Mining sequence — evaluation

Overview

Evaluation is the process of determining if a mineral deposit is economically viable to extract.

The evaluation phase contains one area:

1. Advanced Exploration - performing large-scale field exploration

Field exploration involves the on-site investigation of local geology. Large-scale field exploration which meets a certain list of criteria is considered advanced exploration. Advanced exploration is subject to additional requirements and regulations.

All mineral-bearing material removed from the land during advanced exploration must be used for evaluation purposes. Advanced exploration can occur on either a mining claim or leased land. Written permission from the Mineral Exploration and Development Section is required in order to test the mineral content of material removed from land which has not been leased.

Criteria

Field work is classified as advanced exploration if it involves one or more of the following criteria:

• The excavation of an exploratory shaft, adit or decline
• The extraction of material in excess of the prescribed quantity whether the extraction involves the disturbance or movement of prescribed material located above or below the surface of the ground
• The installation of a mill for test purposes
• Any other prescribed work

The types of prescribed work currently include:

• Exploration carried out underground involving the construction of new mine workings or expanding the dimensions of existing mine workings
• Exploration involving the reopening of underground mine workings by the removal of fixed or permanently fastened caps or bulkheads, or involving the excavation of backfilled shafts, raises, adits or portals
• Exploration that may alter, destroy, remove or impair any rehabilitation work made in accordance with Part VII of the Act, or a filed closure plan
• Excavation of material in excess of 1000 tonnes
• Surface stripping on mining lands where the surface area over which the surface stripping is carried out is greater than 10,000 square metres, or where the volume of surface stripping is greater than 10,000 cubic metres, except where all of the following are satisfied:
  • Surface stripping is carried out in two or more separate areas on the mining lands
  • The edges of each area where surface stripping is carried out are separated by a minimum of 500 metres
  • In each area where surface stripping is carried out the surface area over which the surface stripping is carried out is not greater than 10,000 square metres, and the volume of surface stripping is not greater than 10,000 cubic metres
  • Surface stripping on any mining lands of an area in excess of 2,500 square metres or volume in excess of 2,500  cubic metres, if any of the activity occurs less than 100 metres from a body of water

Requirements

Before beginning advanced exploration, certain requirements must be met. These requirements include:

• Converting existing mining claims into leases to acquire title and ownership to the land
• Submitting a Notice of Project Status to the Mineral Exploration and Development Section
• Consulting with all required parties
• Filing a closure plan with accompanying financial assurance and achieving certification
• Acquire all required permits/approvals from ministries, agencies and government organizations

Resources

• Regulatory Requirements Outside of the ministry (PDF) provides a listing and descriptions of some of the regulatory permits and other requirements for common activities related to mineral exploration and development activities. The PDF document contains a left side navigation pane. If your browser does not show this pane, save the PDF file to your computer and view with Adobe Acrobat Reader
• For more information on determining if field work is classified as advanced exploration or complying with advanced exploration requirements, contact the Mineral Exploration and Development Section or one of their local offices