The 10-hole drilling program began in February and was completed ahead of schedule and within budget.

 

Results are expected by June this year.

 

Coalspur said the results would verify the seam quality information from historical drilling in the 1970s and ’80s and would provide data for the development of a modernised washplant design.

 

The company has retained coal metallurgist Bob Leach to coordinate the washability testing program and washplant design studies.

 

Planning has kicked off for the second phase of rotary infill drilling, which will start in the middle of the year.

 

Coalspur is planning a 7.4 million tonne per annum run-of-mine thermal coal operation, exporting 4Mtpa saleable coal over a minimum mine life of 14 years.

 

The resource estimate of Hinton is 467Mt, of which 90% is measured and indicated.

 

Coalspur has fleshed out its technical expertise with the appointment of chief geologist John Innis, who has more than 30 years coal and oil sands experience with Fording Coal, Gulf Canada Resources and Shell Canada.

 

Innis will initially focus on accelerating the preparation of additional coal resource estimates and development drilling.

 

Coalspur shares are unchanged at 48.5c.