Project Evaluation - Western States Mining Consultants, P.C.

In the competitive minerals market, it is imperative that companies know the risks when embarking on a new project. WSMC has evaluated various base metal, precious metal, coal, trona, and industrial mineral properties for numerous clients looking for new acquisitions, or expansion of current operations. Our recommendations have been used to acquire new, or expand existing mineral properties. In some cases these acquisitions have required investments of over $100 million.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Tailings Facility Feasibility Study	Sweetwater County, Wyoming	General Chemical Corporation
David H. Scriven was project manager and project engineer on the feasibility of modifying the existing tailings facility from a fill and excavate single discharge tailings disposal system to a expandable, multi-point discharge system using upstream construction techniques. The multi-point discharge system proved to be about one third the cost of the present system.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Exploration Core Drilling and Geologic Report Sections 24, 25, 36, T18N, R109W	Sweetwater County, Wyoming	General Chemical Corporation
David H. Scriven was project manager for the exploration for trona in Bed 17 through Bed 1. The project included rotary drilling for 1400 to 1600 feet and core drilling an additional 300 to 500 feet. The holes were sampled and logged on five foot intervals and the core of the trona was split and assayed for sodium carbonate content.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Lease by Application	Gillette, Wyoming	Kennecott Energy-Antelope Coal Company
The Antelope Mine had the desire to acquire additional coal leases adjacent to their current lease. In support of bid preparation for the LBA and the Bureau of Land Management evaluation, WSMC prepared two life of mine plans and economic evaluations; one which includes the additional lease and one which did not. Medsystems, by Minetech, Inc. was utilized for all mine planning and sequence map preparation.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Underground Exploration, Core Drilling, and Geologic Report	Sweetwater County, Wyoming	General Chemical Corporation
An exploration program was completed to test lower trona beds below Bed 17 from within the General Chemical Mine. Sixteen core holes were drilled to a depth ranging from 85 to 187 feet. The holes were logged the entire depth with a detailed log completed for each trona bed. The trona beds with economic thickness were split and assayed for percentage of sodium carbonate. Data from this program was supplied to General Chemical for input into their geologic modeling program for reserve calculations. The core was preserved for future assay and rock mechanics studies for future mine planning.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Analysis of Incremental Cost Claims Surface Area Coal Mine	Routt County, Colorado	Public Service Company of Colorado
D.H. Scriven was staff engineer and helped in the performance of the analysis of incremental cost claims resulting from a coal sale agreement between PSCo and a surface coal mine operation in Northwestern Colorado. The assignment was to perform a technical evaluation of the claim for incremental operating, ownership and support costs covering several years of operations. The claims were associated with changes in government regulations on mine land reclamation. It was our assignment to determine the entitlement, or basis, for each claim and develop quantum models for predicting the incremental costs based on the mine's production records and mining procedures. The analysis was a key part of the information base supporting a negotiated settlement.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Operating Mine Cost Evaluation	Powder River Basin Campell County, Wyoming	Putnam, Hayes & Bartlett, Inc.
David H. Scriven was the technical consultant to Putnam, Hayes & Bartlett, Inc., a management and economic consulting firm representing a rural electric cooperative in a lawsuit with a coal mining/supply company. His assignment was to evaluate operating cost information provided by the mining company and to develop operating cost schedules for various scenarios of coal supply from two alternative mining operations in the Powder River Basin. The dispute was settled prior to trial.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Preliminary Feasibility Study; Underground Storage of Tailings	Green River, Wyoming	General Chemical Corporation
WSMC completed a preliminary feasibility study to inject plant tailings into abandoned portions of the General Chemical Mine. The study included preliminary design of all surface facilities and design of injection patterns for tailings injection. The study also provided estimates for capital and operating costs and provided a comparison for surface storage of tailings.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Preliminary Design and Cost Estimate Evaporation Ponds, Grading Plan and Access Roads North Butte Project	Casper, Wyoming	Pathfinder Mining Company
In preparation for budgetary approval for the North Butte Project, an in-situ uranium leaching project, WSMC prepared preliminary designs for two double lined evaporation ponds, access roads to the site including five stream crossings and a site grading plan for construction of office and plant facilities. Upon completion of the preliminary designs, cost estimates were compiled for all final design, permitting, construction and construction management costs. These costs were used for the corporate capital appropriation budget for the project.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
In-Pit Convey or Haulage Study; Caballo Rojo Mine	Powder River Basin, Wyoming	Mobil Coal Producing, Inc.
David H. Scriven was mining engineer in charge of design and economic feasibility of operating in-pit conveyors at the Caballo Rojo Mine for coal haulage. The design included movable hoppers at the shovel locations, in-pit crushers and conveyors to the load-out facility. The study was completed for the life of mine reserves. In addition to total conveyor haulage, an alternative case using partial truck haulage to semi-permanent in-pit crushers was also studied. In both cases, the overburden was handled by trucks and shovels using a haulback method.

Project Name	Project Location(s)	Client / Division
Synfuel Task Force; Coal to Gasoline Project	Montana, Wyoming, Texas	Mobil Oil Company
In studying the feasibility of producing lead-free gasoline from coal, Mobil Oil Company formed a task force to study each of the individual components required for the project. The scope of the project was designed to produce 100,000 barrels per day of high octane lead free gasoline using sub-bituminous coal or lignite. David H. Scriven was the engineer managing the design and economic feasibility of five different mine sites in the Western United States; two in Montana, two in Wyoming and one in Texas. Both mines in Montana were designed using draglines for overburden stripping and trucks and shovel for coal haulage. One of the mine sites in Wyoming was all truck-shovel, the other was a combination dragline and bucket wheel excavator design. The Texas site was an all bucket wheel excavator design on a multi-seam coal deposit.

Project Name	Project Location	Client / Division
Bed 14 Feasibility Study; Alchem Mine	Green River, Wyoming	General Chemical Corporation
WSMC performed the feasibility study to determine the economics and mining method for mining Bed 14 which lies approximately 85 feet below the current mining in Bed 17. The study included rock mechanics testing and modeling to determine the alignment of pillars and main entry ways as well as the roof support requirements. Mining costs were developed by adjusting current mining experience to differing conditions anticipated in Bed 14. Preliminary designs were made for two declines to access the new portion of the mine. Mine scheduling and economic evaluations were conducted to determine overall feasibility of the project.