'We didn't have to look for contracts; mining came to us.'

摘要

The 570-kilometre-long ice road, of which nearly 85 per cent is built over lakes, is a lifeline for a handful of mines in the Far North. It is usually open only eight to 12 weeks each year and in the order of 8,000 truckloads of supplies are transported north from Yellowknife during this short operating season. In March 2006, the road was shut down prematurely following an unseasonably warm winter. As a result, mines like EKATI and Diavik Diamond mine were forced to fly in supplies (particularly diesel fuel) as well as machinery and parts, with an estimated whopping 30 dollars to 50 million dollars price tag. EBA'S Don Hayley, principal engineer, and Samuel Proskin, senior project engineer, have begun research to optimize understanding of the ice road. Several factors are involved in ice road stability. Warm weather is of course the primary one, but also important is the route the road follows. Blowouts can occur at the sides of narrow lakes that the road crosses.