Category Archives: Life Extension

The results will be included in a maiden resource estimate for the San Antonio prospect, which is expected shortly.

Alkane Resources Limited () has received further broad, high-grade gold results from resource definition drilling on San Antonio and Roswell prospects south of the Tomingley Gold Operations (TGO) in Central West NSW.

Assays from the final 6,608 metres at San Antonio of the overall initial 60,000-metre program have been received and will be incorporated in a maiden resource calculation at the prospect, which is expected shortly.

Best of the latest results are 18 metres at 12.7 g/t gold from 117 metres, including 5 metres at 35.5 g/t from 120 metres, and 19 metres at 4.90 g/t from 104 metres, including 6 metres at 10.8 g/t from 113 metres.

The San Antonio resource is expected to add to the Roswell inferred resource of 7.02 million tonnes at 1.97 g/t gold.

Roswell and San Antonio are immediately south of the TGO mine and processing facility.

Tomingley Gold Project covers about 440 square kilometres stretching 60 kilometres north-south along the Newell Highway from Tomingley in the north, through Peak Hill and almost to Parkes in the south.

The project contains Alkanes operating TGO, initially an open pit mine with a 1 million tonnes per annum processing facility that has now transitioned to underground.

For the past two years Alkane has conducted an extensive regional exploration program with the objective of defining additional resources that have the potential to be mined via open pit or underground operations and fed to TGO.

This has yielded broad, shallow high-grade intercepts that demonstrate potential for material project life extension and show that a return to open pit mining and/or underground extension is possible with appropriate resource confirmation, landholder agreement and regulatory approvals.

Alkanes 60,000-metre resource definition drilling program has been designed to define initial inferred resources at both prospects and the company has received highly encouraging results.

Other San Antonio results:

The company assayed 3-metre composite reverse circulation (RC) samples, however, where strong mineralisation was observed by the site geologist, it was directly assayed at 1-metre intervals.

Assaying of 1-metre re-split samples of 3-metre composites is ongoing.

These results are from 30 RC drill holes for 5,461 metres and two diamond cored drill holes for 1,147 metres at the San Antonio prospect.

The second phase of infill resource drilling across Roswell and San Antonio comprising a further 50,000 metres is continuing.

Link:

Alkane Resources regional drilling south of TGO returns further broad, high-grade gold - Proactive Investors Australia

BILLY COLEMAN, Chairman of Douglas Community Association (DCA) passed away on Friday, April 3.

We wish to offer our respect and condolence to his bereaved family, his wife, Antoinette and his eight children, John, Maureen, Grace, Claire, Barry, Orla, Thomas and David, his adored 15 grandchildren, his sister Jenny, brothers Tommy and Sean. He was predeceased by his sisters Ina and Maureen and brothers Francis and Fannin.

He will also be sadly missed by his sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, partners, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, and all his friends in The Douglas Community Association (DCA) and Kinsale Golf Club.

A larger than life, enthusiastic character, Billy was the Chairperson of DCA, involved in the association with this community project over forty years and had been chairman for many years.

He was a builder by trade and was a practical man, with a great intellect, and a wonderful ability in his interaction with people.

The original community building was up and running in 1986, built by Billys building company. This facility was key in providing the Douglas area with a community pre-school, an outstanding achievement at the time. The provision of the then new Meals-on-Wheels kitchen allowed for this service, which commenced in 1980, to flourish and is a huge success to this date.

Nearly 30 years on, he and the committee could see the need for expanding the community centre to update the Meals-on-Wheels service which had been operating in a small kitchen since 1986, a new office/reception for the public to engage, a meeting room, toilet facilities, and a big space upstairs that would be used by lots of groups, youth and others and he set his mind on doing that around 2008. Most of those facilities are now in place, except for the upstairs area which needs more funding to be completed.

One of his favourite projects at DCA was the Douglas Tidy Towns Group, of which he was a founder member. They met in the Community Park every Saturday morning, and ever hands-on, Billy looked forward to the Saturday morning clean-up around the area.

Last year was their best year ever, getting over the 300 marks in the National TT competition, and he was delighted.

Among many achievements, Billy was very proud of Douglas Community Assoc. winning IPB Pride of Place for Regions with 5,000 plus people in 2016 and being presented with a beautiful trophy and a cash prize in Belfasts Waterfront Hall.

Cork County Council had selected the association to represent Cork in the Douglas area and subsequently honoured all the participating groups with a reception in Vertigo, Cork County Hall.

The Pride of Place award was a testament to Billys mission in life which was essentially to make our community a better place and he did this through fostering and collaborating with those subgroups of DCA such as Meals-on-Wheels, Tidy Towns, Pre-School & Toddler Group and Events in the Park Committee but with neighbouring community groups, Douglas Seniors Group-Young at Heart, Lions Club, ICA and Douglas and St Fin Barres Scouts.

Always in good humour, Billy was available and willing to talk to people in the community, to discuss their ideas and to help out when he could. At every monthly meeting, he publicised that if anyone had an issue of a community nature, if they needed help, they could document it and it would be discussed at the meeting.

People confided in Billy, and he would always do what he could.

Our new extension, funded by SECAD, Dept of Health, the National Lotto, Cork County and City Councils, HSE Community South, local fund-raising activities and events and generous contributions from the local community, was a huge success story for the area and not alone Billy, but his Co-Directors, Nuala Keating, Bill Perrott and former Director Sheila Fitzgerald with the committee at DCA helping out along the way.

Billys family members were always willing to help him out too, especially on days when there were big events in the park run by the Events Group of volunteers. His wife, Antoinette, was always in tune with Billys dreams for the community and gave him her full backing. They were a very solid, loving pair.

Billy will never be forgotten for his service to the people of Douglas and we, at DCA, will miss him but will continue to keep his work going.

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He gave so much of himself to improving life in Douglas: Tributes paid to Billy Coleman - Echo Live

Updated Business GuidanceBusiness Waiver Application FormFAQ on Business Guidance

Harrisburg, PA Due to the high volume of waiver requests, the Wolf Administration is delaying enforcement of Governor Tom Wolfs order and the Secretary of Healths order that all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania must close their physical locations to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Per Governor Wolfs and Dr. Levines orders, businesses that were non-life sustaining were ordered to close their physical locations on March 19, at 8:00 PM. This order stands, only the enforcement timing will change and become effective on Monday, March 23, at 8:00 AM.

Those businesses requesting clarification on whether they are defined as life-sustaining should check this list, email the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) customer service resource account at ra-dcedcs@pa.gov, or call 1-877-PA-HEALTH and select option 1 to reach DCED staff. For businesses that determine from the list that they are non-life sustaining, but would like to seek a waiver, there is an online waiver application.

When a business completes a waiver form, a team of professionals at DCED will review each request and respond based on the guiding principle of balancing public safety while ensuring the continued delivery of critical infrastructure services and functions. Those requesting a waiver will be notified via email if their operations may re-open. Businesses applying for a waiver must remain closed until a decision is made about their application.

DCED offers working capital loans that could be of assistance to businesses impacted by COVID-19. Resources and information will be posted to http://dced.pa.gov/resources as they become available. Yesterday, Governor Wolf announced the availability of low-interest loans for small businesses and eligible non-profits in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, Pennsylvanians should follow http://www.governor.pa.gov and http://www.doh.pa.gov.

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WAIVER EXTENSION, REVISED TIMING OF ENFORCEMENT - pa.gov

The Defense Department shifted many of its domestic bases to "health protection condition" Charlie on Sunday, the latest in a series of moves to protect military forces, families and bases from coronavirus. HPCON Charlie also known as "substantial threat of sustained community transmission" is the fourth highest of five levels.

Though Pentagon officials continue to insist that the coronavirus pandemic has had no impact on operational readiness of the armed forces, behind the scenes military exercises and deployments are being scaled down and canceled, and plans are being put in place to sustain essential operations. That includes the so-called triad of bombers, land-based missiles and submarines that make up the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Last week, the head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), Adm. Charles A. "Chas" Richard, said that nuclear readiness was unaffected by coronavirus. The nuclear forces, he said, "remain ready to execute" their war plans despite coronavirus and that the pandemic has had "no impact to our ability" to carry out missions.

Adm. Richard said that his Omaha, Nebraska-based command "had plans in place that we have updated and are executing,'' to deal with a pandemic. The nuclear force, he said, was designed to operate isolated for long periods of time.

But an active force that is constantly kept on alert is also one that is more exposed. According to a military tally compiled as of Sunday and reviewed by Newsweek, units feeding STRATCOM have a cumulative 106 uniformed personnel not on duty due to coronavirus, either because of confirmed cases or "protective self-quarantine." Six bases are listed where bombers, missiles, aerial refueling tankers and supporting command and communications units that support the nuclear force are reporting coronavirus cases, according to the data compiled by the Defense Department.

One positive case of coronavirus was reported Saturday at Whiteman air force base in Johnson County, Missouri, where the B-2 stealth bomber force is deployed. Three of those bombers returned to base over the weekend from a "deterrent" mission deployment to Europe. That mission, observers say, was cut short in comparison with previous bomber deployments.

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The United States currently has a total of about 850 nuclear warheads on alert 400 nuclear-armed land-based intercontinental missiles in three western states, and 450 warheads on five ballistic missile submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These are the weapons that are ready to instantly respond to presidential commands, according to the Federation of American Scientists. An additional 1,300 warheads can be brought up to alert status quickly on four or five additional submarines and on 60 nuclear-configured B-2 and B-52 bombers at bases, all in a matter of a few days.

Last week, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said that the nuclear deterrent has had no changes in its operations due to coronavirus.

An example of those operations is the deployment of the three B-2 stealth bombers to Europe on March 8, the bombers and their maintainers first landing at Lajes Field in the Azores, an archipelago of nine islands 850 miles off the coast of Portugal. The next day, the bombers flew to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in the southwest U.K. There, they conducted various practice missions over the North Sea on March 12, an Icelandic Air Policing mission on March 16 and 17, over the North Sea on March 18, and then over the Arctic Ocean on March 20. The bombers practiced flying with British, Dutch and Norwegian fighter planes, practicing escort and the procedures for the bombing of Russia.

"A credible deterrent for the high North region," Lt. Gen. Steven Basham said, in describing the operations. "Operating B-2s in the Arctic allow us to shape that environment by demonstrating our resolve to deliver combat power anywhere in the world if called upon."

"The world expects that NATO and the U.S. continue to execute our mission with decisiveness, regardless of any external challenge," said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

As for the nuclear arsenal itself, the Department of Energy, which is responsible for the nuclear warheads, said last week that it would continue "its National Essential Functions, Primary Mission Essential Functions, and Mission Essential Functions" despite coronavirus shifts to telework and other social distancing operations.

No nuclear warheads are currently being produced, the production run of the W76 Trident submarine missile warhead life extension program ending last December. The nuclear warhead producers were to have shifted the production line to producing a new bomb the B61 Mod 12 starting this month, but because of technical hold-ups, production of that warhead has now been delayed until late 2021.

Instead, the Department is in a constant cycle of keeping the existing stockpile of bomber and missile warheads healthy. Nuclear weapons expert and observer Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists says that includes "taking apart and surveying existing warheads in the stockpile" at the rate of about a dozen or so warheads per month. This is primarily accomplished at the Pantex plant in Amarillo, Texas, though the two nuclear laboratories Los Alamos in New Mexico and Livermore in California also get involved in more complex and problem cases discovered in what are called "surveillance" activities. The current U.S. nuclear stockpile is made up of seven different basic types of warheads, and some sampling of each is shipped from active bases back to Pantex and the laboratories in a complex and secret ongoing process.

Kristensen says that though there have been few signs of how coronavirus is impacting nuclear forces, the B-2 mission in Europe was "dramatically shortened" in comparison with previous years. "Last fall when they deployed the B-2s, they were there [at RAF Fairford] for a month," he says. Kristensen is been closely following bases where nuclear weapons are deployed, as well as the operations of the force, expecting that there will be significant changes if the virus persists in its growth.

Though U.S. European Command says its readiness remains high "for the foreseeable future," it admits it is already curtailing numerous military exercises due to coronavirus. In the coming months, Gen. Tod Wolters, overall European commander says, it is likely that between 30 and 65 percent of exercises will be reduced or canceled. Other commands have similarly canceled or postponed Russia-oriented military exercises, including a Red Flag exercise planned for Alaska and a high-profile test of a new all-domain warfighting system planned for next month, one that would have practiced the integration of nuclear, conventional, cyber and space weaponry.

"My organization is designed to be able to operate isolated for long periods of time," STRATCOM commander Adm. Richard insists.

The 3,000 person headquarters in Omaha has taken steps to institute social distancing, and it has shifted some people and functions to alternate and subordinate commands, improving redundancies and guarding against spread of the virus.

Though alerts, exercises, and the shuffling around of warheads continues, a senior officer at U.S. Strategic Command (who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to public speak on the matter) says that everyone is anticipating that there will be significant changes are coming. "There isn't a command headquarters, including STRATCOM," the senior officer says, "where there aren't people with coronavirus symptoms or in self-quarantine."

For now, Kristensen says, "probably the healthiest people in America are those who are coming back from the longest submarine patrols," which currently last as long as 78 days.

They've been underwater since almost the beginning of the year.

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The U.S. Military's Behind-the-Scenes Moves To Protect Nuclear Readiness Amid Coronavirus - Newsweek

Canadas Eldorado Gold has announced a 15-year mine life at Kisladag, in Turkey, to 2034, following the completion of long-cycle heap leach testwork and the replacement of the tertiary crushing circuit with a high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) circuit.

The new mineral reserve for Kisladag includes proven and probable reserves of 173.2-million tonnes of ore at 0.72 g/t, containing four-million ounces of gold.

The mine is forecast to produce an average of 160000 oz/y at an average cash cost of $675/oz to $725/oz and an average all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of $800/oz to $850/oz.

Kisladag has been the cornerstone asset of Eldorado for over a decade, producing over three-million ounces of gold and generating significant value for all stakeholders during that period. Following the resumption of full operations last spring, and the significant work and testing undertaken by the Eldorado team over the past 18 months, we are pleased to announce a mine life extension at Kisladag that puts this asset back in the core of our portfolio, said president and CEO George Burns.

Eldorado reported that the project self-funds all development capital for waste stripping and the HPGR circuit. The cost for the HPGRcircuit, about $35-million, is spread over 2020 and 2021, while the cost of capitalised waste stripping, about $260-million, is spread over the life of the project, with heavier stripping in the first several years.

Meanwhile, Eldorado said it would produce 520000 oz to 550000 oz of gold in 2020, a substantial increase ofon the 395331 oz produced in 2019.

Average cash operating costs are forecast to decline from $608/oz of gold sold in 2019, to $550/oz to $600/oz of gold sold in 2020. The AISC for 2020 is forecast to be $850/oz to $950/oz of gold sold, down on the $1033/oz of gold sold in 2019.

With the extension of Kisladags mine life and continued operations at Lamaque, in Canada, Efemcukuru, in Turkey, and Olympias, in Greece, Eldorado is forecasting five-year production from its four current operations to average over 450 000 oz/y. In addition to the updated Kisladag technical report, the company is in the process of updating technical reports for Olympias and Efemcukuru, which will be published by the end of the first quarter.

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Mine life extension puts Kisladag back on the map - Creamer Media's Mining Weekly

MORGANTOWN West Virginia University is continuously stretching beyond Morgantown and Monongalia County and making a mark in all 55 of the Mountain States counties through ventures in health care, job creation and Extension services.

WVU is a land-grant institution, meaning it aims to lead in research productivity and undergraduate and graduate education and serve as an engine of growth for the states economy, according to the WVU Center for the Future of Land Grant Education. That classification contributes directly to the universitys mission of making an impact in West Virginia.

We belong to the people of this state, WVU President Dr. E. Gordon Gee said, adding that the university is in all 55 counties through health care and the Extension Service. We have taken a much more aggressive role in engaging with all of our various communities.

Gee said education, health care and prosperity are the main pillars of WVUs mission to serve West Virginia and they communicate just how much WVU cares about the state.

I believe that our priority is to create jobs and create jobs directly, Gee said, adding that education goes beyond classes at WVU and into working closely with public school systems across the state to meet educational goals, which has been a priority for him since he returned as president in 2013.

That focus on job creation and the economy comes through programs like WVUs Vantage Ventures, which is aiming to make the state more attractive for startups by building businesses deploying intellectual property across the universitys expansive research platforms while leveraging its untapped pools of science, technology, engineering and business talent.

Im proud of our engagement, Gee said. Im proud of what were doing.

Perhaps one of the most notable and recognizable ways WVU is engaging with communities around West Virginia is through WVU Medicine.

With our health system, were the largest employer in the state, and were the largest economic facilitator in the state, Gee said. With that comes immense responsibility.

WVU Medicine is overseeing 12 hospitals around the state and managing health clinics and hospitals in West Virginia and surrounding states, according to Dr. Clay Marsh, vice president and dean of WVU Health Sciences.

We hope to be able to increase the accessibility of people in West Virginia to getting good medical care, he said. Weve greatly expanded our capacity and our skills in the complexity of the care that we can deliver. ... We are able to address any complex need for any person in the state of West Virginia here in the state.

WVU has been on the cutting edge of many areas of health care, accomplishing some procedures and advancements first in the state and country like the first heart transplant in the history of the state and construction of the Mountain States first childrens hospital.

Our goal is that no West Virginian has to leave this state to get good health care, Gee said.

To be of service to patients across the state, WVU Medicine and WVU Health Sciences have to be accessible to the rural population of West Virginia, which creates its own set of challenges.

Part of Health Sciences and part of WVU is were doing a lot of community outreach, he said, using the example of working with a set of varied community and health-care leaders in Harrison County to meet the needs of that area. We are creating pathways that people across the state can access.

That includes working with local food pantries to facilitate delivery in more rural communities and creating a network of practice-based research sites and hospitals to figure out how to best serve rural communities.

One of the areas for which WVU Medicine heard the most need is telemedicine, which WVU has made a main priority, according to Marsh.

We are serving the state both in person and ... were also using telemedicine for the part of the state that can receive the telemedicine signal, he said, adding that the telestroke network has expanded to smaller hospitals in the southern part of the state, and more individuals are being trained there meet area-specific needs.

With telemedicine comes a need for high-speed internet and broadband, and Marsh said WVU is working with legislative leaders to answer that call and further the advancement of telemedicine access and use.

We believe thats another point of what we can do from a lobbying standpoint, is try and connect everybody, he said.

Partnership and collaboration are key, from Marshs standpoint, in making strides for the whole state.

We want to help anybody that we can, he said, adding that working with other universities and community partners is key for touching everyday people especially in rural areas. I think, in general, we have come together nicely and have set a nice foundation for working together in the future.

As part of its role as a land-grant institution, WVU has an Extension Service that provides activities and research-based information to residents and communities throughout the state, according to Sue Day-Perroots, interim dean and director of the WVU Extension Service.

West Virginia has agents in all 55 counties, Day-Perroots said, adding that Extension Service agents have expertise in areas like youth development, agriculture, economic development and healthy living. We have over 70,000 youth that are involved in 4-H and youth development programs.

One of the Extension Services award-winning programs is Energy Express, which focuses on nutrition and summer reading support for low-income children, serving more than 3,000 students each year, she said.

Day-Perroots noted that Extension Service agents were recently given statistics and research on every county information that was gathered at an annual conference this year to further support goals for individual communities in West Virginia.

We looked at educational attainment. We looked at workforce development. We looked at healthy living criteria and gave that to our agents. And part of their plan of work was to look at what programming best fit and best addressed the needs of their communities, she said.

Programs like Dining with Diabetes, youth engagement, Extension Garden Calendar and 4-H all go back to the Extension Service, which Day-Perroots said is the best way to know exactly how WVU can play a role in everyday life.

See the wealth of what is available to everyday citizens, she said.

Perhaps the biggest message WVU leaders want state residents to know is that WVU cares about the overall health and success of the state, according to Gee.

With issues like the opioid epidemic, rural health concerns and social isolation, Marsh believes that WVU Medicine and WVU Health Sciences are there to serve any community in West Virginia and improve quality of life through collaboration and partnership.

We are here to serve the state, Marsh said. We have built the capacity to take care of anybody who has an illness here in the state. ... Our goal is for people to be well, because thats what we want for people that we love.

WVU leadership cares about faculty, staff, alumni and friends, but also the state as a whole, and Gee wants to live up to the pride many feel in the gold and blue.

We want every West Virginian in their hearts and minds to believe that this university is in their lives and serving them, Gee said. Our name is West Virginia University, and we carry that with pride. ... In many ways, the university really represents the pride of the state.

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WVU aims to make an impact in everyday West Virginians' lives - WV News

Native mason and leafcutter bees are highly efficient pollinators, especially in cross-pollination, and are generalists in their flower choices.

As I listen to the rain, I notice the bouquet of flowers on the counter. The flowers remind me of the two groups of native pollinators that we have in our gardens and flower beds.

They are the native mason and leafcutter bees. Both bees are dark in color and small in size somewhere between a large fly and honey bee.

Unlike European honey bees, their dark bodies warm up quickly in the morning sun and they begin flying early in the day. They are solitary bees and do not live in hives, nor do they produce honey. They are highly efficient pollinators, especially in cross-pollination, and are generalists in their flower choices. They lay their eggs in cocoons in hollow reeds, abandoned beetle burrows and in man-made wood or paper nesting tubes.

Like the honey bee, their life span is only six to eight weeks long.

Mason bees emerge from their overwintering cocoons when the daytime air temperature is in the low to mid-50 degrees. In Pittsburgh, this is around April 15, generally when crocus, daffodils, redbud or forsythias are beginning to bloom. Their nest is lined with mud hence the name mason bee.

Mason bees prefer the pollen and nectar of flowering fruit and nut trees such as cherry, plum, apple, apricot, peach, pear and several nut varieties. They will also forage native plants or herbs that are blooming.

One mason bee is estimated to be capable of pollinating enough cherry blossoms to produce 12 pounds of cherries. It would take 60 honeybees to pollinate a similar number of cherry blossoms!

The second group of native bees are leafcutter bees, which emerge from their overwintering cocoons around mid-June roughly when summer begins and daytime temperatures are 75 to 80 degrees. They will seek pollen from fruit, wild flowers and vegetables for example, beans, squash, tomatoes, sunflowers and asters. Leafcutters also employ grazing flight patterns similar to mason bees making them efficient pollinators.

The leafcutter bees home is also in a hollow tube which they will line with cut out sections of leaves or petals. Cutting sections of leaves to line their nests gives them the name leafcutter bees.

As a home gardener, you can provide an artificial habitat for these bees, in wood or paper nesting tubes.

For more information, visit https://extension.psu.edu/conserving-wild-bees-in-pennsylvania.

Hummingbirds are the featured pollinator at the Penn State Master Gardeners Smart Gardening Workshop on March 14 at the Learning Resource Center on the Community College of Beaver County campus. For more information and to register by the March 6 deadline, go to https://extension.psu.edu/smart-gardening.

Frank Saus is a Master Gardener with Penn State Extension -- Beaver County.

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Over the Garden Gate: Bees are native pollinators - Ellwood City Ledger

I read with concern Steven Valdezs letter (Connect Richards now, Feb. 14), arguing that it definitely is a no-brainer to pave a Richards Avenue connection. Projects that cost millions of dollars are not no-brainers. Arguing that neighbors who oppose this costly project are only concerned about their property is incorrect.

Property owners have every right to be concerned about their property values; likely Valdez is concerned with his if he owns a home. For many homeowners in the affected area, their houses represent their life savings.

But the proposed routes across the arroyo raise a variety of other problems that bear careful thought. They run through relatively narrow residential streets with speed bumps, so none is easily traversable between Cerrillos and Rodeo roads. Also, no methodology is provided in the preliminary report indicating how the figures on the number of cars that would use the proposed routes were calculated.

No proposed route seems likely to carry the numbers of cars projected. Given the distances to the Institute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Community College, the real connection will be to Genoveva Chavez Community Center. To spend millions of dollars on creating that connection at the same time that the city is engaged in trying to redevelop the midtown campus is worrisome. Just how many major projects can the city afford?

The report also argues that the project will not affect water flow in the arroyo, based on 100-year floodplain maps. In a time of intense climate change, those maps are hardly predictive.

In the summer of 2018, after very heavy rainfall, the arroyo nearly overflowed its banks. The proximity of many houses and businesses to the arroyo on both sides means that flood control considerations must be a priority in weighing the costs and benefits of the project.

It is fair to ask: Will this project actually change driving patterns as much as those in favor argue that it will? As planning goes forward, what, it must also be asked, will be the projects mid- and long-term financial, environmental and even recreational costs to Santa Feans?

Susan Kellogg is a historian who lives in Santa Fe.

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What is the real cost of a Richards Avenue extension? - Santa Fe New Mexican

Looking to stem losses driven by high-cost operations, New Gold (TSX: NGD; NYSE-AM: NGD) recently tabled revamped life-of-mine plans for its Rainy River and New Afton mines focused on improving the bottom line and boosting profitability.

The mine plan update was released along with the companys 2019 results that showed a US$74 million loss for the year, or 12 per share. Although New Gold hit its guidance with annual consolidated production of 486,141 gold-equivalent oz. (322,557 oz. gold, 596,452 oz. silver and 79.4 million lb. copper, its all-in-sustaining-costs (AISCs) of US$1,310 per oz. gold-equivalent for the year and US$1,862 per oz. gold-equivalent in the fourth quarter highlights the need to trim costs.

New Gold says its new life-of-mine plan is roughly a year in the making and focuses on mining method optimizations, evaluation of alternate mining scenarios, and reining in capital requirements to boost profitability and deliver free cash flow.

The companys new vision for its Rainy River gold mine, located near Fort Frances in northwestern Ontario, sees a smaller pit shell for open-pit operations using a US$1,275 per oz. gold price and a boost in the mineral reserve cut-off grade to between 0.46 gram gold-equivalent per tonne to 0.49 gram gold-equivalent per tonne (up from the previous 0.30 gram gold-equivalent per tonne cut-off grade). The revised plan would mine open-pit ore at a lower strip ratio of 2.53:1 (waste:ore) over a four-year mine life through to 2024, with full depletion of the pit by early 2025.

Lower-grade open pit ore (0.30 gram gold-equivalent per tonne to 0.46 gram gold-equivalent per tonne) mined during the pits operational life would be stockpiled to supplement mill feed once the mine transitions to underground operations.

Pit operations at New Golds Rainy River gold mine northwestern Ontario. Credit: New Gold.

Over its new open-pit operational life, New Gold forecasts mining 67.5 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 0.91 gram gold per tonne at Rainy River.

Underground operations at Rainy River are expected to come online in 2022, and would ramp-up to peak production from 2025 to 2027. The underground mine plan targets zones that can deliver optimal profitability at a gold price of US$1,275 per oz. and would use four in-pit portals and one portal outside the pit to exploit the ore blocks. Mining would cease in 2028, although the company says there are lower grade zones that could potentially support a mine life extension in a higher gold price environment. Over its planned underground mine life, an estimated 4.1 million tonnes of ore averaging 4.17 grams gold per tonne would be extracted.

Average annual production from Rainy River under the new plan is forecast at 289,000 oz. gold equivalent at a new life-of-mine average head grade of 1.06 grams gold per tonne and an 89% recovery rate. AISCs are forecast at US$967 per oz. gold-equivalent over the eight-year mine life. Total proven and probable reserves are tabled at 2.6 million contained oz. gold and 6.3 million contained oz. silver in 77.6 million tonnes grading 1.06 grams gold per tonne and 2.5 grams per tonne silver.

The company says it expects free cash flow generation at Rainy River beginning in the fourth quarter of this year, and over its new forecast mine life it anticipates total free cash flow of US$550 million at US$1,300 per oz. gold, or more than US$1 billion at a spot gold price assumption of US$1,550 per ounce gold.

Raymond James mining analyst Farooq Hamed highlighted the new Rainy River life-of-mine plan as a shorter life, lower-cost ounces scenario, with four years trimmed from the mine life with less production; however, that is offset by lower operating costs and significantly lower capital expenditures. In a research note, the analyst maintained his market perform rating for the company and has a $1.25 target price on the stock.

Scotiabank analyst Trevor Turnbull viewed the revised plan negatively. The new mine plan at Rainy River significantly reduced the mine life, and near-term capital costs (2020-2024) actually increased 16% to US$589 million, he comments in a research note. He also expresses concern over reduced cash flow and debt servicing capacity with US$400 million of senior unsecured debt maturing in late 2022; however, he maintained his Sector Perform rating on the stock and raised his one-year target price to US$1.00 from US75.

New Golds other operation, the New Afton underground gold-copper mine located on the outskirts of Kamloops in south-central British Colombia, also underwent a review over the past year looking to extend its life out to 2030.

The New Afton mine was historically mined by Teck Resources (TSX: TECK.B; NYSE: TCK) as the Afton open pit from 1978 to 1997, when operations ceased due to economic constraints in deepening the pit to exploit the deeper mineralization. New Gold acquired the project in 2005 and developed an exploration ramp near the pit floor to extract a bulk sample and subsequently developed an underground mine plan utilizing block caving to extract the ore. The underground mine commenced operation in mid-2012. With an average production rate of 16,000 tonnes per day, it is touted by the company as the largest daily tonnage underground hard rock mine in Canada.

The companys plan would bring New Aftons deeper and higher-grade C zone (situated at a depth of 800 metres to 1,200 metres) into development using a similar block caving method as utilized in the upper levels. Under the plan, development would commence this year and continue through 2024, with production beginning in the third quarter of 2024 and ramping up to full production from 2025 to 2029.

An operator using Sandviks AutoMine system to drive an LH410 in the New Afton mine. Credit: Sandvik.

In its news release announcing the mine plans revisions, Renaud Adams, New Golds president and CEO, said the company has an integrated mine plan that optimizes the self-funded development of New Aftons B3 and C zone that could deliver significant free cash flow of more than US$1 billion over the life of mine.

New Gold forecasts total capital for the life-of-mine (US$175 million and US$460 million in sustaining and non-sustaining capital, respectively) is anticipated to remain high from 2020 to 2023, primarily due to the C zone, and decrease significantly from 2024 to 2026, with minimal capital over the balance of the mine life.

The New Afton updated mine plan will also incorporate enhanced tailings engineering to increase the stability of the current and historical tailings, with in-pit thickened tailings deposition planned for the C zone ore portion.

Annual production from New Afton is forecast at 260,000 oz. gold-equivalent over the next decade under the new plan at life-of-mine average head grades of 0.68 gram gold per tonne with an 86% recovery rate and 0.77% copper with an 89% recovery rate. AISCs are expected to come in at US$681 per oz. gold equivalent (based on US$1,300 per oz. gold, US$16 per oz. silver and US$3 per lb copper) over the 10-year mine life. Total proven and probable reserves are 1 million contained oz. gold, 2.8 million contained oz. silver and 802 million lb. copper in 77.6 million tonnes grading 0.66 gram gold per tonne, 1.9 grams silver per tonne and 0.77% copper.

Following the release of its annual financial results and the new life-of-mine plans, shares in New Gold dropped as much as 16% to the 98 level, an almost eight-month low. At press time, the shares recovered slightly to $1.07 giving the company a $723 million market capitalization based on its 676 million common shares outstanding.

As of year-end 2019, New Gold had a cash position of US$83 million.

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New Gold updates Rainy River and New Afton mine plans - The Northern Miner

Batteries

Published on February 18th, 2020 | by Guest Contributor

February 18th, 2020 by Guest Contributor

Photo by Zach Shahan, CleanTechnica

MILWAUKEEThe Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC) a leading coalition of companies, academics and organizations dedicated to the responsible management and environmental sustainability of batteries applauded research published today by the University of Michigan (U-M) in theJournal of Energy Storageon best practices for consumers for extending the life of lithium-ion batteries, as well as the cost savings associated with minimizing degradation. The link to the paper can be foundhere.

This research is the second phase of work conducted by U-M and supported by RBC. The first phase was published in May 2019 and outlined ten Green Principles for Vehicle Energy Storage (Green Principles)that represent a comprehensive set of recommendations to guide mobile battery deployment and technology development from an environmental perspective, particularly defining best practices for minimizing the environmental impact of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

In the new research published today, the U-M team expands onGreen Principle #6 todesign and operate battery systems to maximize service life and limit degradation by outlining nine consumer best practices for extending battery life to decrease costs and reduce environmental burdens associated with the production of new batteries. The new best practices address material consumption, mining impacts and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the disposal of used batteries.

As the nation and world shift to economies powered by batteries, it is paramount as responsible stewards of the environment that we extend the life of all types of batteries, particularly those in our cars and trucks, saidSteve Christensen, executive director of the Responsible Battery Coalition. This work by such a respected research institution as the University of Michigan is an important first step toward creating a generational change in how consumers use and manage batteries.

The International Energy Agency has predicted that 125 million electric vehicles will be on roads globally by 2030.The RBC seeks to develop a circular economy for batteries that ensures that they are part of the solution in creating a more sustainable environment.

Many of the recommended practices discovered by the U-M research team are related to three main variables that impact battery health: temperature, state of charge, and current. Specific recommendations in the findings include:

As the mobile electronics and EV industries continue to grow, even small improvements in lifetime extension will have significant environmental benefits, the authors of theJournal of Energy Storagepaper wrote.

By minimizing exposure to the conditions that accelerate degradation, batteries can last longer. And this has a positive environmental impact, as battery production is a source of greenhouse gas emissions and many other pollutants, said study corresponding authorGreg Keoleian, director of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability.

Additionally, there are significant financial incentives for users to avoid adverse conditions, as the cost of lithium-ion batteries can range from 5% to over 50% of a products cost,Keoleiansaid.

As an organization whose members include the worlds largest battery manufacturer and recycler, leading automotive aftermarket retailers, and some of the largest auto producers and transportation fleet owners, were proud to have been able to support this research to help both industry and consumers get maximum life and value out of their lithium-ion battery products, addedChristensen.

In developing its list of nine best practices for lithium-ion battery life extension, U-M researchers, supported by the RBC, based their search on a range of sources, including academic publications, manufacturers user manuals, and open-source consumer information from customer-support websites.

Research Details

In addition to the academic literature reviewed, researchers also surveyed publicly available information from manufacturers, looking for instructions, guidance, warnings or tips regarding the use and maintenance of lithium-ion batteries.

Those companies included 10 cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and ZTE), 10 laptop manufacturers (Acer, Apple, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, Samsung and Toshiba), four power tool manufacturers (Bosch, DeWalt, Makita and Milwaukee Tool), and 10 electric vehicle manufacturers, including RBC members Ford Motor Company and Honda.

Authors of theJournal of Energy Storagepaper, in addition to Keoleian, are Maxwell Woody, Maryam Arbabzadeh and Geoffrey M. Lewis of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems and Anna Stefanopoulou of the U-M Energy Institute.

Read the paper: Strategies to limit degradation and maximize Li-ion battery service critical review and guidance for stakeholdershttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352152X19314227?dgcid=author

Featured image courtesy Volkswagen

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Tags: Acer, Apple, asus, dell, Google, hp, HTC, Huawei, Lenovo, LG, microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Responsible Battery Coalition, samsung, SONY, toshiba, U-M Center for Sustainable Systems, U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, ZTE

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Responsible Battery Coalition Applauds University of Michigan Research on Lithium-Ion Battery Degradation Calls Research Important Step in Educating...