In this newsletter:
• Conuma Chatter
• Safety Wins
• Conuma Cares
• Sustainability
• Values Chain - Employee Spotlight
• Learning and Development
• Myth Buster (this is a juicy one!)
• Employee Shoutouts
Want the Scoop delivered to your inbox each month? If the answer is yes, (and why wouldn't it be?), please scan the QR code to sign up with your personal email.
We will still deliver fresh hot print copies of the Scoop on the bus and at worksites but for those employees without a Conuma email, why not sign up for The Conuma Scoop mailing list.
Congratulations to Trevor Wilhelmsen, a dispatcher at the Brule, for being the first person to sign up for the Conuma Scoop mailing list! We hope you enjoy your Conuma merch!
Just the Coal'd Hard Facts!
Strength is re-emerging in steel-making coal markets this week. Increased steel production in China is driving higher steelmaking coal demand, that analysts believe will push steel and coke producers to western markets to attain necessary supply. This demand upside is being solidified by a large number of announced blast furnace restarts in China in recent weeks.
In markets outside of China, expectations of increased demand in post-monsoon season restocking by India and continued shortages in Europe with steel producers unable to procure supply from Russia, are driving forward curve price expectations above $250/t for PLV HCC across the remainder of 2022. Expectations are that historically high relativities for PCI against this index will also persist without Russia PCI supply participating in global markets. Ultimately, expectations are for meaningful price improvements to close out 2022.
Top 5 things to do in Tumbler
Ridge / Chetwynd before the snow hits!
We have heard some rumblings of cool things happening in and around the communities this month. To get the scoop, we asked some Conuma outdoor enthusiasts for their recommended top 5 things to do in Tumbler Ridge / Chetwynd, this month:
1. Take a run or bike in the beautiful nature of Morfee Lake. On August 20th in Mackenzie, check out the Morfee Lake Scramble with a 15km bike or run topped off with a BBQ at the end. To register, check out https://tinyurl.com/Morfeelake.
2. Pop by the Conuma BBQs! On August 20th and 28th in Tumbler Ridge and August 21st and 27th in Chetwynd, Conuma will be hosting a community BBQ to show its appreciation to its employees and enjoy the short-lived summer weather.
3. Take a dip in Gwillim Lake! With the warm temperatures overheating us all, why not cool down in Gwillim Lake. While you are at it, show off some of your best water bombs at the dock proudly donated by Conuma.
4. All this talk of activity might be making us hungry! Why not stop in at Tumbler Ridge’s newest food spot at the Golf Course Clubhouse and get some fuel from TR Mulligans - word is the Bacon Cheddar Burger is delicious.
5. According to Conuma hiking enthusiast, Lisa Risvold, the trek to check out this time of year is Bergeron Falls Trail. Don't forget your bear spray!
Christmas Comes Early to the Wolverine
Wolverine celebrated Christmas early when it received two new haul trucks last month. We are curious how Summer Santa was able to fit them in his sleigh?
New Employee Engagement Program Launching
Exciting things are happening in the Health & Safety / Employee Engagement world at Conuma these days. We have been listening to our employees, and hearing that you want to be more engaged with site improvements as well as health and safety - you want to have a stake in, and actively participate in, reducing risks. So, starting earlier this month we introduced a program that encourages and rewards workers for telling us when they see a safety risk or other improvements that they have identified in their work environment, and then share their ideas on how to control and correct it. Some of the best solutions come from the people who work in that environment every day. Please think about how we can stop incidents before they happen. We encourage you to send in your ideas because this program gives you the chance to share all of your knowledge and experience – imagine the power of a thousand minds moving health and safety forward!
Naming Contest: we’re looking for a great name for this new program, so please submit your idea to your site Health and Safety rep. The chosen name wins a prize!
Willow Creek Wash Plant Sets Record
E-fish-ent Fishers
the Conuma prizes with her whopper of a fish.
Back to School Scholarships
We were delighted to award scholarships to graduates of Tumbler Ridge, Chetwynd, and Mackenzie Secondary Schools in June. The deserving students are continuing their studies in the areas of engineering, environmental sciences, welding, heavy duty mechanics, electrician, and nursing. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients and all the best for your continued studies! #SchoolIsCool
Conuma at the Heart of the Community
Summer is a wonderful time in BC and Conuma is a proud supporter of community events including Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark 4th Annual Fishing Derby, Groundbirch 4-H Achievement Day & Sale, Lee-Anne Howes Memorial Bike Giveaway as part of Saulteau First Nations’ Pemmican Days and the Wolverine Mountain Nordic Society’s Emperor’s Challenge. We are grateful to be a part of a community that really cares about each other and knows how to have fun
Conuma will continue to support local not-for-profit associations and community events in the fall and winter. For more information about our involvement in local communities or to provide feedback, please contact Lisa Risvold at lrisvold@conumacoal.com, or by phone or text at 250-2427881.
Will the Price of Fuel Ever Go Down??
The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no’.
Oil prices, which make up most of the cost of our fuel, are at five-year highs, due mainly to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Supply shortages will hopefully improve in the next six months as other regions look to increase production, bringing some relief.
However, what many people don’t realize is that various taxes on our fuel, including Carbon Tax, currently cost around 45 cents per litre (c/l). And, unfortunately, this is only going one way – UP!! #PainAtThePump The Carbon Tax will add around 4c/l annually until at least 2030.
In addition, BC fuel producers must increase the percentage of bio or renewable fuels in the fuel they sell. Because these fuels are currently scarce, their cost is much higher than crude-oil-based fuels, increasing what we pay at the pump.
At Conuma, we consume nearly 80 million litres of diesel annually, a huge and necessary cost to the Company. Given the increasing fuel cost and the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions from burning this fuel, we are looking at several ways to use the fuel we buy more efficiently. Ultimately, we want to operate our mining equipment primarily from other energy sources such as renewable electricity but until then we want to ensure the fuel use is as efficient as possible.
We have committed to reducing our carbon intensity (the amount of fossil fuel we burn per tonne of coal we produce) by 15% by 2030. This makes a lot of sense, for both reducing our impact on the environment and ultimately saving costs. Be ready to hear about some exciting initiatives on this front in the next six months. If you have any suggestions for potential opportunities based on operational experience or innovative thinking, please reach out to our Sustainability Coordinator, Brandon Lewis blewis@conumacoal.com, by phone or text at 250-257-0735.
Philip Stirling: Driller at Wolverine
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be? There are no superpowers for a job well done. Help all so we can all succeed.
What is your favourite thing about working at Conuma? My favourite thing about working with Conuma is how we all help others to be safe.
Which Conuma employee do you think personifies a Conuma value? Christopher Taylor.
As our Shifter, Chris is always listening to what you have to say or what's going on. One night shift, a new ramp was made for a new drill pattern. Chris took the time to show me the extremely steep ramp. To me, Chris really embodies the Conuma value of Safety: We are accountable and disciplined to eliminate safety risk.
