Exploration reveals promising ore body
near Fletcher Mine

In the mining industry, discovering a large ore body in a mature mining district is rare. So when exploratory drilling revealed a promising ore body just 4,000 feet from the existing underground Fletcher Mine in southeast Missouri, Doe Run’s geologists were understandably thrilled.

“This discovery was like finding a buried treasure in our own backyard,” said Andy Childers, district exploration geologist. “Due to the ore body’s proximity to Fletcher, minimal additional infrastructure was needed to access some significant mineral deposits.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Hundreds of feet below the Earth’s surface, mining and geology teams work together to identify the largest veins of lead within Doe Run’s six underground mines in Missouri.

Exploratory drilling in 2004 provided the justification to begin large-scale mining of the new ore body, RC West Fork. A mining crew developed a drift, an underground tunnel, to connect the existing mine workings with the newly discovered ore body.

Current reserves at RC West Fork include approximately 6.4 million tons of lead- and zinc-laden ore, said Greg Sutton, mine manager with Doe Run. “With continued, aggressive exploration and development there is potential to at least double the ore from this reserve,” Sutton said.

RC West Fork accounts for around 40 percent of the overall ore available for mining at Fletcher Mine, which yields about 1.2 million tons of ore per year. This provides the option to continue production at the Fletcher Mine for at least 10 years according to Bob Roscoe, vice president of mining and general manager of SEMO operations.

“The discovery of additional lead reserves near our current mine operations not only strengthens the future of Doe Run – it also contributes to the regional and state economy,” Roscoe said. “To find additional ore reserves at any of our underground mine sites is extraordinary for an operation of our size and duration. Finding it here is also great for the environment, since access and infrastructure are already in place.”

Approximately 70 percent of the United States’ primary lead supply comes from Doe Run’s six underground mines in Missouri, limiting the country’s dependence on foreign sources. The company employs 15 geologists and numerous contract partners who conduct geological services and drilling to identify and test exploration targets for promising ore bodies around the globe.

New geology software, analytical tools and other technologies have increased Doe Run’s ability to find “buried treasure,” like RC West Fork, by detecting elements at lower concentrations and causing minimal environmental impact.

“Some of the technology we employ was previously reserved for the oil and gas industry,” said Don Taylor, vice president of geology and exploration. “Our access to this technology has helped Doe Run to become more efficient and cost effective in exploring for new reserves.”

PHOTO CAPTION: This underground drill is a key component in extracting naturally occurring lead ore.

In the Viburnum Trend, Doe Run’s exploration success rate is approximately 30 percent, Taylor said. “That is, when we drill, we find a ‘pay hole’ at least one time in three,” he said. “Exploration supports our business by providing stakeholders with the knowledge that we continue to cost-effectively replace ore reserves at approximately the same rate as we are extracting them. It’s important for our customers to know that we will continue to be a reliable supplier of high quality materials.”

Doe Run’s SEMO operations have a positive economic impact on southeast Missouri. The company’s contributions to the area in 2008 include providing more than 800 jobs and generating more than $4 million in real estate and personal property taxes, $16.9 million in royalties to the federal government and $66.3 million in salaries, wages and fringe benefits in rural Missouri.

But it’s not just business results that drive SEMO; the division’s active role in the community is also central to operations. SEMO donated more than $40,000 to charitable causes in 2008. The sharing of mining knowledge and education are two other ways that SEMO contributes to the community.

“Safety is a social responsibility, and it’s a part of the culture at Doe Run. It’s also important from a business standpoint. Keeping our mines safe is a means of protecting the most valuable of resources, our people.” —Bob Roscoe, vice president of mining and general manager of SEMO operations.

“We are proud to provide a renewable annual scholarship at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and we allow our mines to be used as a training facility for explosives and engineering education,” Roscoe said. “In addition, we continue to sponsor various summer internships for students from across the United States and around the globe.”

As with community involvement, safety is another cornerstone of the company’s mining operations. In 2008, the National Mining Association and Mine Safety and Health Administration presented Buick Mine and Mill with the highly coveted Sentinels of Safety award, which honors the facility as the safest large underground metal mine in the country for the previous year.

“Safety is a social responsibility, and it’s a part of the culture at Doe Run,” Roscoe said. “It’s also important from a business standpoint. Keeping our mines safe is a means of protecting the most valuable of resources, our people.”

With safe mining operations, community partnerships and exploration technology supporting discoveries like RC West Fork, the future is bright for Doe Run mining. Who knows where the next buried treasure may lie?

 

 

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