Newmont Porcupine Community and Technology Driven
The Porcupine Mining Division of Newmont reports that the division’s Pamour project is adding handsomely to the company’s operational future in the Timmins camp and Newmont is budgeting $400 million to advance the project. The company says profitable production at the former producer Pamour is adding 1.6 million oz of gold production to Porcupine, extending mine life through 2035. Pamour optimizes mill capacity, adding volume and supporting high-grade ore from Borden and Hoyle Pond. Dewatering of Pamour will commence later this year to advance the project
According to public statements by the company, a $400 million development capital allocation, with a full-funds decision, is expected in the second half of 2022. Pamour is 100% Newmont owned, leverages existing processing facilities, and further supports exploration in a highly prospective and proven mining district.
In keeping with Newmont’s purpose to create value through sustainable and responsible mining, the company partners on a number of local educational initiatives – totaling more than $2.5 million last year – to support scholarship opportunities and empower people to pursue further education. These scholarships helped Newmont employees, their families, and local communities in 2021.
Newmont’s Porcupine mine, awarded a total of $81,000 during 2021, including scholarships to employees’ dependents as well as elementary and secondary school graduates who demonstrated leadership qualities. The mine also supported the area’s Science Olympics: the STEAM Expo and Robotics Competitions hosted by Science Timmins to promote science literacy programs.
Porcupine Mine Uses Technology to Support Conservation and Social Performance
The use of technology throughout mining operations is a key part of Newmont’s success. From enhancing data collection to better understanding mine operations, new and inventive ways to implement technology is leading to improvements throughout the company.
At Newmont’s Porcupine mine, the use of drones has been a critical technology platform, providing visibility and insights to improve safety, efficiency and productivity. In recent years, drones at Porcupine have done monitoring and collected data crucial to the site’s environmental performance.
Drones have also enabled better access to isolated areas of the mine, reducing the risks of working in difficult terrains or harsh weather.
The photos and videos they make assist with:
• 3D modeling to better visualize future landscapes and sites
• Inspecting tailings dams, fencing and pipelines
• Monitoring wildlife at a distance
• Planning and taking measurements without the need to physically access remote areas
• Identifying mine hazards
• Exploring during winter months and harsh weather
• Survey tool for volume estimates, mine planning and design
Porcupine’s Health, Safety and Security teams also used drones to support the community, particularly for search-and-rescue activities. In 2021, Patrick Dzijacky, a member of the Porcupine S&ER team and volunteer firefighter responded to a call (while he was on shift at the local fire department) for help in locating a group of stranded kayakers. Using the drone, Patrick successfully located the kayakers, resulting in a safe rescue. Following that rescue, the Timmins Fire Department has begun a drone program of its own, which Newmont has been proud to support.
“Seeing things from the air provides us with a new perspective on the area. We are able to cover large areas of ground, quickly and efficiently enhancing our monitoring abilities of our land holdings. We continue to explore new opportunities to utilize drones to further support our operations,” Patrick Dzijacky, Environmental Specialist at Porcupine. (Source, company blog)
In a Newmont October 2021 blog, the company announced the winners of their CEO Safety Awards given to individuals and teams that demonstrate exceptional commitment to improving safety at Newmont. As part of their respective prizes, winners earned $15,000 and finalists were awarded $5,000 to donate to a charity of their choice.
Mario Lachance, Superintendent of Mine Maintenance at Porcupine and a Newmont CEO Safety Awards finalist, donated his $5,000 winnings to the Sports for Kids charity in Timmins.
Sports for Kids’ mission is to help children and youth ages 4–18 overcome social and economic barriers to participate in sports.
The Porcupine mine started production in 1910 and over its 112-year mine life has produced more than 68 million ounces of gold. Operations at Porcupine cover 100 km2 and include the Hoyle Pond underground mine, the Hollinger open pit mine, the Dome processing facility (located in Timmins) and the Borden underground mine (located in Chapleau).
Meanwhile, Production and operations at Newmont’s two northern Ontario sites continue to add to the company’s bottom line as the price of gold and the global pandemic continue to mess with logistics. The teams at Musselwhite, and Porcupine continue to implement innovative mining methods that further illustrate why Newmont is one of the world’s premiere gold miners.
For example, Newmont is utilizing a wireless blasting method pioneered by Orica called WebGen. The method involves pre-charging a blast with “no strings attached.”
The system has been implemented at three of Newmont’s sites and the impact is two-fold, improved safety and incrementally higher recovery rates.
The Newmont Porcupine division continues to be the company’s #2 producing division, behind Penasquito in Mexico.
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