Wapiti

The Wapiti Mining Project (100% owned)

The Wapiti mining project is 11,870 hectares of rock phosphate near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Forest Service and sealed roads allow for easy access to the work site, and the Canadian National Railway runs through Tumbler Ridge. Surveys indicate a phosphate-bearing horizon on surface which maintains the continuity of its potential strike length for up to 39km. Phosphate tests show up to 10 percent availability, making the phosphate from the Wapiti Mining Project appealing to North American organic market—the world’s largest.

Details of the Wapiti Mining Project

Exploration at Wapiti includes 81 diamond drill holes, multiple trenches, and surface samples from 1978 to 2016. These soil statistics were utilized by Coastal Resource to estimate a mineral resource and exploration target, eventually becoming an Inferred and Indicated Australian Joint Ore Reserves (JORC) resource. Ore reserves were calculated with the polygonal method, which presumes drill hole samples accurately represent rock halfway to neighboring drill holes.

The combined Inferred and Indicated resource of 1.54Mt @ 21.6% P2O5 (at a 7% cut-off) has been calculated to a depth of 30m along a strike length of 12.5km. The resource classification is shown in Table 1.

Table 1

This resource is contained within a global Exploration Target (Table 2) of between 2.9 Mt and 3.3 Mt at 20.8% to 22.2% P2O5 which is estimated to a depth of 30m along a mapped strike length of 27km. The Mineral Resource over a 12.5km strike length is a subset of the global Exploration Target. The remaining strike length (14.5km) not supporting the Mineral Resource estimation is calculated to support an Exploration Target of 1.4-1.8Mt at 20.8-22.2% P2O5. The phosphate bearing layer is uniform in thickness, having a density of 2.845t/m³. 

Table 2

A Project with an Amazing Amount of Potential

The Exploration Target does not contain areas covered by April 2014 exploration permits, which augmented the probable phosphorite horizon by 44%, from 27km to 39km. These areas are omitted from the Exploration Target due to lack of supporting data; thus, the size and longevity of Wapiti’s proposed 20-year project could exceed expectations. However, the Exploration Target’s possible quality and quantity is conceptual. Exploration (drilling) hasn’t been extensive enough to outline the perimeter of the Mineral Resource area. 
 
Fertoz had received approval for 17,500 bulk sample tonnes from Wapiti and started extraction and sales. We have conducted a preliminary assessment and submitted a small mine application for 55,000 tonnes per annum (tons a year) of rock phosphate. 

Permit Progress and Future Projections for Wapiti

So far, we have obtained a permit to clear timber from the Ministry of Forests, obtained a permit to operate above 1,400 meters, and obtained a surface discharge permit. We have signed a Protocol Agreement with West Moberly First Nation, and have now started mine design and engineering.

Fertoz will maximize the productivity and ease of access warm weather allows by mining between May and October. The mining process is straightforward: surface soil and rock are blasted to loosen material, followed by mining with an excavator. When onsite mining is finished, the 40mm crushed rock material goes to a manufacturing facility in Beaverlodge, where it will be crushed again to circa .15mm (ground material).

Permit Progress and Future Projections for Wapiti

So far, we have obtained a permit to clear timber from the Ministry of Forests, obtained a permit to operate above 1,400 meters, and obtained a surface discharge permit. We have signed a Protocol Agreement with West Moberly First Nation, and have now started mine design and engineering.

Request a consultation with Fertoz for your organic fertilizer needs

Fertoz manufactures and supplies high quality, natural, organic input certified crop fertilizer products including rock phosphate that are suitable for agriculture, horticulture and turf in Canada and the US. Let us help you reach your yield potential!

Fertoz is an organic fertilizer manufacturer and supplier. Our company markets and develops a range of organic fertilizers in North America and Australia.

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