Goldcorp looks to re-awaken giant: McIntyre Mine being drilled off in early 2008.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: MINING

Towering over South Porcupine, the McIntyre Mine headframe is one of the most dominant symbols of the Timmins mining camp, a wooden monument standing guard over a maze of dormant underground mine workings.

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However, an exploration project underway may one day reawaken the sleeping giant.

"We've been looking at this particular part of the McIntyre mine for a number of years, as we completed some drilling back in 2002 or 2003, and this is a follow-up on that program," Dave Bucar, project manager for Goldcorp Porcupine Gold Mines, says.

"It hasn't been a high priority, what with other projects on the go, but this is the year where we're finally going to get back and take another look to determine the viability of some underground mining at that site."

The mine has a long history, having produced 11 million ounces of gold from 1903 until its 1988 shutdown.

Since then, the vaunted McIntyre head-frame, which looms over Pearl Lake has stood as a reminder of the area's long gold mining heritage. This site, now largely referred to as "the Mac," will see nearly 7,000 metres worth of drilling through 2008 to determine the exact structure of the targets and how much gold might still be available.

However, the new targets are situated far enough from the existing mine workings that this work must be done from surface. This means the drilling must be performed not only on the shoreline of Pearl Lake, located north of Schumacher, but also from its frozen surface.

Unseasonably warm weather has reduced the thickness of the lake's surface. Ice must reach at least 30 inches to support the drill rig's weight and the operating team.

Workers have had to look to mechanical means to build up the ice. Pumps are being used to draw water from the depths of the lake onto surface to freeze.

Drilling began in mid-January and is expected to carry through to early April, or until the spring weather melts the ice to a point where maintaining drill rigs and crews would be unsafe.

Operated largely by local contractor Bradley...