Pend Oreille

Overview

The Pend Oreille mine, located in northeastern Washington State, USA, produced zinc and lead concentrates that were delivered to Teck’s Trail smelter 80 kilometres to the northwest, in British Columbia, Canada.

The operations were suspended in February 2009, and the mine was placed on care and maintenance.

A core group of employees continues to work at the site, maintaining the mine in anticipation of a restart in the future. All regulatory and environmental requirements are being met. 

The property consists of 5,798 acres of fee simple property, 487 acres of patented mining claims, and 1,925 acres of unpatented mining claims in Metaline Falls, Washington, U.S.A. 

Location

The Pend Oreille mine, located in northeastern Washington State, USA, produced zinc and lead concentrates that were delivered to Teck’s Trail smelter 80 kilometres to the northwest, in British Columbia, Canada.

Geology and Mineralization

The Pend Oreille mine is a carbonate hosted zinc-lead ore body situated within the Metaline Formation in the southern portion of the Kootenay arc, an arcuate, narrow belt of sedimentary, volcanic and metamorphic rocks separating Precambrian metasediments to the east and Mesozoic volcanic and sedimentary units to the west.  

Mineralization at the Pend Oreille mine is located within the Yellowhead horizon of the Metaline Formation, an intensely altered stratabound dolomitic solution breccia, which has been invaded and replaced by fine grained pyrite with lesser zinc and lead sulphides. The sulphide zone has relatively simple mineralogy. Sphalerite and galena are the two ore minerals of interest. Gangue minerals include pyrite, dolomite and calcite.

Mining & Operation

The mine began commercial production in early 2004. All of the concentrate from is trucked to the Trail metallurgical operations for processing. 

The Pend Oreille mine is an underground mine. The mineral processing facilities employ conventional grinding and sulphide flotation methods to produce high quality zinc and lead concentrates. 

Processing

grinding and sulphide flotation

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.