Grassy Mountain Coal Project
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Grassy Mountain Coal Project is a cancelled coal mine in Blairmore, Alberta, Canada.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Grassy Mountain Coal Project | Blairmore, Alberta, Canada[1] | 49.68924, -114.41896 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelled[2] | Pre-Permit[3] | New[1] | – | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5[4] | – | – | Surface[4] | Open Pit[4] | 15[1] | 430[4] | *[1] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 154[3] | – | 195[3] | Crowsnest[3] | Bituminous | Met[4] | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Northback Holdings[5] | Hancock Corporation | Australia |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the GEM April 2024 Global Coal Mine Tracker dataset.
Background
The Grassy Mountain Coal Project is an open-pit mine project proposed by Northback Holdings (previously Benga Mining Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Riversdale Resources Limited) due to produce 4.5 million tonnes per annum, near Blairmore, Alberta, Canada.[6]
In August 2021, the Canadian Government rejected the project due to its anticipated negative environmental impacts.[7] However, in September 2023, Northback Holdings resurrected a proposal for the Grassy Mountain mine.[8] Northback Holdings (previously Benga Mining Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Riversdale Resources Limited) proposed to construct and operate Grassy Mountain Coal, an open-pit metallurgical coal mine near the Crowsnest Pass, approximately seven kilometres north of the community of Blairmore, in southwest Alberta. The production capacity of the project would have been a maximum of 4.5 million tonnes of clean coal per year, over a mine-life of about 25 years.[9] Commercial production for public consumption was targeted to start in Q1 2022.[10]
In June 2021, a review panel for the Alberta Energy Regulator denied the application for the project, stating it was not in the public interest. Benga Mining and Riversdale Resources planned to consult with legal counsel to review options moving forward, however, in August 2021, the Federal Government rejected the project as it was "likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects."[11]
In September 2023, Northback Holdings resurrected a proposal for the Grassy Mountain mine, applying for three licences from the Alberta Energy Regulator which would allow them to divert water, drill, and run a coal exploration program.[8] Some say if the regulator allows Northback’s applications to proceed instead of throwing them out, it risks weakening the government’s moratorium on coal development everywhere in the province.[8]
- Owner: Northback Holdings
- Parent company: Hancock Prospecting
- Location: Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
- GPS coordinates: 49.68924,-114.41896 (approximate)
- Mine status: Proposed
- Start year:
- Mineable reserves: 154 million tons
- Coal type: Metallurgical, Bituminous
- Mine size: 1,520.7 ha
- Mine type: Surface
- Production: 4.5 million tons per year
- Equipment: surface, open-pit mining
- Number of employees: 400
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20211128234424/http://www.rivresources.com/site/Projects/grassy-mountain-project2/overview3.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240220143958/https://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/524978/index.do. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 (PDF) https://www.ccoal.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ccoal_presentation-2023-05-31.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 (PDF) https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/documents/p80101/115590E.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://globalnews.ca/news/9983877/grassy-mountain-coal-mine-new-application/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Riversdale Resources has rebranded as Northback", Crowsnest Pass Herald, 19 July 2023.
- ↑ "Grassy Mountain Coal Project", Alberta Government website, accessed June 2022.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Bob Weber, "Head of Alberta commission on Rocky Mountain coal mining concerned over new applications", Global News Canada, 25 September 2023.
- ↑ Grassy Mountain Coal Project, Government of Canada, last updated September 2019.
- ↑ "Grassy Moutain Project overview", Riverdale resources website, Archived from the original on 28 November 2021, Accessed November 2023.
- ↑ https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/document/140985 Environmental Assessment Decision Statement], Government of Canada website, accessed June 2022.
