Impala Canada, an unit of South Africa’s Impala Platinum (Implats), is part of a joint collaboration to fund research aimed at unlocking the resource potential of north-western Ontario.

Impala Canada is investing C$375 000 to help establish a new industrial research chair in mineral exploration at Lakehead University.

The miner’s investment acted as a catalyst to secure additional funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Lakehead University for a total commitment of C$2.15-million.

Dr Peter Hollings, the current chair of Lakehead University’s Department of Geology, will be named the new NOHFC Industrial Research Chair in Mineral Exploration.

“Exploration is the lifeline of the mining industry, and finding new, economically viable mineral deposits opens the door to generations of jobs, investment and community development opportunities,” says Impala Canada CEO Tim Hill.

The Impala Canada contribution goes beyond the financial investment. To support the research into the metallogenesis of nickel/copper/platinum group metal deposits and prospects in the Thunder Bay area, the company’s geology team will work collaboratively with the researchers and provide in-field support.

Hollings and his team will have access to the geological database at Impala Canada’s Lac Des Iles (LDI) mine and regional exploration properties. Impala Canada says its database is several orders of magnitude greater than most academic-based geoscientific projects.

The LDI mine and regional exploration projects will become in-field research hubs for faculty, graduates and undergraduates in their quest to better understand the magmatic system that gave rise to the palladium deposits at LDI and other prospects in the region.

Lac des Iles has been operating for more than 25 years and today is one of the largest underground mines in Canada. It has attracted a $1-billion investment from Implats.

State-of-the-art analytical equipment located at Lakehead University will help researchers develop an enhanced understanding of the geology and genesis of mineralisation, which can be used to guide further exploration and development and enhance exploration efficiency by reducing the time and capital costs required in the discovery of mineral resources.

“Through this research project, Lakehead will train the next generation of graduate students to work on mineral deposit studies. Students who are highly trained geoscientists are in great demand among the mineral exploration industry,” added president and Vice Chancellor Moira McPherson.

The five-year NOHFC Industrial Research Chair in Mineral Exploration will lead to additional collaborations with Impala Canada, and will help generate new partnerships with other companies that are actively exploring new ventures in northern Ontario.

“We have great confidence in this project’s success. And, in turn, we commit to rapidly implementing the results into our regional exploration and operations. Our vision is significant new exploration activity and investment and perhaps even hundreds of new jobs in north-western Ontario for generations to come,” concludes Hill.

Mining Weekly put these two questions to Implats group executive corporate affairs Johan Theron on the possibility of Implats in South Africa replicating what is being done by Impala in Canada:

• What conditions would need to prevail in South Africa for this wonderful Canadian model of geological and exploration promotion to be replicated in South Africa, where exploration is desperately needed?
• Could any Implats mines in South Africa become in-field research hubs for faculty graduates and undergraduates as is being brought about by Impala Canada?

“There are numerous examples in South Africa where producers similarly support research and learning institutions. What differentiates the Canadian example is the extent to which government resources are mobilised and prioritised in support of these industry initiatives. The government there clearly views mining as a key economic enabler and goes out of its way to support and grow the mining industry,” Theron stated in response to Mining Weekly’s questions.