applications, Ash Grove hopes
to be in business for many years to come. ✦
STRONG AMERICAN FOUNDATION
For nearly 130 years, Ash Grove Cement Company has manufactured
high-quality products that build America’s highways, homes and high-rises.
From a dedicated technical services laboratory, to ISO 14001-certified
environmental control technology, Ash Grove has the tools and
talent to reliably deliver high-quality, consistent, American-made
materials that meet customer deadlines and project owner specifications.
Contact Mike Wood, 208.376.0650, for more information.
Strong Foundations.
Strong Future.
www.ASHGROVE.com
SERVING: ALASKA • ARKANSAS • COLORADO • IDAHO • IOWA • KANSAS • LOUISIANA • MISSISSIPPI • MISSOURI • MONTANA • NEBRASKA
NEVADA • NEW MEXICO • OKLAHOMA • OREGON • SOUTH DAKOTA • TENNESSEE • TEXAS • UTAH • WASHINGTON • WYOMING
51
H-E Parts Crown:
Thriving in Montana,
serving mines across the globe
T
he prospect of Eastern Montana becoming the “next energy capital of the world,” which boded well for the Montana mining
industry, lured Paul Hatzell to uproot his family from California in
the early 1970s to Billings, with the intention to start Crown Parts &
Machine Inc. (www.crownparts.us), a manufacturer of aftermarket
parts for heavy haul trucks, shovels and specialty equipment for the
mining industry.
In 1975, however, the Montana legislature passed the Coal Tax
Trust Fund Act, enacting the highest severance tax in the nation.
“Unfortunately, many mining companies moved across the border to
Wyoming because of the severance tax,” Hatzell laments.
Despite the tax law, Hatzell stayed the course and launched the
company in Billings in 1976. An avid hunter, Hatzell fell in love with
Montana, and he and his wife thought it would be a great place to
raise their family. “We never regretted the decision,” he says.
And with good reason. Crown has flourished in Montana, having
grown to become the largest global manufacturer and re-manufacturer of aftermarket components for heavy equipment for the min-
52
ing industry. Today, the company employs 130 people worldwide,
with warehouse operations in Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona, West
Virginia and global facilities in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Venezuela,
Zambia, Brazil, China and India.
OEM-Spec Parts, Sold Direct to Mines
A primary driver for this growth, according to Hatzell, is Crown’s
unique direct sales model that eliminates the middleman, offering
mining companies a lower cost alternative to original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), including Caterpillar, Komatsu, P&H and others that sell replacement parts through dealers.
“When you deal with Crown, you’re dealing direct with the manufacturer. There’s no middleman mark-up,” says Hatzell. “Crown controls the entire manufacturing process, from engineering and material purchasing to final quality control, ensuring that the aftermarket
parts mining companies receive are built to OEM specifications, the
highest standards of quality, at the lowest cost possible for customers.”
New Name, Expanded Product Line,
More Options for Mines
It was Crown’s direct sales model, product line and reputation
for quality that caught the eye of H-E Parts International
(www.h-epartsinternational.com), an Atlanta-based independent
supplier of parts, remanufactured components and equipment to
the global mining, quarry and heavy construction industries. In
December 2008, H-E Parts acquired Crown Parts and Machine, and
18 months later renamed the company H-E Parts Crown.
“We were looking to broaden our product offerings and improve the
value we provide our customers, and we saw a perfect fit with Crown’s
products and potential synergies with our other companies,” says
Michael Coffey, chief operating officer Americas, H-E Parts
International. “Now, Crown has the ability to bring global resources
and technology to customers while still leveraging Montana labor and
expertise.”
Hatzell, executive vice president of H-E Parts Crown, agrees. “By
joining the people and resources of Crown and H-E Parts, we’re able
to give our customers even more options. Our companies share similar convictions and passions in caring for our mining customers, which
makes our combined growth aspirations all the more obtainable.”
The H-E Parts family of companies, including Crown, Birrana
(www.birrana.com.au), Dom-Ex (www.dom-ex.com), Crushing &
Mining Equipment (www.crushingandmining.com.au) and H-E Parts
Distribution (www.h-eparts.com), has over 200 years of combined his-
tory in the mining and construction industries. Together, these companies offer solutions in support of surface mining equipment fleets,
crushing and materials processing and mobile construction equipment fleets.
What does this mean for Montana mining companies? A wider
range of OEM-spec parts from which to choose. For example, as a division of H-E Parts International, Crown is an exclusive distributor of
Birrana’s line of aftermarket wheel groups for Komatsu and Caterpillar
equipment, giving mines a quality alternative to OEM final drives at a
considerably lower operating cost.
Thriving in Montana
Despite no shipping ports in Billings, a challenge traditionally
viewed as a barrier to growth for most global manufacturers, H-E Parts
Crown is thriving in Montana because of the caliber of employees
they’ve been able to find in the state.
“We’re proud to call Montana home,” says Coffey. “As a state, we
may be short on population, but we’re long on talented and committed people. They possess that rare ‘whatever-it-takes’ attitude,
which is a perfect fit with our culture at H-E Parts Crown. The values
of hard work, exceptional service to customers, and the pursuit of
achieving the highest standards of quality are precisely what we look
for in employees to give us a competitive edge in the global marketplace – and that’s the caliber of people we’re able to find here in
Montana.” ✦
Bringing IInnovative
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53
The more you dig –
It all starts with mining
O
ver the past year, the Northwest Mining
Association (NWMA) has been developing a comprehensive pro-mining public relations campaign targeted to college students
and young congressional staffers (18 to 30
years old). The More You Dig – It All Starts
with Mining is a website-based, grassroots
campaign that relates mining to lifestyle and
standards of living using the communication
platforms and tools of the 21st century, such
as an interactive website, Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter and college campus outreach events and contests with our miner
mascot, Digger. At its core, the campaign
starts the conversation with young adults
about the importance of mining and the connection of mining to their daily lives.
Thanks to the hard work of NWMA trustee
Leslie Olmstead, the NWMA became a client
of the Reynolds School of Journalism at the
University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) to help us
develop the campaign. The student professionals at UNR spent several months surveying some of our members, trustees and college students; performing in-depth research;
studying demographics and consumer and
voter behavior; and focus-group and fieldtesting their ideas.
Our student team did an outstanding job!
They presented the plan to several NWMA
trustees and Public Outreach Committee
members in May 2010, all of whom enthusiastically supported the campaign concepts. At
their summer meeting, the Board of Trustees
authorized the Public Outreach Committee
and staff to move forward with plan implementation. To assist with implementation,
the NWMA retained recent UNR graduate and
freelance writer Isabelle LaBranch (Izzy) to
work with our Public Outreach Committee.
HDD MINING & WATERWELL GROUP
Whatever your drilling
challenge, we’ll
rise to it.
We bring the
highest levels
of service
and fluids
expertise to
your drilling
challenge, no
matter what
the scale.
Wherever you work, you can depend on M-I SWACO HDD Mining &
Waterwell specialists to keep your projects on target. As industry-leading
providers of drilling fluid systems and additives, solids control equipment,
and engineering services, we custom-design solutions to meet your
unique requirements. Our highly-trained drilling fluid specialists have
worldwide experience in delivering 24-hour onsite engineering services
that no competitor can match.
Whatever the scale, we’re up to the challenge.
54
www.drilling-fluids.com
The More You Dig – It All Starts with
Mining officially launched at NWMA's
116th Annual Meeting in Spokane in
December 2010. The interactive website
(www.themoreyoudig.com) is up and running with an informative blog, minerals
spotlights, videos, contests and more.
Monetary prizes will be awarded to photo
and video contest winners.
The campaign’s mascot, Digger, recently
hosted two successful campus events at UNR
and the University of Arizona. Prizes were
offered to students who answered trivia
questions about mining and could name
minerals in items around campus. The More
You Dig earned more than 250 new
Facebook fans through these campus events,
and passed out information about mining to
students. As of this writing, another campus
event is planned at the Colorado School of
Mines, and several more will take place during the fall semester. (If you are interested in
partnering with us to have Digger come to a
campus near you, please contact Izzy at
[email protected].)
Izzy attended SME’s Annual Meeting and
presented the public awareness campaign to
300 students at the Student Forum. She networked with several students who pledged to
help throw events on their campus to teach
their peers about the importance of mining,
truly making this a grassroots movement in
action.
The Mineral & Metallurgy Society of
America (MMSA) awarded a $25,000 grant to
the NWMA at their annual dinner in
February to help us implement the The More
You Dig campaign on college campuses in
2011. We want to thank the MMSA for their
generous support.
Join the conversation! Please visit the website and comment through the blog. Become
a "friend" of Digger on Facebook! Help with
a campus event. Your active participation
will help educate young adults, accentuate
the many positive aspects of the mining
industry, promote careers in mining, and
help renew mining’s social license with the
American public. ✦
Industry profile:
John Hinther
Dedicated maintenance supervisor
kept equipment – and industry
relationships – in good working order
By Anika Hanisch
T
he vendor list was a mile long when
John Hinther began working as maintenance supervisor at the Graymont
Western U.S. Inc. Indian Creek lime plant in
Townsend, Montana. Hired in 1990 to oversee the maintenance schedule and budget
for the mine’s equipment, Hinther quickly
learned that his real task was far more
involved. While upholding a safety-first
ethic, he needed to increase efficiency
across the board.
Of course, maintenance directly affects
efficient operation. But, Hinther discovered that a greater key to productivity was
found in honing the human element.
It began with that vendor list. Hinther
was spending a lot of time tracking down
equipment orders and parts. So, priority
one was to cultivate a core group of suppliers he knew he could depend upon.
“You place an order, and you don’t have to
worry about it,” says Hinther of his best
vendor relationships. “That opened up a
lot of time to spend with the crew out in
the field.”
Hinther began to focus on his interactions with plant workers, “getting to know
them… and what they need to do their job
efficiently.” He made sure workers had
needed supplies and also felt valued by
their company. Elton Chorney, who was
plant manager at Indian Creek at that
time, was constantly impressed with
Hinther’s trouble-shooting innovation.
When a major customer decided to set
up its own lime plant in 1999, Hinther
stepped up to the plate. “John worked with
both production and maintenance to keep
the company going,” explains Chorney.
Likewise, Hinther says he’s grateful to
have worked for a company that was open
to his ideas. “We’ve always been allowed to
work outside the box,” he states. He
remembers collaborating with Chorney to
create and implement a proposal to blend
solely Montana coke and coal in the preheater kilns, in lieu of shipping coal from
Utah. Hinther also brainstormed with
select vendors to develop new projects
with cost-saving strategies. Over and above
their job descriptions, Chorney and
Hinther took leadership in community
involvement – whether providing rip rap
for river stabilization, donating power
credits to an energy assistance program, or
rallying support for a community member
with a medical crisis.
In 2002, Hinther and other industry
members led efforts to clean up Crow
Creek Falls. The reclamation project
involved building a safe road (including a
stretch along a shale-strewn slope with a
35-percent grade), removing old equipment from an abandoned gold-mining
operation, restoring the site, and reclaiming the roadbed on the way out. The group
earned a Wildlife Conservation Award for
its efforts.
Such good deeds are rewards in themselves. “You build trust and respect, and it
makes your job so much easier; you wake
up wanting to go to work,” says Hinther.
Jason Ellis, current plant manager at
Indian Creek, admires Hinther’s approach
to keeping relational gears turning
smoothly, both internally and with the
community. “Obviously, we leave a major
footprint... We focus on reclamation,” Ellis
explains. “If the community is not an ally
with us, they can really impact our ability
to do business.”
Ultimately, all Hinther’s efforts had a
definite impact on the plant’s bottom line.
“You get paid back ten times whatever you
give,” Hinther says.
Chorney affirms this. “We went from
being the highest-cost (industrial lime)
producer in the U.S., to the lowest-cost
producer,” he states, regarding Hinther’s
involvement in the plant’s evolution from
the 1990s to the early 2000s. When producing a freight-sensitive product far from
major freight corridors, the only way to
stay in business is to keep in-cost down.
That’s been Hinther’s focus from day one.
Hinther has also acted as treasurer for
the MMA and frequently chaired its suppliers’ group. For years, he’s hosted weekly
after-hours “sales meetings” for industry
members. Now semi-retired, Hinther says
he honestly misses his job.
Ellis appreciates that Hinther keeps in
touch. “He took me under his wing… so I
understood the importance of maintenance and how it related to the viability of
the facility,” Ellis says. “We still draw on
him as a resource, for his knowledge about
the plant.”
Glad to help, Hinther stops in from time
to time. It’s no trouble, he says and laughs.
“It makes you feel you’ve still got some
value there.” ✦
55
MTI
invests
in hydrogen technology for
underground mining equipment
B
lutip Power Technologies (blutip Power), a division of Hy-Drive
As a result of this agreement, MTI will be licensed to manufacture
Technologies, has announced that its mining partner, Mining
and supply the current Hy-Drive HGS, and all of its associated sub-
Technologies International (MTI), has agreed to purchase an exclu-
assemblies, to the worldwide off-road heavy equipment market, as
sive manufacturing and marketing rights agreement for the compa-
defined above.
ny’s patented Hydrogen Generating System (HGS). The agreement
“In December, we announced our plan to reorganise our channels
will see MTI pay $2 million to blutip Power in quarterly instalments
of distribution to better meet customer needs, as we intended to
in exchange for the exclusive manufacturing and global distribution
aggressively expand our product offering. This agreement is another
licensing rights for Hy-Drive’s Hydrogen Enhanced Diesel
important step of our realignment,” states Robert Bucher, president
Combustion technology, for use with direct-driven rolling equipment
and CEO of Hy-Drive Technologies. “For many years, MTI has been
applications in the surface mining, underground mining, tunnelling,
very supportive of Hy-Drive and its H2 technology. This commitment
construction mining and off-highway market sectors.
is yet another indication of MTI’s willingness to work alongside us;
N0RTHSIDE
WELDING & FABRICATION, INC.
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Mining Technology
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Crane Service • Commercial Concrete & Construction
T: 406.442.5150 • F: 406.442.4352
Visit our website to view
our qualifications and line card.
Electric Mining Shovels
Our electric mining shovels have the most
advanced technology available today. Through
an ingenious combination of superior digging
force and rapid cycle times, it offers the extreme
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56
Reliability at work
providing us the necessary capital to advance our technology with
them and expand into new, exciting markets,” he continues.
MTI will have the “first right-of-refusal” on all potential heavyequipment customer inquiries as defined within the agreement. In
the event MTI is not interested in pursuing the opportunity, blutip
Power will have the ability to execute through its other channels of
distribution.
“As I have been on a personal crusade to find innovative ways to
reduce emissions for our miners in the underground mining environment, I have been a big supporter of Hy-Drive and its hydrogen
technology,” says Robert Lipic, president and CEO of MTI. “This
agreement makes a lot of sense. It enables each of us to do what we
do best to meet the needs of the heavy equipment market; MTI
knows how to manufacture, leaving blutip to focus on delivering the
next break-through in emissions-reduction solutions.”
Not included in the license is blutip Power’s proprietary controller
software, which will be supplied directly to MTI by blutip Power for
each application of the HGS product. Blutip Power retains all rights
and ownership over all of its intellectual property, manufacturing
schematics and product specifications of the Hy-Drive HGS in its
entirety. Under a separate agreement, MTI will also act as a distributor for the blutip Power3 Savings Share Program, on a non-exclusive basis, for the diesel power generation market. All future development work between the two companies will be performed on an
individual basis with separate terms and conditions. ✦
SERVING THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF ELK BASIN
ATTORNEYS
Adam Olschlager
Christopher D. Friez
Craig C. Smith
Garth Sjue
John R. Lee
Joshua B. Cook
Kristin Sjue
Steven Ruffatto
Brian R. Bjella
Colby L. Branch
Denise D. Linford
Gary G. Broeder
John W. Morrison
Ken Hedge
Molly A. Litzen
Trent J. Oram
Chris Mangen, JR
Craig B. Burns
Fred C. Rathert
Jennifer M. Nasner
Jon T. Dyre
Kristin L. Omvig
Shane A. Hanson
Wade C. Mann
LOCATIONS
BILLINGS
BISMARCK
490 North 31st Street, Suite 500
Billings, MT 59101
Phone: (406) 252-3441
400 East Broadway, Suite 600
Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone: (701) 223-6585
BOZEMAN
WILLISTON
45 Discovery Drive
Bozeman, MT 59718
Phone: (406) 556-1430
111 East Broadway
Williston, ND 58801
Phone: (701) 572-2200
CROWLEYFLECK.COM
I Underground Mining Equipment
I Portable Align-Boring
I Heavy Equipment Repairs/Rebuilds I Cylinder Rebuilds
I Welding/Fabrication
I Bucket Rebuilds
Authorized Spicer
Off-Highway Service Center
Repairs to Axles,
Transmissions and
Torque Convertors
Genuine Spicer Products Dana Certified Mechanics
www.mti.ca
1124 Main Street, Billings, MT 59105
Phone: 406-256-1179 I Fax: 406-256-2088
Toll Free: 1-888-909-4684
57
Northwest Pipe Fittings, Inc.
proud to be serving
Montana’s mining industry
N
orthwest Pipe Fittings, Inc., which
was founded in 1957, distributes a
full line of commercial and residential
plumbing and heating products, underground water and sewer products, industrial and domestic water pumps, and
industrial pipe, valves and fittings.
Located at 33 South Eighth Street West in
Billings, Montana, we also have branch
operations at 404 17th Avenue Northeast
in Great Falls, Montana, 1901 Meadowlark
in Butte, Montana, 1780 HWY 35 in
Kalispell, Montana and 360 Floss Flats
Road in Belgrade, Montana.
Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, PLLP
33 S.Last Chance Gulch
P.O. Box 1715
Helena, Montana 59624-1715
Tel. 406 442-8560
Fax 406 442-8783
email: [email protected]
website: www.gsjw.com
Serving Montana’s Natural Resource Industries
Since 1879
Our staff of 135 employees conducts business from our facilities in Billings, Great Falls,
Butte, Kalispell and Belgrade, Montana. We
have in excess of $11 million dollars in
inventory at our five respective locations.
Our company has enjoyed a history of success, and has grown to be the largest wholesale distributor of our kind in the market
region. We have a fleet of trucks delivering
material between our branches and on a regular, weekly basis to our customers throughout the whole state of Montana and
Northern Wyoming. Our aggressive management team is devoted to maintaining our
productive staff, service, and inventory.
Northwest Pipe Fittings Inc. Industrial
Sales has an excellent team of sales professionals with nearly one hundred years of
combined experience. Our team consists of
some of the most knowledgeable individuals
in the piping, valve, pump and process
equipment markets in the industry today. We
are ready, willing, and able to review your
most difficult problem applications and recommend the best solutions to meet your
needs.
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We have a fleet of trucks delivering material between our branches
and on a regular, weekly basis to our customers throughout the
whole state of Montana and Northern Wyoming.
Northwest Pipe Fittings Inc. offers steel pipe cutting, threading,
pipe grooving and polyken pipe coating. Northwest Pipe also offers
custom HDPE pipe and fitting fabrication, as well as McElroy Fusion
Machine rentals for HDPE pipe to 18 inches.
Northwest Pipe Fittings offers valve automation packages
including mounting, calibration, testing, pneumatic, electric or
instrument control. ✦
Northwest Pipe Fittings is proud to be the distributor for major manufacturing brands including:
59
Holcim (US) Trident Plant:
100 years of production
and community building
By Kreta Zackus L’Heureux
M
ontana: Under our big blue sky
thrives dreamers and achievers –
men and women who know how to get
things done. This land beckoned the strong,
from the indigenous tribes that first relied
on the bounteous provisions here, to the
cowboy with his massive herds of cattle
brought such far distances to form our great
Montana ranches. Homesteaders came;
they built up the hills and prairies, farmed
them into sustaining crops. But it was
Montana’s mining industry that bore communities. Towns were founded when treasures were uncovered. Montana’s mass of
land stretching from rugged horizon to
rugged horizon was transformed from
sparse settlements into the mountains of
society when the earth bore resources to
our miners.
From copper to coal, and gold to talc,
Montana is abundant with raw material.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey,
Mineral Industry Surveys (2004), Montana
produced nearly $2.3 billion in output revenue from the direct and indirect mining
industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported that approximately 5,500 people
were directly employed by a mine in
Montana with another 11,000 men and
women employed indirectly by the Montana
mining industry [2004, statistics]. There
might just be more cows than people in
Montana, but those people might just be fed
by the mining industry, because in Montana,
it is mining that founded many strong communities. One example that embodies this
concept perfectly is the Holcim (US) Inc.
Trident Plant.
“Common Chemicals With Uncommon Service”
LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED
Chemical Montana Company
2000 Boulder Avenue Helena, MT 59601
(406) 442-8900 • Fax (406) 442-8035
Greg Peterson - PRESIDENT
Mark McAlmond - OPERATIONS MANAGER
Toll Free 1-800-242-6515
60
Proudly serving the mining industry with a full line of
chemical reagents, water treatment, refinery and
speciality chemicals. Make us your one stop shop for all
your chemical needs. Total inventory management and
technical services available. One drum or one truckload
give us a call we are ready to serve you.
email: [email protected]
In 1805, Meriwether Lewis observed the
quality of limestone in the area. But it wasn’t
until 1908, tucked close to the birthplace of
the great Missouri River, that construction
began on the Three Forks Portland Cement
Company. Construction of the plant was
complete in 1910. In 2010, the plant celebrated its centennial anniversary with about
two hundred people; local and state representatives, customers, vendors, and employees and retirees and their families under the
name of Holcim (US) Inc. Trident Plant.
Of course, Trident was more than just a
cement plant – Trident was a community
that was founded by the cement company.
Although the village died out by the 1970s,
when workers were more inclined to commute than rent in the company town, it was
an affordable place to live for many years.
The community was originally named
Cementville. A worker could rent an apartment for $12 a month, or a family could rent
a four- or five-bedroom home for only $15 to
$17.50 a month. That offer remained fixed
until the community finally dwindled several decades after its founding.
The plant has changed owners a few
times. Its moniker changed from the Three
Forks Portland Cement Company to the Ideal
Cement Company in 1924; renamed
Holnam, short for Holderbank North
America, in 1990; to its current name,
Holcim (US) Trident Plant, in 2002.
This plant has helped transform the limestone found in the earth into monumental
dams like Holter Dam, Morony Dam, Fort
Peck Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, and Polson
Dam. Although the Holcim (US) Trident
Plant has known its share of changes and
challenges, it embodies the Montana spirit.
The plant is strong and it holds to its community.
Trident plant manager Eric Ervin comments, “We are proud of our long-standing
participation in this community.”
And Holcim (US) president and CEO
Bernard Terver says, “The cement industry
has seen many changes over the past 100
years, but one thing remains consistent,
and that is the dedication of our employees.”
Through all the turmoil the Trident Plant
has faced in the past century, from
American economic uncertainties to regional natural hazards like floods and fires, the
plant still produces approximately 350,000
tons of cement a year. Thus, it is accurate to
say that the Holcim Trident Plant is still,
quite literally, building communities in and
around Montana. ✦
61
Montana Resources LLP
Exploring for the future while
maintaining a focus on safety
By Mike McGivern and Tad Dale
Exploration
The Continental Pit at Montana Resources was first mined by the
Anaconda Minerals Company (ACM) in 1980. In 1986, when
Montana Resources took over operations in Butte, the Continental
Pit mine plan and reserves were based primarily on TAC (The
Anaconda Company) exploration drilling conducted in the mid-
62
1960s. Throughout the years, there has been intermittent exploration and development drilling to replace tons and predict ore
zones; however, in 2010, Montana Resources began a comprehensive development and exploration drilling program that will continue through 2012. The current plan is to define depth and quantity of ore zones in the Continental Pit.
According to the Bureau of Labor’s
statistics, the mining industry is not
in the top-40 highest-incident rates.
Two types of drilling are being conducted in the exploration program: reverse circulation and core drilling. O’Keefe Drilling from
Butte has two reverse circulation drills operating, and is drilling at
depths of 800 to 1,000 feet. AK Drilling from Butte, along with
Boart Longyear, has been core drilling at depths of 1,000 to 1,200
feet. In 2010, 72 drill holes were completed for a total of 68,000
feet of drilling. The drilling for 2011 is forecasted to be 61,000 feet.
While results are preliminary, 180 million tons of ore reserves
have been added to proven and probable reserves; this equates to
approximately ten additional years of mine life being added to the
current reserves. The current results of Montana Resources’ drilling
program, while only partially completed and yet to be completely
analyzed, show positive results for continued mining in Butte for
years to come.
Safety Now and Into the Future
As we explore for the future, Montana Resources continues to
work toward ensuring each person goes home safe and healthy
every day. In the mining industry, safety is the primary focus 24
hours a day. It has to be! Be it underground or surface mining, the
work is hard, the equipment can be large, and rock is being broken
and handled at a high rate of productivity. At Montana Resources,
we focus on values, attitudes, behaviors, and leadership to drive
our safety culture. We believe if we are aligned in our values and
demonstrate safe behaviors, that it is possible to achieve our vision
of having zero incidents.
On March 7, 2011 MR achieved an internal record of 607 days
without a lost-time incident, beating the previous record of 606 days
set in 1996. This equates to 1.3 million person- hours worked without a lost-time incident. While we are proud of this accomplishment,
we are not satisfied. Safety is not a job that is ever completed. Like
the other mines in Montana, we continue to strive to eliminate
injuries by identifying the hazards and controlling the risks.
Safety at Montana Resources has come a long way since days
gone by, and like all industries, can continue to improve because
even one incident is too many. While the mining industry has a history of tragic disasters, it is often this history that paints the perception of the industry today. When there is a disaster in the mining industry, it is front-page news. That is why, when polled, most
non-mining people believe mining is one of the top unsafe industries in our country; while in fact, mining is actually one of the
safest. The most common measurement to compare the respective
safeness of industries is to compare incidence rates; a measure of
the number of reportable accidents divided by the total hours
worked in the industry. The Bureau of Labor tracks each major
industry and in 2009, the mining industry had a 3.1 incident rate.
To compare this to other industry codes: farming has an incident
rate of 4.7, a rate 52 percent higher than the mining industry’s; in
fact, 50 people were killed in farm silos, alone, during 2010.
Nursing homes have an incident rate of 8.0, or 2.5 times greater
chance of being injured while being employed in a nursing home
verse the mining industry.
Some comparable industries with similar incident rates to mining are real estate agents and gas station workers, at rates of 3.0
and 3.3, respectively. The Bureau of Labor breaks down industries
into about 100 different categories. The mining industry is not in
the top-40 highest-incident rates.
What all this means is that the mining industry has greatly
improved its safety culture and the lower incident rates prove it.
Putting safety first is how you ensure that every person goes home
safe and healthy each and every day.
Montana Resources continues to be a SAFE low-cost producer of
copper and molybdenum. With these added ore reserves, Montana
Resources will continue the “Tradition of Mining” in Butte for many
years into the future.
For more information, please visit www.montanaresources.com. ✦
63
Talc in Montana:
An important industrial
mineral for the United
States – and the world
By Gary Tomaino and John Parks
T
alc – Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 – is a layered,
hydrous magnesium silicate mineral. At
the microscopic level, talc particles are typically platy, but other morphologies can occur
in some deposits. Talc has a soft, soapy feel
and typically a smooth texture. Talc, known
for its insulation, heat resistance, chemical
stability, oil absorption and strong covering
quality, has a theoretical chemical composition of MgO at 31.7 percent, SiO2 at 63.5 percent, and H2O at 4.8 percent. However, talc’s
chemical and mineralogical composition can
vary depending on its geological history/parent rock association. These mineral associations and variable levels are usually chlorite,
quartz, and carbonates (magnesite, calcite,
and dolomite).
Two key elemental substitutions that can
occur in the talc crystal structure are iron for
magnesium and fluorine for hydroxyl. These
compositional differences may limit or
enhance the talc’s usage in specific market
niches.
Production of Talc in the U.S.
The United States, still remains self-sufficient in producing most grades of talc. There
are seven talc-producing mines, located in
four states, which account for the domestic
production of talc in 2009. Domestic production is basically open pit mining. Crude ore
64
value is estimated at $15 million, as compiled by the USGS producer survey.
Rio Tinto Minerals remains the top domestic, as well as is one of the world leaders in
talc production. American Talc Company has
mining and processing in Texas; Minerals
Technologies Inc. through Barretts Minerals,
a wholly-owned subsidiary, has mining and
processing facilities in Montana and Texas;
CIMBAR Performance Minerals owns a processing plant in Indiana; Protech Minerals
Inc. has mining and operations in southern
California; Alberene Soapstone Company has
mining and operations in Virginia; Cal-Talc
Company operates facilities in southern
California; and IMI FABI has processing
plants in West Virginia and New York (production volumes are in decreasing order of
the above listing). In 2007, USGS reported
that Steatite of Southern Oregon had ceased
operations, but the company still had an
active website as of 2009 and may be working off of stockpiled materials.
For 2009, companies in the states of
Montana, Texas, Vermont, New York and
California account for the predominant share
of actual domestic production, in decreasing
order.
Consumption of Talc
Talc produced and sold domestically was
distributed as follows: ceramics (18 percent),
paint (21 percent), paper (20 percent), roofing
(eight percent), plastics (22 percent), rubber
(three percent), cosmetics (three percent), and
other (17 percent). The “other” section
includes a variety of applications for pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, animal-feed,
sealant, sculpturing, food and polishing.
Uses, New Applications and
Processing Technology
Talc producers must continue to provide a
functional and high-performance mineral
additive that can increase the value of their
products for the end-use customer.
In specific cases, unique properties can be
achieved by employing proprietary coatings
or processing products to increase aspect
ratio by delaminating, or increasing the overall talc purity by beneficiation. Silane/siloxane-based and directed surface treatments
are commonplace. Nano-talc products (10 to
100 nanometers in one dimension) continue
to be explored for their uses in various applications.
There are a multitude of uses for talc such
as plastics, cosmetics, flooring, health care,
catalytic converters, animal feed, caulks,
sealants, gaskets, belts, hoses, specialty antiblocking/anti-hazing in plastic films, auto
body putty, asphalt shingles, joint com-
Typical platy Montana talc.
pounds, pharmaceuticals, ceramics and
dimension stone bodies (Steatite).
In ceramic applications of dinnerware,
sanitary ware and hobby ceramics, talc provides low shrinkage as well as high brightness upon firing at various temperatures. In
other applications, high-quality calcined-talc
blends, which impart a controlled shrinkage
and reduce firing time, can be tailored to
each individual customer's specifications.
The reduced firing time aids in processing
and reduced energy costs for the customer.
Another specialty usage for talc for which
demand remains high, is when it is combined with kaolinite and other proprietary
additives to formulate fired-cordierite bodies, used for catalytic converters in vehicles.
In dimension stone applications, talc is used
for countertops, sinks, mantels, fireplace surrounds, pavers and tile brick.
In paints, talc is an economic extender
and filler while providing brightness and
durability to paint coatings. In rubber applications, talc provides reinforcement, UV radiation resistance, and it can be used as a processing aid for good extrusion rates, impermeability and improved surface finish.
Future Trends
Talc continues to face competition in the
paper filler and niche paper coating sectors,
from precipitated and ground calcium carbonates. Talc is still used in the paper-making process, especially as a pitch control
agent.
The plastics market continues to offer
potential growth opportunities, especially in
polypropylene. It is projected that increases
in talc usage for lightweight and recyclable
products will be the future needs of the automotive market. Here, the desire for compacted and sub-micron talc products provide
high-performance end-use products. A
potential upside for new uses may be in the
area of Wood Polymer Composites (WPC),
where talc will provide a functional filler
role.
For further information, please visit
http://www.mineralstech.com. ✦
The Butte War Bonnet Hotel
2100 Cornell Ave ~ Butte, MT 59701
(406)494-7800 / (800)443-1806
www.buttewarbonnet.com
Full Free Breakfast Buffet ~ Wireless Internet
Classic Style, Classic Comfort
Come Relax with us!
65
Holcim (US)
continues commitment
to educating our future leaders
I
n 1983, the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship Foundation was established to recognize the accomplishments of the children of Holcim
(US) employees. Gygi and von Wyss scholarships are given in memory
of Dr. Hans Gygi, the founder and longtime chairman of Dundee
Cement, and Mark R. von Wyss, Holcim’s former president and CEO.
Since the foundation began 27 years ago, more than 100 children
of Holcim employees have received the Gygi and Von Wyss Foundation
Scholarship. The scholarship provides funds for tuition, fees and
books.
Gygi and von Wyss scholarship recipients are selected by an independent scholarship committee of the foundation. The committee is
comprised of three members, all of whom are faculty or staff members at universities. Selections are based on character, SAT or ACT
scores, high-school grades, curriculum, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and two essays the applicants are required to write
describing their goals and character.
There have been four children of Holcim (US) Trident Plant employees who have been awarded this prestigious scholarship and have
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taken full advantage of the opportunity:
• Darin Bessler (1991) – son of Paul Bessler, retired marketing manager.
• Michelle (Mathison) Leardini (1996) – daughter of Tom Mathison,
active maintenance technician.
• Jill (Irey) Clark (2000) – daughter of Duane Irey, retired maintenance
planner.
• Sarah (Bouldin) Morace (2003) – daughter of Mark Bouldin, active
driller/blaster.
All four recipients attended Montana universities. Representatives
from Holcim (US) recently made contact with these individuals to see
how they have progressed in their careers and what the Gygi and von
Wyss Scholarship meant to them.
Each of the recipients responded that they were able to study hard
without the additional stress due to financial burden. The application
process was not too difficult and was well worth their time. One of the
highlights was being flown to the Holcim (US) Corporate Office with
their parents to receive the award.
“It was a really neat event to share with my parents before heading
out to college,” states Jill Clark.
About The Recipients
Sarah Morace graduated early from Montana State University,
Bozeman with a degree in elementary education. With additional
scholarship eligibility remaining, she pursued a second degree in
nursing. Morace taught briefly after college, and currently is working
in a medical office in Newberg, Oregon. She would like to pursue further education in the medical field. When asked about the benefit of
receiving the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship, Morace stated, “Wouldn’t
have been able to afford college.” She is currently married and is
expecting her first child.
Clark graduated from the University of Montana, Missoula with a
degree in business administration. While attending school, she was
able to volunteer with AmeriCorps and study abroad in the
Netherlands. Clark is a certified managerial accountant and is currently working as a project manager for an insurance company in
Portland, Oregon. Last year, Clark took a month off of work to volunteer at a school in Uganda. When asked what the Gygi and von Wyss
Scholarship meant to her, she replied, “I was really happy to make my
dad proud as he was to really happy to enable me with the opportunity.” Clark is currently married and has one child.
Michelle Leardini started in pre-vet and graduated from Montana
State University, Bozeman with a degree in animal science, with the
feed and health option. After graduation, she worked in Minnesota for
several years as an artificial insemination tech at Genex Corporation.
Holcim’s Trident Cement Plant: supporting
education and youth development in the
Gallatin Valley. Our products build foundations; our people build communities.
The most important area of development
in the Gallatin Valley takes place in the
minds of our students.
When asked how the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship impacted her
education, Leardini replied, “I was able to complete college in four
years and not have to take time off to work. It lessened the stress of
college life; and I didn’t have to worry about anything but studying.”
She is currently a stay-at-home mom with two small sons in
Plentywood, Montana.
Darin Bessler graduated from Montana State University, Bozeman,
with a degree in arts, painting and graphic design. While pursuing his
degree, he participated in the National Student Exchange Program
with Hunter College in New York City. Bessler is currently working for
the company that he most admired throughout his life. When asked
what the benefit of receiving the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship meant
to him, he replied, “I was free to fully explore both my artistic passion
and a new, much more ‘career friendly’ discovery. This is, sadly, a luxury not many [people] are afforded due to financial constraints, causing many students to hastily gamble between a vocational path or a
dream – what could be the most important decision in one’s life.”
Darin resides in London, England.
Most recently, Hunter Morrical, son of Steve Morrical, active senior
technical service engineer, received this prestigious scholarship and is
planning to attend Montana State University, Bozeman. When asked
how receiving the scholarship may impact your education, Morrical
replied, “It is giving me the motivation to do better in school.” In addition, it is a relief to Hunter, knowing that he can focus more on his
studies and less on his finances. Hunter is planning to major in civil
engineering.
In addition to the Gygi and von Wyss scholarship program, the
Trident Plant Donations Committee established the Worthy Student
Scholarship program in 2001 for students from the communities in
which Trident employees live. The original program was offered to
three local schools and has expanded to include six local high schools:
Three Forks, Manhattan, Willow Creek, Harrison, Belgrade, and
Whitehall.
Worthy Student scholarship recipients are awarded a scholarship
based on the following criteria:
1. Must be a high school senior in one of the above listed schools;
2. Must be continuing their education in a four-year university, junior
college, or vocational school;
3. Scholarship must be used beginning the fall after they graduate
high school;
4. The school determines who receives the scholarship.
Over the past 10 years, over $40,000 has been awarded to 48 students.
Holcim (US) and the Trident Plant are proud to be involved in the
process of educating our future leaders. ✦
209 Cedar Street • Bozeman, Montana 59715
1-800-406-LIFT • www.montanacraneservice.com
67
Geometrics announces release
of GPS interface program
MagMap2000 V 5.0
By Ross Johnson, VP Sales and Marketing – Magnetometers
T
housands of teams operate G-856 Proton
Precession magnetometers for geologic and mineral exploration surveys; this older-designed instrument does not have the capability of storing GPS positions, however. Fortunately, Geometrics announces the
release of a new version of their venerable
MagMap2000 data download and processing program
(Win 7-compatible) that provides for the repositioning
of magnetometer data (G-856 Proton, G-858 Cesium)
from a hand-held GPS system operating on independent logging devices.
The only requirement is that the magnetometer
time should be synchronized to the local or UTC GPS
time; this can be accomplished manually. The GPS
tracks are then logged inside the GPS, and the magnetometer data logged inside the magnetometer.
MagMap2000 interpolates and recombines the positions into a magnetometer, latitude, longitude and
time file suitable for contouring and further processing.
MagMap2000 uses a free conversion program from
GPSBabel (www.gpsbabel.org) that converts waypoints,
tracks, and routes between popular GPS receivers and
mapping programs. It also has powerful manipulation
tools for such data. GPSBabel downloads track data
from popular Garmin, Magellan receivers and also
opens GPS GPX XML file format offered on most modern GPS receivers. Many GPSs, such as the Garmin
Oregon 450, have the ability to create and upload waypoints and routes, enabling the user to predefine survey grids and then use the GPS as an in-field steering
device! This new facility gives users of older magnetometer equipment the ability to perform surveys with
GPS accuracies (SBAS approximately two meters,
Omnistart differential corrected accuracies of 1one
meter or better) and to steer to waypoints in the field
without laying out the survey grid prior to survey.
MagMap2000 v 5.0 may be downloaded from
Geometrics’s website (www.geometrics.com) under
“Magnetometer Downloads”. The operator’s manual is
included with the download. For more information,
please contact [email protected]. ✦
68
The history of Apex Abrasives
A
pex Abrasives Inc. is a Montana corporation that is reprocessing
and reclaiming old tailing ponds and producing waterjet garnet
and tungsten concentrate. Apex, which maintains an office in Dillon,
has its plant site located on the west side of I-15, near Glen on the
eastern bench, below the Pioneer Mountain range. Apex employs up
to six employees operating 12 hours per day.
Apex Abrasives Inc., incorporated in Montana in 2005, was formed
from a partnership between Gene Nelson, Dirk Nelson, and James
Womack. James Womack grew up in Madison and Beaverhead
Counties, joined the U.S. Army during WWII, and worked his way
through the ranks, eventually retiring as Major General. He has been
a long-time prospector, mine developer, and successful entrepreneur
with broad diversification in business. Gene Nelson was born in Butte
as a descendant of a Cornish mining family that first arrived in
Bannack. Gene is an engineer and licensed professional geologist. Dirk
Nelson, Gene’s son, is a licensed professional engineer. Together, they
developed the Apex property, and they also hold nearby drilled
reserves on the Lentung tungsten and Yellow Band gold properties in
Beaverhead County.
Gene and Dirk have been working together to open their mines
since 1983. It has been a family dream. Unfortunately, “exploration
success followed by permitting setback” has become all too familiar
for new mines in Montana. After years of work developing the Yellow
Band Mine, the final operating permit was essentially completed
when the cyanide ban of 1997 narrowly passed and the permit was
withheld. They redirected their efforts into garnet and tungsten; this
time, permitting was quickly granted. Gene and Dirk, who have been
operating the Apex Abrasives plant for nearly two years, are now
reprocessing and reclaiming the tailings ponds of the old tungsten
mines for garnet products and tungsten by-product. The garnet is sold
primarily to the waterjet industry, which has been a growing market.
Tungsten prices are climbing beyond all-time highs; together, tungsten and garnet make these exciting times. This plant is also proof for
the future that the Nelsons’ vast hard-rock reserves will double the
tungsten value due to garnet.
There was not a market for garnet when the old tungsten mill was
operating. However, new technology created demand and in the late
1980s, Cominco’s nearby ruby garnet operation drew attention to the
new market for garnet, especially abrasive waterjet. Sandblasters suffering silica dusting were also eager to switch to garnet.
Gene was intrigued by the combined profit potential of both tungsten and garnet from his properties, but the garnet performance had
to be proven and developed. Following microscopic analysis, lab testing began in 2003 and pilot-plant testing in 2004 to produce a clean
garnet abrasive. This garnet product was simultaneously tested at several independent waterjet labs to prove garnet’s performance. Final
waterjet viability was established through Batelle’s Hanford lab, via a
small business assistance grant. The crushed garnet performed well
against competitors’ garnets as the surface smoothness of the cuts was
superior.
The mining and mill permits were granted through the MDEQ and
BLM in 2007, in a little over one year under Governor Schweitzer’s
favorable administration. Nowadays, permits have become the critical
key to the feasibility study. Utilizing the old mill foundations that were
preserved by the BLM for future use, mill construction was completed
in a little over one year and the plant became operational in 2009.
The tailing ponds hold about one million tons predominately composed of garnet ground to -48 mesh. The tailings are easily dug with a
Cat 966, and are hauled less than 2,000 feet with a Kenworth dump
truck. The process facility is single pass from the dump truck to the
baggers. The plant is composed of a wet plant to separate, clean, and
size garnet, magnetite, and scheelite; a dry plant for drying, additional cleaning, and sizing garnet; and a bagging plant producing 50pound bags or one-ton sacks of sized garnet abrasive.
Garnet products are sold primarily to the waterjet and sandblasting
industries, while scheelite is sold to a tungsten carbide refinery. Minor
by-products of gangue sand and magnetite are also sold.
The wet plant is primarily a gravity circuit using only water. It is a
modular plant consisting of screens, hydro-cyclone, wet magnetic separator, density separator, spirals, and a concentrating table with a
basement of slurry pumps. The dry plant is composed of a propanefired rotary dryer, rotary cooler, high-intensity magnetic separator,
and bucket elevators filling silos. The bagging plant draws from the
B ROWNING K ALECZYC
B ERRY & H OVEN P . C .
Bozeman
.
Great Falls
.
Helena
.
Missoula
w w w. b k b h . c o m
Serving Exploration and Production Companies,
Pipelines and Refineries in Montana
• Legislative affairs, including lobbying and public
relations consulting
• Regulatory compliance and contested cases
• Environmental regulation and compliance
• Civil litigation including commercial, royalty,
and environmental matters
• Commercial transactions
• Land and lease acquisition
• Tax matters, including income, property
and severance taxes
For additional information contact:
Leo Berry, Steve Wade & Jessie Luther
825 Great Northern Blvd.
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 443-6820
Catherine A. Laughner
801 W. Main, Suite 2A
Bozeman, MT 59715-3358
(406) 585-0888
69
silos onto screens and gravity baggers on
scales. The plant is typically operated with
one employee on a loader/truck, one
employee operating the wet plant, one
employee operating the dry plant, two
employees operating the bagging machine,
and one employee on maintenance or
load-out. This total circuit has proven to be
very efficient and when fed from the stockpile, the entire plant can be run to fill the
silos with only two operators.
The Apex mill today.
Gene Nelson (left) and son Dirk.
“Under construction”.
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Background and History
This district has a colorful history. The
gold stampede to the Pioneers Mountains
put Montana territory on the map at
Bannack. A decade later, the silver boom
was bustling in the Pioneers. Numerous
mines were opened in the Pioneers, and
many became famous for a while; but after
the silver crash in 1893, attention began to
shift to non-precious metals. The skarns
along the western front of the Pioneers first
began producing copper ore at the Indian
Queen Mine, which was first established by
the Farlin brothers of Butte fame. This mine
produced from 1903 until 1923 (the district
was also a producer of gold, silver, iron,
lead). The diversity of ores always captivated prospectors, and eventually interest
shifted to tungsten.
One of the reasons the U.S.A. prevailed in
WWII was due to our vast natural resources,
industrialization, and those who developed
the natural resources. Blair Burwell was one
of those who were commissioned during
the war with the task of procuring uranium
needed for the Manhattan project; he also
supplied other “strategic metals” such as
tungsten. When the Korean War erupted,
the importance of these strategic metals
increased. Burwell heard about tungsten
discovered in the Pioneer Mountains. He
formed Minerals Engineering Company,
which built the mines and mill to supply
tungsten concentrate to the government
strategic stockpile.
Later during the Vietnam War, high tungsten prices returned. The mill was rebuilt
with General Electric funding. During the
years that the mill ran, ore was produced
along the Lost Creek Trend from the Utopia
Mines, the Lost Creek Mines, and the
Browns Lake Mine, as well as the Calvert
Mine.
The Lost Creek trend is about ten miles in
overall length. Of the many tungsten mines
developed along this trend, the biggest orebody was yet to be found. Gene worked at
these mines during their heyday; he subsequently earned a degree in geological engineering and became exploration manager
for Union Carbide Tungsten exploration.
Gene developed an exploration program that
in three years revealed the hidden Lentung
orebody that dwarfed the combined reserves
of the other mines. Over six million tons of
tungsten reserves were drill-defined over
1,000 feet of strike length, with strike length
still open. This exploration came to a premature halt under falling tungsten prices following the Vietnam War. The GE mill was also
scrapped, and the millsite was partially
reclaimed by the BLM. These properties were
ultimately passed on to Gene Nelson.
Waterjet Garnet
Clean and efficient waterjets became popular in the early 1970s, initially for “soft cuts”
such as in food processing. Abrasive waterjet
machining began in the early 1980s. The
concept of the abrasive in the water stream
is to provide a hard, heavy, sharp particle
that will cut through resistant materials that
water cannot cut alone. Abrasive waterjet
machining, which is popular in aerospace,
automobile, and housing to create precision
cuts, is versatile and it can cut almost any
material – including hard stainless steel, soft
aluminum, glass, rock, and composites.
Waterjet typically pressurizes water up to
55,000 PSI and then forces it through a mixing tube at 2500 fps (mach 2.5). Garnet abrasive is then pulled into this high-speed
stream of water and mixed with the water. A
stream of abrasive-laden water moving at
1000 fps exits at supersonic speed, and the
abrasive literally saws through the material
to be cut. This cutting action is much like a
grinding process, but rather than using a
solid grinder, water and garnet sand are
used. Waterjet cutting has a big advantage
over conventional cutting methods because
there is no heat damage. A quality cut will
not leave burrs and will not require additional machining. Cuts can be very detailed
Garnet micrograph.
and intricate. The cut is typically drawn by
the user in AutoCAD and precisely controlled
with a computerized mechanical arm. The
cuttings are neatly captured in a water tank
for disposal or recycling.
Apex garnet occurs primarily as
calderite/andradite ((Mn,Ca)3Fe2(Sio4)3), but
other elemental substitutions create other
garnet species as well. Although colorful crystals of garnet are used for gemstones, most
fine garnet is used for industrial abrasives.
Garnet is hard and heavy, yet relatively common, which makes it ideal for waterjet and
sandblasting. Crushing the garnet to produce
sharp edges improves the quality of the cuts.
The major suppliers of waterjet garnet in the
U.S.A. produce from New York, Idaho, and
Montana. Imports are becoming quite significant from Australia, India, and China.
Tungsten
Apex tungsten occurs as scheelite
(CaWO4). Tungsten, which has the highest
melting point of any metal and the secondhighest of all elements, is used to make
light bulb filaments. Tungsten is used in
steel to increase strength and make superalloys such as armor or armor piercing projectiles. Tungsten is most commonly alloyed
into tungsten carbide for cutting edges in
tools such as drill bits, saw blades, and
scraper blades. Tungsten carbide is hard,
high-temperature and impact resistant.
Most of the world’s tungsten is supplied by
China. Like the rare-earth elements, China
has also been cutting back on tungsten
exports, and prices have recently doubled
and are climbing. ✦
Environmentally Responsible Drilling
SPRING VALLEY DRILLING
Hot Springs, Montana
All aspects of mineral exploration:
Ƈ Underground
Ƈ Surface Drilling
Ƈ Helicopter Portable
Ƈ Consulting Services
Ƈ Down Hole Surveying
Ƈ Road and Drill Site Construction
www.springvalleydrilling.com
ph: 406-544-6401
71
72
The Montana Mining Association would like to thank the
following members for their continued support:
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
AFFCO
AMEC Geomaterix
Applied Industrial Tech
Arcadis
AWS
Baroid Industrial Drilling
Becker Wholesale
Big Timber Reclamation
Bison Eng.
Boart Longyear Company
Brenntag Pacific
Browning, Kaleczyc,
Buckley Powder Co.
B utte War Bonnet
CDM
Berry & Hoven
Champion Charter Sales
Chemical Montana
Chevron
Childs and Associates
Christenson, Moore Cockrell, Cummings &
Axelberg, P.C.
Continental Supply
Cross Petroleum
Crowley, Fleck PLLP
Crown Parts and Machine
Cummins Rocky Mountain
Dick Irvin, Inc.
Energy Labrotories
Environomics
Ezzle’s Wholesale
F& H Mine Supply
Fickler Oil Company
GCR Tire Centers
General Distributing
Glacier HR Service
Godwin Pumps
Golder Associates
Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman
Guy Nielson Co.
H & E Equipment Services
Hallett Minerals
HD Supply
Holland & Hart
Industrial Automation
Interstate Power
JBR Environmental
K & N Electric Inc.
Lacy & Ebeling Engineering
LeTourneau Technology
Liberty Company
McCloskey’s Auto Electric
MDM Supply
Metallurgical Eng.
Mining Technology
Modern Machinery
Moen Builders
Montana Bolt Company
Montana Crane Service
Montana Electric Motors, Inc.
Montana Sales and Packing
Moore Oil, Inc.
Norco Inc.
Northside Welding & Fabrication
Northwest Mine Supply
Northwest Parts & Equipment
O’Keefe Drilling
Pacific Steel & Recycling
Payne Machinery
Poore, Roth & Robinson, P.C.
Power Service of Montana
R. Dorvall & Associates
Rain for Rent
Red Lion Colonial Hotel
Resource Management
Sandvik, Inc.
Spencer Fluid Power
Spring Valley Drilling
Sun Moutain Lumber
Taylor Mine Service
Techline Services
Terex Mining
The Archibald Company
The Industrial Company
Town Pump Inc.
Tractor & Equipment
Tri State Truck & Equipment
Turkenburg Power Systems
US Bearings and Drives
Wesco
Westate Machinery
Whitewood Transportation
Ziegler Sales, Inc.
CHAPTERS AND CHAPTER MEMBERS
Montana Mining Association - Missoula Chapter
Montana Mining Association - Victor Chapter
Zelda Davis
Howard Lindsey
HONORARY MEMBERS
Courtney Young
Tom Harrington
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
Alan Grant
Alec Nys
Bill Verrette
Bob Moodry
Brad Isbell
Brian Roat
Britt Babcock
Carol Brown
Cherie Tilley
Danney Glaser
David Armstrong
David Stevens
Dolores Rife
Don Parsons
Douglas Parker
Ed Diekman
Fess Foster
Gary Benjamin
James Collins
Jason Nelson
Jeff Welcher
Jerry Hanley
Joe Bardswich
John Fitzpatrick
John Witt
Kenneth Hitron
Kevin Johnson
Larry Johnson
Leora Bach
Lynn Clark
Mark Radcliffe
Marko Lucich
Mary Berg
Mike Mullaney
Mitzi Nelson
Neal Hurni
Pam Minerick
Randall Pinocci
Ray Connors
Richard Berg
Rick Strand
Robb Rice
Robert Routa
Rod McElwain
Scott Nielsen
Scott Rosenthal
Steve Fitzpatrick
Time Lindsey
Tom Harrington
Tom Weitz
Tracey Holeman
Vernon Smith
Wayne Wilson
William Brooks
Debbie Shea
John Parks
PRODUCERS, NON-PRODUCERS, SMALL & INACTIVE MINERS
Apex Abrasivies, Inc.
Gentor Resources Inc.
Newmont Mining
Barretts Minerals, Inc.
Golden Sunlight Mines
Northwestern Energy
74
Bigler Mines
Granite Resources Company
Revett Minerals
Caboose Mining Co.
Graymont
Rio Tinto
Contact Mining
Holcim
Stillwater Mining Comp.
CR Kendall Corporation
Mines Management Inc.
WCP Resources Ltd
Ernest K. Lehamnn & Associates of
Montana
Montana Resources
Montana Tunnels
Big mine
small footprint
Montana is famous for big dinosaurs, big geysers and
a big sky overhead.
Did you know that it’s also home to the United State’s
biggest talc mine?
While Rio Tinto Minerals’ Yellowstone mine is a big deposit,
the talc we find here ends up making environmental footprints smaller. Cars run cleaner, paint lasts longer, and
paper mills use less energy thanks to our talc.
Our people also work hard to make our operations’ footprint
smaller – putting big ideas to work to reduce energy use,
water use and greenhouse gas emissions.
To find out more about our big mine and small footprint,
visit www.riotintominerals.com.
Mines Management, Inc.
Advancing the
Unearthing Life’s Key Ingredients
MONTANORE
Silver-Copper
Project
Lincoln County, Montana
Innovative and Responsible
Natural Resource Development
Northwestern Montana boasts host
to some of the world’s largest
deposits of copper and silver.
Mines Management, Inc., are
committed to advancing the development of such projects in a
manner consistent to further the
interests of the local community
and the long term preservation of
the environment.
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