In the Marten Ridge occurrence area, up to nine coal seams, which are high volatile bituminous in rank, occur in the Jurassic-Cretaceous Mist Mountain Formation (Kootenay Group) interbedded with sandstone, siltstone and shale. From stratigraphically lower to higher, seam thicknesses are as follows: seam 9L - 5.1 to 8.0 metres; seam 9U - 1.4 to 2.5 metres; seam 8L - 3.5 to 9.0 metres; seam 8U - 4.8 to 7.9 metres; seam 7 - 2.2 to 5.8 metres; seam 5L - 3.2 to 4.7 metres; seam 5U - 2.3 to 3.6 metres; seam 3 - 3.9 to 7.3 metres and seam 2 - 1.5 to 3.6 metres. Ash contents in adit samples range from 8.5 to 30.7 per cent (raw coal), volatile matter from 25.4 to 35.0 per cent (raw coal), fixed carbon from 43.1 to 60.1 per cent (raw coal) and sulphur from 0.29 to 0.95 per cent (raw coal).
Total coal reserves (tonnes) under 457 metres; 457 to 762 metres; and greater than 762 metres of cover are: 100,553,000 and 70,717,000; 45,897,000 and 56,961,000; and 90,851,000 and 146,282,000 respectively. The reserves are partially explored and projected at pitches 0-15 degrees and 15-30 degrees respectively. Mining methods would be a combination of underground and open pit.
The strata are fairly uniformly west dipping (generally 18 to 40 degrees west) and are cut by a number of faults. The faults are north to north-northeast trending and west dipping. They include from west to east, a reverse fault and associated splays (normal, quite high angle fault) and the Marten Ridge fault (west branch-lower angle thrust fault and east branch-also a thrust fault).
The coal-bearing strata outcrop between the reverse fault and the Marten Ridge fault (west branch) in the south of the area. The number of seams outcropping increases towards the north and in the northernmost area of the property. Seams also outcrop to the west of the reverse fault.
In 2004, Elk Valley Coal Corporation carried out a 1598-metre rotary drilling program on the Marten-Wheeler property. This area is considered a potential source for future reserves for the Coal Mountain Operation (082GNE001).
As of 2015, the Mist Mountain Formation contains up to 15 coal seams, 1 to 8 metres thick, with a cumulative average thickness of 75 metres on Marten and Wheeler Ridges. Coal seams range in rank from medium to high volatile bituminous coal. (Information Circular 2016-1).
The Marten Wheeler project, also known as Coal Mountain Phase II, entered the pre-application phase of Environmental Assessment in September 2014, and was designed to replace production after the depletion of the resource at Teck Coal Ltd's Coal Mountain Operation (MINFILE 082GNE001). Late in 2015, Teck Coal removed the proposal from the pre-application process as a result of lower commodity pricing (Information Circular 2016-1).
As of 2015, a Resource at Coal Mountain Phase II includes 114.3 million tonnes (Measured) and 97.3 million tonnes (Indicated) of pulverized coal injection and thermal coal (Information Circular 2016-1). Mine plans include open-cut and underground mining methods. Coal Mountain Phase II has potential to produce 76.5 million tonnes of clean coal over an estimated 34 year mine life, at a production rate of approximately 2.25 million tonnes per year (Information Circular 2016-1).
As of December 2016, resources include 102.2 million tonnes (Measured), 71.7 million tonnes (Indicated), and 7.9 million tonnes (Inferred) of metallurgical coal, in addition to 2.8 million tonnes (Measured), 3.7 million tonnes (Indicated), and 0.9 million tonnes (Inferred) of thermal coal (2016 Teck Annual Information Form, www.teck.com).
