Texmont Mine

The texmont mine is a past producing Nickel mine, briefly operated in the 1960(a)s to 1970(a)s when the oil crisis shut the mine down. It is currently owned by Fletcher Nickel, who have rehabilitated the site and continued exploration in hopes of generating an open pit mine and in the future dewatering the old shaft to begin rehabilitation and possible future production.

The Dominion Gulf Co. (“Dominion Gulf”) staked the Texmont area in 1950 while exploring for chrysotile asbestos – a mineral sometimes found in serpentinized komatiites. The current Texmont Leases are the remainder of a former and larger claim package. In 1951 prospecting found disseminated pentlandite in outcrop. Dominion Gulf then conducted an exploration program including further prospecting, geological mapping, ground geophysics, and diamond drilling around the sulphide discovery.

Jarvis P. Kellogg of Boston, Mass. acquired the Texmont Leases and subsequently, in 1957, the leases were optioned and then purchased by Fatima Mining Co. Ltd. (“Fatima”). Fatima initially drilled 23 surface diamond drill holes for a total of 6,231 feet (“ft”), and followed with a further 27,044 ft in 1959 (Leigh, 1971). In 1959-1960, Fatima commenced the sinking of a 3-compartment shaft to a depth of 790 ft with stations at ~150 ft, ~300 ft, ~450 ft, ~600 ft, and ~742 ft. In 1960, underground work comprised 1,550 ft of drifting and crosscutting on the 450 level, and 1,450 ft of lateral work; as well as 250 ft of raise development on the 742 ft level. A total of 165 diamond drill holes for 19,690 ft were drilled underground. In 1964, Fatima changed its name to Texmont Mines Ltd. In 1965-1966, Texmont Mines Ltd. drilled 42 holes in a surface till-sampling program to determine whether geochemical halos occurred above nickel sulphide on the Property, in a partnership with the Canadian Nickel Company Ltd. (“Canico” a wholly-owned subsidiary of the then International Nickel Company, now part of CVRD-INCO). Pursuant to the terms of a joint venture agreement between Texmont Mines Ltd., Canico, Jarvis P. Kellogg and the International Nickel Company of Canada Ltd., dated June 30, 1966, which was terminated on or before June 30, 1967, Canico retains an undivided 15% beneficial interest in the Texmont Leases.

In 1970, Sheridan Geophysics Ltd. negotiated a 20-year lease on the Texmont Leases with a further 20 year (renewal) from Texmont Mines Ltd. Sheridan Geophysics Ltd. then undertook to bring the mine into production. Mill production commenced on July 1, 1971 at a rated capacity of 500 tons per day and a hydrometallurgical plant was put at the mine site to create a capacity of 200,000 lbs of refined nickel products per month. Sulphide concentrates were stockpiled and concentrate grade averaged ~17% nickel.

The current Texmont Claim was transferred from David Paul Clement (MNDM Client Number 119003) and recorded as 100% owned by Fletcher on March 22, 2006. This claim covers land that was formerly part of Dominion’s Gulf’s 1950 land holdings but was allowed to lapse sometime in the past.

These pictures were taken by Tim Thompson and posted with permission.

For more information on the Nickel Mine visit www.fletchernickel.com