Mineral Rights Consultant Sought

The province is looking for an expert to help tender the mineral rights to the Donkin coal resource in Cape Breton.

"Donkin is a significant coal resource that the province must ensure is developed in a responsible manner by a company with the technical know-how and the financial capability," said Richard Hurlburt, Minister of Natural Resources.

Accordingly, the Department of Natural Resources has issued a request for proposals through the public tenders office for a consultant with extensive knowledge of the coal mining industry to assist with tendering the mineral rights.

The consultant will help department staff develop a call for proposals for mineral rights to the Donkin coal resource, establish evaluation criteria to assess responses and evaluate proposals.

Last year, the Cape Breton Development Corporation surrendered the mining lease for the Sydney coalfield after holding this mineral right since 1967. A portion of this former lease area includes the Donkin coal resource block, which comprises the largest offshore coal resource in Nova Scotia.

The target date for completing the mineral rights tendering process is June 28.

For more information see the website at www.gov.ns.ca/tran/tour/ .