TSX-listed Imperial Metals is preparing to restart milling operations at its Mount Polley copper and gold mine, in British Columbia, after three years of being on care and maintenance.

Work to reopen the mine began late last year, with mining operations having resumed in November. About 4.5-million tonnes have been stockpiled for milling, which Imperial says will get under way this quarter.

The company is bringing back to life the Mount Polley mine that was first shut down in 2014, after a major tailings dam breach. Imperial has spent many years rehabilitating the environment and in 2016 restarted the mine. However, by 2019 operations ground to a halt again, owing to the low copper price at the time.

The Huckleberry copper mine, in British Columbia, is also currently on care and maintenance, but plans are afoot to potentially restart that operation too.

The company reports that it will look at restarting Huckleberry following the start of operations at Mount Polley.

Geotechnical programmes at Huckleberry, which was idled in 2016, have indicated that some work is required to upgrade the existing facility.

Imperial also owns 30% of the operating Red Chris mine, in which Australia’s Newcrest Mining owns the majority shareholding. The mine produced 13.3-million pounds of copper and 12 088 oz of gold in the first quarter. Imperial’s portion of that was 4-million pounds of copper and 3 636 oz of gold.

The miner in January reached an agreement with the province of British Columbia to surrender the Giant Copper mineral claims. The claims, which Imperial has held since April 1988, host two mineral deposits containing copper, silver and gold and a recently discovered gold showing. The claim area predates the creation of Manning Park and the Skagit Valley Provincial Park.

In 1995, following a public review process, the province designated almost 30 000 ha as the Skagit Valley Provincial Park, while allowing mineral exploration in the 2 500 ha claim area. Imperial at the time surrendered some of its claims along the Skagit river to enhance what would become the Skagit Valley Provincial Park in return for a commitment to allow mineral exploration and possibly mining in the remaining Giant Copper claims.  

The decision to surrender all remaining claims recognises the challenges of obtaining mineral exploration and development permits in this area, the company previously said.