Donkin Coal Mine
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Donkin Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Donkin, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Donkin Coal Mine | Donkin, Nova Scotia, Canada | 46.1782285, -59.824882 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1][2] | – | 2017 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | – | – | Underground | – | – | 600[3] | 1446* |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | 481 | – | Bituminous | Thermal & Met | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Kameron Collieries ULC | The Cline Group [100.0%] | Canada, USA |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.
Background
Donkin Coal Mine is an underground mine in Donkin, Nova Scotia, Canada.[4]
Following a series of roof fall-ins, Donkin was put on care and maintenance in July 2023.[5] However, four months later, it was allowed to reopen under the stipulation that it meet additional hazard monitoring requirements.[6] Donkin Mine is owned and operated by Kameron Collieries ULC (also known as Kameron Coal), a subsidiary of the U.S.-based coal producer, the Cline Group LLC. Previously, the mine was a joint-venture project between Glencore (75%) and Morien Resources Corp. (25%); however, Cline became the mine's new owner in 2014, when its majority holder, Glencore, sold its 75% stake in the asset.[7] Morien Resources currently has a royalty on coal production from the mine (they earn 2% on the revenue from the first 500,000 tonnes of coal sales per calendar quarter, and 4% on the revenue from any coal sales from quarterly tonnage above 500,000 tonnes).[8]
When the mine started production in February 2017, it was the first underground coal mine to operate in Nova Scotia since 2001.[9]
According to Morien, much of the coal produced is sold to Asian markets, but some of it could find a home in Atlantic Canada for power generation.[10]
In March 2020, the mine was put on care and maintenance due to a roof fall-in during the month prior.[11] The mine restarted operations in fall 2022.[8]
In July 2023, Nova Scotia's Department of Labor issued a stop-work order following two roof collapses in as many weeks. They state that production will remain paused until a third party consultant, which is currently investigating the incidents and the repairs made by Kameron Coal, has completed its assessment; no estimate on a reopening date was given.[5] Donkin Mine has reportedly experienced over thirty roof fall-ins since opening in 2017.[12]
In November 2023, Donkin received regulatory approval to reopen under the conditions that it updates its hazard assessment in the access tunnels and add further monitoring measures to detect movement in the roof and prevent potential falls.[6] In able to remain operating, the mine must also get a third-party review of its ground control management plan done by February 29, 2024.[6]
- Operator: Kameron Collieries ULC
- Owner: Kameron Collieries ULC
- Location: Donkin, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Coordinates: 46.1782285,-59.824882 (Exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production: 3.6 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa)[4]
- Total Resource: 481 million tonnes (2017)[10]
- Mineable Reserves:
- Coal Type: Coking coal (Thermal & Metallurgical)[9]
- Mine Type: Underground
- Start Year: 2017[9]
- Source of Financing:
Environmental Issues
According to Canada's CBC News, Donkin's underground coal mine has exceeded Nova Scotia's cap for greenhouse gas emitters nearly every year since it opened in 2017.[13] Despite this, Cline Group has never participated in the province's cap-and-trade program since underground coal mines are exempt from federal cap-and-trade rules.
In its first year of operation, the mine exceeded the cap of 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, producing 76,337 tonnes of greenhouse gases, according to provincial quantification, reporting and verification data.[13] CBC News also reports that even during the 2-year period when the Donkin mine was on care-and-maintenance, it continued to produce gases exceeding the 50,000-tonne cap, according to the Sierra Club of Canada.[13]
The fact that the mine has two tunnels that progress down under the Atlantic Ocean is also cause for concern, say environmentalists.[10]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240718163119/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/province-says-donkin-mine-can-reopen-after-conditions-met-1.7029520. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240307011027/https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2023/12/27/donkin-mine-stop-work-order-lifted. Archived from the original on 07 March 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240319055306/https://thecoaltrader.substack.com/p/the-donkin-mine-and-morien-resources. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Donkin Export Coking Coal Project", Stantec website, accessed March 2023.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tom Ayers, "Donkin coal mine to remain shut while province reviews operator's safety plans", CBC News, 11 August 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Tom Ayers, "Province says Donkin coal mine can reopen, but first the owner has to meet some conditions", CBC News, 15 November 2023.
- ↑ Cecilia Jamasmie, "U.S. miner buys Glencore’s massive Donkin coal mine", Mining.com, 26 Aug. 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Morien Announce Restart of Operations At the Donkin Mine", Morien Resources website, 13 Sept. 2022.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Kameron Collieries Set to Reopen Donkin Underground Coal Mine, Canada", Mining Connection LLC, 17 June, 2022.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Trish Saywell, "Kameron Collieries restarts Donkin coal mine", The Northern Miner, 1 June 2017.
- ↑ Morien Resources Corp., "Morien Announces Kameron Collieries Decision to Place Donkin Mine on Care and Maintenance", GlobeNewswire.com, 30 Mar. 2020.
- ↑ Tom Ayers, "N.S. keeps Donkin mine closed over concerns about frequency of roof falls", CBC News, 28 July 2023.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Tom Ayers, "Donkin mine still exceeding greenhouse gas cap 2 years after closing", 8 Aug. 2022.
