Castle Resources is a junior mining company which hopes to continue the redevelopment of its 100 per cent owned past-producing Granduc Copper Mine in Stewart, B.C.
On June 12, 2012, Castle Resources announced it has received the statutory right of way from the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations for the 17 kilometre long Granduc Tunnel for a renewable period of 30 years.
The tunnel connects the underground mine to the Granduc Road, which leads to year-round port facilities in Stewart. The permit grants private road access for the Granduc Tunnel for mineral exploration purposes, including underground diamond drilling.
The Granduc tunnel was constructed in the mid-1960s by Newmont Mining, the developer and initial operator of the Granduc Mine. The tunnel was designed for rail transportation of ore, people and supplies between the underground mine and the mill. In 2011, Castle Resources contracted Procon Mining and Tunneling to refurbish the tunnel and provide efficient and safe mobile access for operations.