Officials pleased with underground mining

Officials at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine are pleased with the current progress of underground operations at the site.

At the Community Transition Advisory Meeting last week, Mine General Manager Dan Banghart reported the production in August was 3,300 ounces, they have already completed a four-day mill run in September -- with an eight-day run scheduled this week.

“The underground continues to do quite well,” Banghart said.

While the grade of the ore is still not what they would like, Banghart said they are making up for it with tonnage, adding the mill is running very well.

On the employment front, he said there are 50 Barrick, one regional Barrick, and 85 contract employees at the mine. He said a lion’s share of the contract employees are from Red Path.

Banghart reported third party ore tapered off in August with 5,500 tons.

He said the mine had no significant impact from the Conrow Fire that started a mile from the site, and took time to thank the effort of responders.

Environmental Superintendent Chuck Buus said this is the time of year they work on reclamation and they are currently working with a class from Montana Tech on a tree-planting project.

Buus said at the site they have a higher pH level, and while pine trees grow better in with a lower pH level, they believe they will be able to get some trees going.