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April 11, 2018
Media contact: John Pepin, 906-226-1352
Copperwood Resources completes copper exploration
at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Environmental protective measures followed by
mining company
 Copperwood
Resources Inc. – a subsidiary of Highland Copper – has completed its winter
exploration begun in February of a 1-mile section of the westernmost portion of
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.
Exploratory
drilling was conducted in this part of Gogebic County to see if the eastern
extension of a mineral deposit first explored in the 1950s might feasibly be
mined, which could potentially enlarge the mining company’s Copperwood Project
beyond its currently-permitted boundaries.
Drilling
and testing will determine hydrologic and geologic composition of the bedrock beneath
the surface. Copperwood Resources is leasing the mineral rights from another
company which owns those rights beneath this part of the park. The state of
Michigan manages the land surface features.
Earlier
this winter, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources granted a land use
permit for the work, allowing the mining company to resume exploration begun
last winter at the park. Additional permits were required from the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality for two of the drilling sites situated in
wetland areas.
Three
holes were drilled this winter on park land. A separate land use permit was
granted by the Gogebic County Road Commission for drilling work at three sites that
took place on county property, within the right-of-way of County Road 519.
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Two
additional test holes were drilled to the ore body from Copperwood Resources
property situated west of the park. The mining company has completed winter exploration
on its lands.
“We are
pleased to have completed the drilling program on our Copperwood project, and
would like to thank the DNR, DEQ, and the Gogebic County Road Commission for
their cooperation over the last few months,” said Justin van der Toorn, exploration
manager of Copperwood Resources Inc. “The winter conditions have held out well
for us and allowed us to finish all eight drill holes as planned. The
information and assays that are derived from this work will now be incorporated
into our ongoing feasibility study that is still on schedule for completion
this summer.”
The road
commission and DNR permits included several provisions aimed at protecting land
surface features.
“All of
the stipulations in the use permit were followed,” said Doug Rich, western U.P.
district supervisor for the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division.
Park
management officials visited the site after drilling had ceased.
Some
details of the winter drilling work include:
- Eight
diamond drill holes were completed for a total of 9,484 feet.
- The
holes ranged in depth from 768 feet to 1,298 feet.
- All
holes were cemented upon completion.
- Two
diamond drilling rigs were used to help ensure the program was completed on
time, and because of some early delays.
- At
one of the sites along County Road 519, timber matting was used to prevent any
ground disturbance and ensure the ground remained frozen beneath. This was done
in agreement with the road commission as an additional protective measure, as
daytime temperatures briefly rose above freezing.
- Work was completed March 29.
- Reseeding
will take place where needed, once the ground has thawed this spring.
- The
DNR received daily updates on the project.
None of
this exploration work was conducted in the wilderness section of the park, but
in an area where several historic impacts have occurred, including logging and
a narrow-gauge railroad.
If Copper
Resources eventually decides to extend the Copperwood Project, the copper deposit
would be accessed from outside the park boundary, without disturbance to park
surface features.
Any
potential mining of the minerals would require a separate regulatory process
through the DEQ. Copperwood Resources would have to amend its existing permit.
“The DNR
will ensure there would be opportunity for public review and comment before any
mining would occur on minerals beneath the park,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy
public information officer.
For more
information on the Copperwood Project in the western Upper Peninsula, visit www.highlandcopper.com/copperwood.
Note to editors: Accompanying photos
are available below for download. Suggested captions follow. Credit: Michigan
Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.
Map: A map showing the Copperwood Resources
exploration over the past two winters. (Copperwood Resources image)
Rig: Winter drilling at site 18-12 is shown in
mid-February 2018. (Copperwood Resources photo)/
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