CMIC Newsletter - August 2010
CMIC 2010 Fee Structure
These membership fees were approved by a majority of the Board by email, following a proposal at the August 3 Board meeting. CMIC membership fees are payable on a calendar year basis.
Sponsors: $10,000 per year or $25,000 for three years, plus $15,000 per year in-kind
Mining companies (with an operating mine): $10,000 per year or $25,000 for three years
Mining companies (without an operating mine): $5,000 per year
Associated companies (consulting, manufacturing): $10,000 per year for companies with annual revenues >$25 million
Associated companies (consulting, manufacturing): $5,000 per year for companies with annual revenues >$10 million but <$25 million
Associated companies (consulting, manufacturing): $2,500 per year for companies with annual revenues <$10 million
Government departments: $10,000 per year
Research centres: $2,500 per year
Universities: $1,500 per year
Associations: $1,500 per year
Individuals: $150 per year
Exploration Initiative
Champions: François Robert, Board link: James Franklin, Richard Moore
Special collaboration
Renewal of the Targeted Geoscience Initiative
by Alan Galley, Natural Resources Canada's Geological Survey of Canada
Budget 2010 renewed funding of $12 million over two years for the Targeted Geoscience Initiative-4 (TGI-4), with a focus on developing new ways of exploring deeper mineral deposits.
Natural Resources Canada is increasing the effectiveness of deep mineral exploration and discovery activities by providing industry with the enhanced geoscientific information and tools they need.
The renewed TGI will create opportunities in Canada and will also help improve our global competitiveness while attracting international investment. Previous TGI programs were focused largely on supporting exploration for base metals in and around established mining communities.
TGI-4 has a broader mandate which will enhance geoscience knowledge in support of exploration for various types of hidden mineral deposits in areas of highest known mineral potential, including both established and emerging camps in Canada.
The TGI-4 program objectives have many similarities to those defined by the CMIC-Exploration committee, and discussions are underway in search of avenues for future collaboration between these two initiatives.
Student Initiative
Champion and Board link: Ferri Hassani
One of CMIC's overarching objectives is to increase the supply of highly qualified graduates from mining and earth science faculties to meet the significant current and future demand in the areas of industry, government and academia.
A survey conducted in early April 2009 by the Canadian Mining Education Council found that more than 330 undergraduates enrolled in the nine mining faculties across Canada were still looking for summer jobs that could provide meaningful work experience.
To give an idea of the magnitude of this number, the prior year there had been effectively none. In addition, this number did not take into account students in the geological sciences. This situation was perceived by CMIC as a key concern for the future of Canadian universities and the mining sector at large.
Given the magnitude and urgency of the issue, CMIC worked with other stakeholders to put out an industry-wide call to action. With the assistance of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CMIC was able to gather a fund pool to the sum of $139,100 in support of hiring of 22 students from across Canada.
As hiring was still difficult in 2010, CMIC decided to continue this Initiative. Again, with the assistance of PDAC, CMIC was able to gather a fund pool of more than $110,000 in support of the hiring of 17 students from across Canada.
These 17 students came from the geology and mining faculties of the following Canadian universities:
- Acadia University
- Laurentian University
- McGill University
- McMaster University
- Queen's University
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- University of British Columbia
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Toronto
Tailings Initiative
Champion and Board link: Gordon Winkel
Collaborative Tailings Research and Technology - Development for the Oil Sands Industry
The oil sands industry has a long established track record for advancing tailings technologies towards establishing viable reclamation options for process affected lands.
Individual operating companies have been independently building on this work to develop new tailings technologies. CMIC was engaged to assess options for industry to more collaboratively work together on oil sands tailings research and development work.
The CMIC supported activity led to the establishment of a Vice Presidents Round Table to enlist support for joint oil sands tailings research and development.
Principles were put forward by the membership to guide corporate positions and strategies for cooperative tailings technology research. Currently activities are underway to secure final corporate approvals to operate under these principles and associated protocols for effectively working together.
In parallel with the above work comes a strong desire from external stakeholders to see oil sands firms collaborating on tailings research and development, and providing informed updates in this regard. This good work will in turn assist industry representatives in dealing with antagonism and misrepresentation concerning the oil sands industry.
CMIC plans for effective collaborative tailings technology development will not be limited to the oil sands. CMIC will also look for similar opportunities to advance tailings research in other mining and mineral processing sectors in Canada.
Cyanide Code
Champion: Tom Hynes
Board link: Peter Kondos
Workshops on the Cyanide Code will be presented on October 13, 2010, in Toronto, and October 15, 2010, in Vancouver, by the International Cyanide Code Institute.
Each workshop will discuss the Code itself in the morning, and cyanide-related issues in the afternoon. These afternoon issues will include the experience of Canadian companies who are in the process of implementing the Code at their operations, and presentations on the current state of cyanide research.
The final wrap up will be a discussion on cyanide, and the workshop, with a view to what companies need to see done for the future.
The workshops are by invitation only. The workshops are sponsored by the Mining Association of Canada, Natural Resources Canada and CMIC.
If you wish to attend, please contact:
Michel Plouffe, CMIC Secretariat, at info@cmic-ccim.org
Thank you to Peter Kondos and Barrick Gold for their support for this effort.
