Operations

Grande Cache Coal Corporation (GCC) has over 22,000 hectares of coal leases in the Grande Cache area with both underground and surface mining operations, each contributing about 50% of the saleable production over the next several years. 

Grande Cache Coal Corporation holds No. 12 Lease, No. 7 Lease, No. 8 Lease and No. 16 Lease which comprise the principal mineral properties forming the Project. No. 12 Lease, No. 8 Lease and No. 16 Lease cover the coal reserves to be mined from three surface mines designated No. 12S B2 Mine, No. 8 Mine and No. 16 East Mine.  No. 7 Lease covers the coal reserve to be mined from the development of an underground mine designated No. 7-4 Mine.  In addition, Grande Cache Coal Corporation owns seven coal leases which have exploration and development potential and an exploration program is ongoing to add additional reserves to our resource base that would see saleable coal production increase in the medium term.

GCC Coal Leases - 889 KB

GCC is committed to sustainable development, which we define as developing coal resources in an orderly and long-term manner that sustains the community and the Company.  As of June 2007, reserves are summarized as follows:

The Project area is served by an existing CN line, which connects with the main lines of CN, allowing access to the three major coal export terminals in British Columbia, or to the Great Lakes.

The GCC coal leases are in the Inner Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, which are characterized by exposures of Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous clastic rocks. Coal bearing strata within the Smoky River Coalfield are comprised of interbedded sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, carbonaceous shales and coal. Mineable coal seams occur in the Grande Cache member of the Gates Formation. Stratigraphic units that outcrop in the vicinity are predominantly from the Nikanassin Formation and the Luscar Group. The Fort St. John Group, which overlies the Luscar Group, is present in the northern and eastern parts of the project area.

Climate within the project area is characterized by relatively long, cold, winters and moderate to warm summers. Average annual summer and winter temperatures are 10 degrees Celsius and -15 degrees Celsius, respectively. Frost can occur throughout the year and snow accumulates from late October to May at higher elevations. Precipitation ranges between 800 to 1,100 millimeters annually.