Mining
Ground freezing has been used successfully around the world in the mining industry for over a hundred years. Many thousands of tons of ore, precious stones and metals would otherwise be inaccessible if not for the application of freeze technology to gain access or to limit groundwater infiltration. SoilFreeze has helped develop site specific freeze systems for gold mines, nickel/lead mines, and others. One of the latest developments is the use of ground freezing technology to assist in the oil shale, oil sands and oil fracking industries.
Case Examples:
Gold Mine, Northern B.C. Canada
The Project
Building on the promise of historical data, Omineca Mining planned to use innovative technology to recover gold in the Cariboo district of British Columbia. The president and CEO of CVG, were confident that mining technology has evolved to the point where the treasures underneath the Wingdam Mine.
The Challenge
In this test-mining operation, the same technology that potash mines in Saskatchewan use to sink massive shafts through wet clay and sand was used. All previous attempts to retrieve the treasure have failed. The channel that could led to the treasure is composed of unconsolidated gravels and is located 50 meters beneath Lightning Creek.
The Solution
By using freeze-mining technology, the soil was stabilized and gave the contractor the ability to drive a production drift across the pay channel at depth.
The Result
The test-mining resulted in a bulk sample that recovered 99 per cent of the high grade gold and confirmed both the freeze-mining process and the results of historic sampling and limited production. The yield was approximately 4,704 grams of gold, suggesting a possible total yield of 4.2 million to 5.6 million grams of gold.
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