VIDEO NEWS: Kidd Creek Announces Extension to Mining Operations Until 2021

The Timmins Chamber of Commerce today presented “Inside Their Business” - with Tom Semadeni, General Manager, and Glencore’s Kidd Creek Operations speaking to a luncheon crowd at the Porcupine Dante Club.

Tom Semadeni announced that Glencore’s Kidd Creek Operations will operate beyond the scheduled 2020 closure date announced last year and will now extend operations until 2021.

Price of Metals and Exchange Rate Hold the Key to Future Production

“Whether our operations continue beyond that date depends on a number of factors among them the price of copper and zinc and the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar,” Semadeni said.

“We know that there is potential beyond 2021, but at today’s cost structure mining those minerals would not be economically viable,” Semadeni said. ‘But never say never, if there are technological advances or economic developments we could be operating longer.”

Even if the Kidd Creek Operations end in 2021, Glencore will be around for several years more to ensure the proper closure and reclamation of the property.

Kidd Creek spends $151 million dollars a year in its operations with $67 million spent locally for services.

Glencore’s Kidd Creek Operations is Timmins’s largest private-sector employer and a major contributor to the local economy and community. 

Semadeni looked at three other areas Glencore is focusing on to improve the quality of work and life at Kidd Creek and also within the Timmins community.

Health and Safety

Glencore is extremely proud of the vast improvement that has been made to company’s health and safety record.

“In 2011, Kidd Creek had 29 people with injuries serious enough to be taken to the hospital,” he said. “That is a little over 2 injuries per month.

“In 2012, we brought that down to about 12 or 1 injury per month,” he added. “I very proud to say that in 2013, we reduced reportable injuries at Kidd Creek to 7 per 12 months or roughly one every two months.”

Semadeni said Glencore was extremely pleased  that no reportable injuries in three years occurred at their MET site which contains a concentrator and a milling operation.

Environment

Protecting the Timmins environment is very important to Glencore Semadeni said. Recently  the company reinforced its tailings containment to prevent spills from a once in 25 year event from the tailings pond by upgrading with engineering improvements that increase containment security to a one in an hundred year event.

“We are located near the Porcupine River and need to be careful so we can protect the river,” Semadeni said.

Glencore is also making strong gains in reducing the amount of waste going to the company’s landfill and its water recycling program is reducing the quantity of water it takes from the Porcupine River to run its mining processes.

Community

Glencore, like Xstrata before it contributes generously to over 40 community projects including funding for the Timmins and District Hospital’s X-ray facility; Spruce Hill Lodge, the United Way, Kamiskotia Ski Resort, Kidsport, Heart and Stroke and Minor Hockey.

Recently Glencore also participated in a capacity building exercise with the Cochrane Social Planning Council.