Airshaft Update

Work in July included:

•Continued the shaft lining process.

•Completed 9 liner pours.

•Lined an additional 360’ of the shaft.

•Shaft lining is 74% complete.

•Continued work on the septic system, site drainage, and environmental systems.

•The raisebore drill was fully demobilized from the site.

Shaft lining work will continue in August on a single shift with typical hours of 5AM-5PM, Monday-Saturday.  This work may shift earlier or later depending on weather and progress. Shaft lining and fitment is expected to continue through the summer and into fall. 

Work in June included:

• Continued the shaft lining process.
  • Completed 20 liner pours.
  • Lined an additional 730’ of the shaft.
  • Shaft lining is 58% complete.
• Continued work on the septic system, side walks, site drainage, and grading.

No work is planned for July 3rd through July 6th.  For the remainder of the month shaft lining will continue on a single shift with typical hours of 5AM-5PM, Monday-Saturday.  This work may shift earlier or later depending on weather and progress. Shaft lining and fitment is expected to continue through the summer and into fall. 

Due to the on-going pandemic Cargill recognized the high level of need to provide meals in our communities. Over the past few months, Cargill has made the following donations to support our communities:

• $40,000 for the Lansing Food Pantry
• Lansing and Watkins Glen worked together to provide $70,000 to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier which provides food for Broome, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties.
• $10,000 for the King Ferry Food Pantry
• $5,000 for the Dryden Family Meal Connection 

Work in May included:

• Commissioned the hoists and winches used in shaft lining.
• Began lining the shaft.
  • Completed 17 liner pours.
  • Lined 676’ of the shaft (28%).
• Continued work on the septic system, site drainage, and grading.

Shaft lining will continue on a single shift with typical hours of 5AM-5PM, Monday-Saturday.  This work may shift earlier or later depending on weather and progress. Shaft lining and fitment is expected to continue through the summer and into fall. 

Work in April included:

• Raisebore drilling of the shaft was completed on April 22nd, 2020.
• Demobilized the shaft drill and drill bit from the shaft foundation.
• Installed the temporary deck and headframe that will be used for shaft lining.
• Lowered the formwork and work deck into the shaft that will used for shaft lining.
• Began rope up and final commissioning of the hoists and winches that will used in shaft lining.

Shaft lining will begin the week of May 4th and will be conducted on a single shift per day. Typical shaft lining hours will be 5AM-5PM, Monday-Saturday, but may shift earlier or later depending on weather and progress. The concrete liner will be placed in 40’ lifts, which take 9 to 10 concrete trucks per pour.  Total shaft lining time is estimated at approximately 5 months. 

Work in March included:

• Installed siding and roof trim on the surface buildings.
• Ongoing interior work on the hoist house, maintenance building, and administrative building.
• Began construction on the concrete entry pads to the buildings and the sidewalks.
• Began construction of the collar house foundation.  The collar house is the building that encloses the shaft.
• Raisebore drilling of the shaft continued in March and was 60% complete by the end of the month.

Although Cargill is an essential business, due to the ongoing COVID-19 virus, all work not directly related to the ongoing shaft drilling, shaft lining, and environmental systems will be suspended at least until April 15. The surface work will be wound down until the site is secured.
 

Work in February included:

• Installed the roof panels on the administrative and maintenance buildings.
• Installed windows and doors on the hoist house.
• Ongoing interior work on the hoist house, maintenance building, and administrative building.
• Raisebore drilling of the shaft started in early February and was 25% complete by the end of the month. The shaft is being drilled at 16’ diameter, from the bottom up. Drilling is expected to continue on a 24-hour-per-day operation, Monday through Saturday throughout March and April.

Surface work will continue in March on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Installation of trim, windows, and doors on the buildings.
• Interior work on the buildings.
• Forming and pouring of the collar house foundation.

Work in January included:

• Installed the roof trusses and roof decking on the administrative building.
• Installed the roof and wall panels on the hoist house.
• Ongoing interior work on the hoist house, maintenance building, and administrative building.
• Completed the pilot hole drilling and moved the pilot hole drill rig off the shaft foundation.
• Assembled the raisebore drill on the shaft foundation and began tripping in drill rods.

Surface work will continue in February on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Installation of roof panels and siding trim on administrative and maintenance buildings.
• Interior work on the buildings.

Drilling of the raisebore is expected to start during the first week of February.  This drilling is schedule for 24 hour per-day operation, Monday through Saturday and is expected to take approximately three months.

Work in December included:

• Continued block wall construction on the administrative building, including starting the interior block walls.
• Installed the roof decking on the hoist house.
• Installed the wall panels on the maintenance building.
• Continued pilot hole drilling. Pilot hole is approximately 60% complete.

Surface work will continue in January on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Installation of the roof trusses on the administrative building.
• Continued installation of roof and wall panels on the hoist house and administrative buildings.
• Continued drilling of the pilot hole.

Starting January 8th, pilot hole drilling will move to 24 hour per-day operation, Monday through Saturday. The pilot hole is expected to be completed by the end of January. 

Work in November included:

• Began construction of the block walls, installed the sub-grade plumbing, and poured the floor for the administrative building.
• Installed the block walls and installed the structural steel for the hoist house.
• Set-up the pilot hole drill and began drilling the pilot hole.
• Revised a neighbor well-monitoring program.

Work will continue in December on a Monday through Saturday (6AM – 9PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Construction of the block walls and structural steel on the administrative building.
• Wall and roof panel installation on the hoist house, maintenance building, and admin building.
• Continued drilling of the pilot hole.

No work is currently planned from December 24th, 2019, through January 1st, 2020.

The pilot hole drill and components have begun to arrive on site and will be tested early in the month of November. Drilling of a pilot hole for the new mine shaft is scheduled to start the week of November 11th and is expected to take approximately 40 days to complete. Drilling will be on a 12-hour-per-day drill schedule, Monday through Saturday. The specialty electric mud pump has arrived. This pump is a quiet alternative to typical diesel pumps.

Work in October included:

• Finalized the substation installation and brought it online.
• Construction of the headframe back leg foundations are complete.
• Installation of the hoist mechanicals.
• Construction of the administrative building foundation.
• Construction of the maintenance building wall columns, roof trusses, and roof decking.
• Mobilizing drill components to the site.

Surface work will continue in November on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Construction of the block walls on the hoist house and administrative building.
• Installation of steel and trusses on the hoist house.
• Finalize backfilling around the shaft foundation.

Shaft construction is tentatively scheduled to start the last week of October with the drilling of a 2,500 feet deep pilot hole for the shaft. The pilot hole is expected to take 40 days to complete, running on a 12-hour per day drill schedule, Monday through Saturday. A specialty electric pump will be utilized instead of the typical diesel pump in order to minimize drilling noise.

Work in September included:

• Began waterproofing, backfilling, and compacting the shaft foundation. The backfill is 60% complete.
• Continued wiring and testing of the electrical substation equipment.
• Formed, added rebar, and poured the hoist foundation and the hoist house foundation.
• Installed the septic tank and began constructing the absorption areas.
• Built the block wall base for the maintenance building.

Surface work will continue in October on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Finalizing the substation installation and bringing it online.
• Construction of the headframe back leg foundations.
• Installation of the hoist.
• Construction of the administrative building foundation.
• Construction of the maintenance building wall and roof systems

Work in August included:

• Formed and poured the remaining 2 sections of the concrete shaft foundation.
• Set the substation equipment and began wiring it.
• Formed the hoist foundation and made the first of 2 pours.
• Began excavating for the hoist house foundation.

Surface work will continue in September on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Backfilling outside the shaft foundation.
• Wiring and installation of substation equipment.
• Construction of the hoist and hoist house foundations.
• Construction of the headframe back-leg foundations.
• Septic system construction.

Work completed in July:

• Continued final site grading and began seeding.
• Formed and poured 2 out of the total 4 sections of the concrete shaft foundation.
• Site fencing is now 75% complete.
• Began installing substation equipment.
• Formed and poured the maintenance shop foundation.

Surface work will continue in August on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Forming and pouring of the concrete shaft foundation.
• Wiring and installation of substation equipment.
• Final grading and seeding.
• Construction of the maintenance shop.

Work completed in June:

• Continued final site grading.
• Installed rebar and formwork for the shaft foundation.
• Installed fence posts for the final site fencing.
• Installed foundations for the new transformers in the electrical substation.

Surface work will continue in July on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Forming and pouring of the concrete shaft foundation.
• Installation of the electrical substation and systems.
• Site grading

Work completed in May:

• Site grading continued and is now 90% complete.
• The shaft foundation was excavated down to bedrock.
• Began installing rebar for the shaft foundation.
• The main entrance road was widened and graveled.

Surface work will continue in June on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule. This work will include:

• Forming and pouring of the concrete shaft foundation.
• Installation of the electrical substation and systems.
• Installation of additional site fencing.

Dirt work and rough grading began in April, with the installation of the erosion control and storm water pond systems. The electrical cable for mine power was also installed into the recently drilled borehole.

Surface work will continue in May on a Monday through Friday (7AM – 7PM) schedule.  This work will include:

• Grading of the parking lots
• Creating onsite service roads
• Excavation and construction of the shaft collar/foundation
• Installation of the electrical substation

With spring upon us, dirt work is scheduled to start in early April. Initial dirt work is expected to take approximately 6 weeks and will include upgrades to the entry road, construction of the drainage system and ponds, and rough grading of the site. Excavation work will be completed by LRS Excavating of Lansing, NY and is scheduled for 7AM through 7 PM, Monday through Friday.

Drilling of the power borehole is complete and the equipment is being demobilized from the site.  This 2,500’ deep by 8” diameter fully cased hole will be used to bring power into the mine closer to the working areas.  NYSEG has also completed the power install to the site.  In the coming months, LRS Excavating of Lansing, NY will start the site grading and HMT of Cicero, NY will start the substation installation.

Cargill has installed an above grade drill pad and is currently drilling an 8” finished drill hole. This borehole will be utilized for bringing power into the mine.  Drilling is scheduled for 7AM to 7PM and is expected to wrap up by early February.  Environmental controls are in place at the site.

Cargill has begun installing the environmental controls at the #4 Shaft site.  The controls include silt fencing around the construction site, a tie in at the road, and a construction entrance for minimizing dirt tracked onto the road. In the coming months general site grading will begin, with LRS Excavating, Inc. of Lansing conducting the work.