Mining
Newfoundland and Labrador’s mining industry was valued at $3.3 Billion dollars in mineral shipments in 2010. This represents a 72% increase from the previous year, while exploration increased 30% over the same time to a value of 72 million dollars1. The biggest contributor to the mining economy being the iron ore mines in western Labrador. These markets helped mining related employment to reach levels that are the highest they have been in almost three decades, currently employing over 4000 people, equal to 5100 person years2.

Mining activity changes frequently due to the value of mineral commodities and the demand associated with them. To remain current on what’s happening in the Long Range region, please view the links below. One company that has remained constant in the area is Atlantic Minerals. Their limestone and dolomite mine located in Lower Cove employs 110 people at peak production periods, and is known to have 50 million tones of limestone and 70 million tones of dolomite in reserve3.

The Bay St. George and Port au Port area is believed to have a great deal of potential for mineral wealth, such as base metals, peat, sand/gravel, and industrial minerals. Numerous companies have staked exploration rights on sectors of land throughout the region. Vulcan Minerals is one of these companies. They own mineral exploration rights over a portion of the northern Bay St. George Basin, and have completed two major exploratory drill sites, which have revealed large reserves of halite and potash. Exploration is optimistic within the Zone, and the future is believed to be bright.

Scroll over each point on the mining map to discover current mines or prospected areas at that location, or click on the company working there to learn more about them. The links below will also inform you more about the Long Range’s mining industry. To stay current on any prospects or developments be sure to view the province’s online geofiles.

For more information on mining within the zone please review the Mining Database.


Mining Related Links

Department of Natural Resources
  		•  Contains overviews, maps, quarries, explorations, updates and more.
    Department of Natural Resources (.pdf)
  		•  A recent report published in 2010 containing mining information regarding market conditions and information on select mines throughout the province.
    Newfoundland & Labrador Chamber of Mineral Resources
  		•  A non-profit group that represents the interests of all groups in the mining sector.
    Department of Natural Resources
  		•  Includes facts on monetary figures such as values, expenditures and employment rates. Also profiles several mines and their respective companies.
    Department of Natural Resources (GeoScience OnLine)
  		•  An interactive map that can display mineral locations, mine locations, land claim locations, existing databases, etc.
    Atlantic Minerals Limited
  		•  Showcases Atlantic Minerals performance procedures and capabilities in the Lower Cove mine.


    1 Economic Research and Analysis Division, Dept. of Finance. (2010). Mining. The Economic Review 2010 (pp. 16-20). Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
    2 Newfoundland and Labrador Chamber of Mineral Resources. (n.d.). The voice of the province’s mineral industry. Retrieved from http://www.nlcmr.ca/default.html
    3 Fisheries and Oceans Canada (in press). (2009). Social, Economic and Cultural Overview of Western Newfoundland and Southern Labrador.
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