Anaconda Mining is set to collaborate with College of the North Atlantic (CNA) in Canada on the Baie Verte Peninsula gold project.
By partnering with research interns from CNA, and with the help of modern technology, Anaconda will be able to drill into a new solution for developing the placer mine.
The deposit was initially discovered in 1986 but could not be accessed and was left undeveloped, the company said.
CNA students, in collaboration with non-profit national organisation Mitacs, will help Anaconda to develop a mining process to extract gold from Deer Cove.
The first intern on the project is set to start this year from the Geomatics Engineering Technology at CNA’s Ridge Road campus in St John’s. Later on, the second intern will follow.
The interns will carry out a feasibility study, map the sediment thickness, and perform laboratory tests for several months.
College of the North Atlantic applied research and innovation associate vice-president Dr Michael Long said: “The challenge is to find a technology that’s appropriate for the environment.
“The operations require a smaller-scale technology that’s less invasive, yet economically feasible for a company to use. The site has to be assessed before you decide on the kind of technology to deploy.”
The project is expected to create sustainable mining methods. It will further help Anaconda reduce costs, improve gold recovery, and extend the mine’s operating life.
Anaconda Mining innovation and development vice-president Allan Cramm said: “Applied research adds capacity, and helps us do things efficiently.”
Anaconda has collaborated with researchers supported by Mitacs for many years from the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
The company is currently in the process of developing equipment based on research that will enable it to tap into previously inaccessible gold resources.
In August, Anaconda collaborated with CNA on research and development projects to improve ore grade determination and mining control at the company’s Point Rousse Project.