Duck Pond

Overview

Duck Pond copper-zinc mine is located in central Newfoundland, Canada approximately 100 kilometres southwest of the city of Grand Falls-Windsor. The mine achieved commercial production in April 2007. The mining operation is 100% owned by Teck and is subject to a 2% NSR owed to the original owner.

Duck Pond uses underground mining methods and will transition to open pit mining towards the end of mine life. 

Differential flotation produces copper and zinc concentrates, which are trucked to the port of St. Georges on the west coast of Newfoundland. Copper and zinc concentrates produced at the mine are sold under concentrate sales agreements to smelters in North America and overseas.

Location

Located in central Newfoundland, Canada, approximately 100 km southwest of the city of Grand Falls-Windsor, the property covers 12,847 hectares and is held under various mining and surface leases, mineral licenses and contractual mining rights. 

The mining property is located approximately 30 km southeast of the past-producing Buchans base metal mine. 

Newfoundand is the eastermost province of Canada located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Service industries account for the largest share of the GDP followed by mining (iron ore and nickel), oil production and manufacturing. The fishing industry remains an important part of the provincial economy.

Geology and Mineralization

The Duck Pond deposit is a relatively flat-lying Cambrian-age, volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) lens enriched in copper and zinc with lesser lead, silver and gold.

The Upper Duck lens represents an underground resource lying between 250 - 450 m below surface, averaging 18 m thick. The Lower Duck lens occurs between 700 - 800 m below surface, and is believed to be the down-faulted continuation of the upper Duck lens. The Sleeper lens lies about 50 m stratigraphically below the Upper Duck lens. The Boundary Deposit is located 4.5 km northeast of Duck Pond and is amenable to open pit mining methods.

The North and South Moose Pond area lies approximately 7 km northeast of the Duck Pond Deposit. Strong hydrothermal alteration and disseminated and stringer sulphide mineralization have been recognized in the South Moose Pond area within felsic volcanic rocks similar to those associated with the Duck Pond and Boundary massive sulphide deposits. The North Moose Pond area contains boulders assaying up to 11.7% Cu.

Mining & Operation

The mine is an underground operation, with the ore being processed using conventional flotation processes to produce copper and zinc concentrates. 

Underground mining methods used at the mine consists of  long hole, bench and drift and fill mining methods. The access ramp is at 15% gradient and is driven in the footwall of the deposit.

Mining would transition to open pit mining in the mine's final years.

Processing

Crushing and grinding (SAG and ball mills) are employed before flotation. Differential flotation produces copper and zinc concentrates that are trucked to the port of St. Georges on the west coast of Newfoundland.

Copper and zinc concentrates produced at the Duck Pond mine are sold under long term contracts to smelters in North America and Europe using the LME as the price basis for zinc and copper pricing, with treatment and refining charges negotiated on an annual basis.

Environment & Community

Teck works hard to protect the environment and always strive to act with care and sensitivity towards our surroundings. Its people take this responsibility seriously and show dedication towards environmental stewardship.