Free
!
The
Rocky Mountain Goat www.therockymountaingoat.com
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Your source for weekly news and views in the Robson Valley
Volume 1 Issue 13
Geo-thermal heats up
Ministry eyes Kinbasket for open bids Joseph Nusse jnusse@therockymountaingoat.com Underneath Kinbasket Lake lies a geothermal reserve that is very hot, large, and just waiting for investors to take note. At least that is the conclusion of Patrick McBride, majority share holder of Comstock Energy Inc. based out of Kelowna. The geothermal exploration venture has held the only exploration permit in the Canoe Hot Springs area – but that may soon change. The Ministry of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources recently notified the Village of Valemount they are seeking input into a competitive bidding process for geothermal property rights in the Canoe Reach area. Comstock Energy Inc. owns a geothermal permit covering 550 hectares which encompasses the hot pools frequented by local bathers. According to ministry officials, other permit areas in the Canoe Reach could be put up to tenure in an area totalling 11,848 hectares between Saddle Lakes and Yellowjacket Creek. This could mean other companies could gain access to that land to start exploring and developing new geothermal projects in the area, as the provincial government encourages alternative energy sources. McBride, who is in his 80s, says that he
does not have the energy to find the investors needed to build a geothermal power plant on the site and his permit, (which expires in 2012), is for sale. But other interests, public and private, are taking note. The Golden Area Initiatives, a group of municipal and rural representatives that promotes economic development for the Golden area, recently hired Dr. Mory Ghomshei of UBC to prepare a feasibility report on the potential for geothermal heating, and electrical power generation for the Golden region. Ghomshei, who has spent his entire professional career developing geothermal sites, says what lies beneath is one of the most promising geothermal sites in the interior of B.C. His report highlights options for direct geothermal heating for high density areas of Golden as well as Kicking Horse Resort. While Golden itself is not located in a high geothermal potential zone (where sub-surface temperature exceed 80 degree Celsius within 700 metre’s drilling depth), he notes that Golden lies within 150 kilometers of both Radium and Canoe Hot Springs. This makes the possibility of an off-set energy production program feasible. Cont’ A4
Commerce launches economic study for Blue River mine Angles of success
Photo: Laura Keil
The Valemount Marina Association’s 29th annual Fishing Derby drew a large posse of fishers over the weekend, including many children. Jaycee Meek won in the largest Rainbow Trout 6 years and under category wtih a 600 gram fish. In all, 301 fish were scooped from Kinbasket over the weekend, with many prizes for winners and participants.
See photos A6-A7
More Inside:
Bear family caught on camera
Laura Keil lkeil@therockymountaingoat.com Commerce Resources Corporation President David Hodge was supervising burger flipping instead of mine surveys last week at a thank-you barbecue for Blue River residents, as the company launches an economic feasibility study for a potential TantalumNiobium mine. Geologists have been studying 1,050 square kilometres of terrain north of the
community for the past decade, in the hopes that the quantity and type of minerals found underground will warrant the creation of a full-scale mining operation. “That’s the whole point of the economic study. We got a decent sized body, we have a bunch of ore in it, but the question is, ‘Is it economical?’” says head geologist and field manager John Gorham. Cont’ A5
International students arrive!