New Gold material to off-site facilities that handle such materials .” Upon establishing a mining site , a comprehensive shutdown and restoration plan is put in place to ensure “ the land is returned as it was before the mine existed ,” Gallagher says . The company also maintains a nursery that grows indigenous plants and trees to re-vegetate the areas .

Looking to the future , the company is exploring deposits at Rio Figueroa in Chile and Liberty Bell in Alaska . Rio Figueroa is another joint venture between New Gold and Chilean Antofagasta Minerals S . A . Exploration efforts revealed a potential to host significant copper-gold and / or epithermal gold mineralization . Antofagasta has the potential to earn 70 percent of the mine ’ s production while New Gold , as the mine operator , will obtain the remaining 30 percent . “ Rio Figueroa features very good geological similarities to the El Morro mine ,” claims Mark Petersen , vice president of exploration . “ We can use our team ’ s knowledge of the current mine to help explore cost-effective mining methods at Rio Figueroa .” Liberty Bell in Alaska is also in the preliminary stages of exploration . “ As Alaska projects go , this one is very user friendly ,” Petersen says . “ The site is near a major highway and rail lines , there are established power lines and it is linked by well-maintained gravel roads .”

Gallagher is optimistic about the company ’ s future . “ Some of the biggest assets New Gold has are the best operating team coupled with an astute financial team ,” he asserts . “ The company is poised for tremendous organic growth .” ■

[ Details correct at time of writing ]

www . newgold . com m-mtoday . com 69