Pierre River Mine Project

MINING AND PROCESSING ERCB SIRS 3 – 38
Section 4.1
Response 8b As noted in the response to ERCB SIR 8a, Tables 2.2 and 2.3 have been revised
and the revised information represents overall block model quantities and is not
representative of mineable quantities. The update of mineable quantities is
presented in the May 2009 Pierre River Mine, Supplemental Information,
Volume 1, Section 3.1, Table 3-1.
Question No. 9
The mine production schedule was not updated because of the minor changes to
mineable quantities, i.e., less than 5% over the project life, detailed in the May
2009 Pierre River Mine, Supplemental Information, Volume 1, Section 3.1,
Table 3-1. As a result, the production details have not been updated for
Volume 2, Project Description, Section 5.4, Table 5-4.
The mine production schedule and waste material balance was not updated for
the Project Update because of the minor changes in mine quantities described in
the May 2009 Pierre River Mine, Supplemental Information, Volume 1,
Section 3. Therefore, there is no new data available to update Volume 2, Project
Description, Section 5.5, Table 5-8 and Section 5.6, Table 5-9.
Request Volume 1, Section 3.1, Page 3-1, Table 3-1, Supplemental Information
Responses; Volume 1, Section 2.2, Page 2-18, Table 2-3, Supplemental
Information Responses.
Table 3-1 compares the Pierre River Mine Project pit attributes and area
between the Project Update and the original application.
9a How is the “Final Bitumen Product” in Table 3-1 calculated from Bitumen in
Place?
Response 9a Final bitumen product is calculated by applying the design plant recovery to the
mined ore quantity. For a description of the calculation for recoverable bitumen,
see the response to SIR 150a in the May 2009 Pierre River Mine, Supplemental
Information, Volume 1, Section 10.1.
Request 9b What is the difference between “Bitumen in Place” in Table 3-1 and the “Total
In Situ Resource” bitumen volume in Table 2-3?
Response 9b The bitumen in place in Table 3-1 refers to the raw bitumen within the design
mine pit that meets the minimum mineable criteria, as outlined in ERCB Interim
Directive 2001-07. The total in situ resource in Table 2-3 refers to all bitumen
that is located within the areal extent of the mine pit, i.e., no minimum mineable
criteria.
April 2010 Shell Canada Limited 4-7
CR029