Athabasca Minerals Inc. (AMI) was awarded a 15-year contract by the Province of Alberta, Canada, to construct, operate and manage the Coffey Lake Public Pit north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. This Crown resource is situated on approximately 1,345 acres of land about 90 km north of Fort McMurray.
As per Alberta Government, Request For Proposals Number 19TDROLR800AMI issued on Sept. 11, 2018, AMI will be responsible for managing gravel pit operations, without limiting the scope of work to be performed, the services under the contract as follows:
- Assessment of the surface material type and quality, including grades of gravel. Vegetation removal in accordance with applicable regulatory authorizations.
- Stripping and excavation in accordance with applicable regulatory authorizations.
- Crushing and stockpiling as needed of the appropriate grades of gravel.
- Monitoring of surface material loading and removal.
- The collection of royalties.
- Accounting of royalties and volumes.
- The collection of reclamation surcharges from operators.
According to Robert Beekhuizen, chief executive officer of AMI, “With the scheduled closure of the Province of Alberta’s Susan Lake Public Gravel Pit after 20 years of operation, by the end of March this year, we recognize the strategic importance that the Province’s Coffey Lake Pit represents to sustain aggregate supply in the Fort McMurray region for the next 15 years.”
Dana Archibald, chief operating officer and the corporation’s project executive for the Coffey Lake pit development program, stated, “AMI is committed to ensuring the Coffey Lake Gravel pit is developed in a timely and environmentally responsible manner, using industry best practices. This contract enables AMI to leverage its 20 years of experience in large-scale pit management operations from Susan Lake Public Pit for the benefit of local industry and stakeholders for the next 15 years at Coffey Lake pit. We are committed to continuous improvement as we deliver our services.”
AMI will commence the regulatory and permitting program immediately to achieve a planned opening of the Coffey Lake Public Pit in the second half of 2019.