Recent History – 1999
Feb. 5, 1999, By Daily News Staff
Full-scale development of the Willow Creek coal project 45 kilometres west of Chetwynd has been put on hold pending completion of coal sales.
“Coal markets have been affected by the downturn in the Asian economy,” Pine Valley Coal Ltd. spokesperson David Fawcett said in an update released on Tuesday.
However, Fawcett said, Pine Valley is hoping to carry out a ‘trial cargo’ or bulk sample project this summer. The planning for the trial cargo is based on production of 50,000 tonnes of raw coal and it would include a small pit in the central mining area with a coal handling and rail-car loading site adjacent to the B.C. Rail main line.
The project would be done over a four-month period and could employ 17 to 23 people during peak activity.
And, if the project is successful, Pine Valley may seek permit amendments to continue low tonnage raw coal production to support market development for the larger project.
Pine Valley has received approval for a mine with production of up to 900,000 tonnes per year, including a processing plant and a train loading facility.