Resource World Magazine

58 www.resourceworld.com D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 MININGWORLD SOME PRETTy uNuSuAL aircraft will soon be flying over Canada and Alaska in the service of remote oil & gas and mining projects. Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. [QRM-TSX] is the most recent of resource companies to announce that is has an agreement with Straightline Aviation. Straightline is the world's first owner-operator of the Hybrid Airship developed by Lockheed Martin. In November, Quest Rare Minerals announced that these futuristic air- ships will provide shuttle transportation between Quest's Strange Lake mine site in Northern Québec and Schefferville. In August, Alaska-based PRL Logistics Inc., a company that provides logistics services to the oil & gas and mining com- panies that operate in the remote north of Canada and Alaska, announced that it had teamed up with Straightline Aviation to bring the airship to the far north. Early in 2016, Straightline signed a let- ter of intent to purchase up to 12 Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airships (LMH-1) for ~$480 million from Hybrid Enterprises (Lockheed Martin's exclusive hybrid air- ship reseller). The LMH-1 acts like a hovercraft when operating near the ground, eliminating the need for building airstrips or even landing pads, reducing impact on the environment. The ship can land, Hybrid Enterprises says, "on virtually any surface including snow, ice, gravel and even water." The ship has a 10'x10'x60' cargo bay that can carry a whopping 44,000 lbs of payload and up to 19 passengers. Hybrid Enterprises says the Hybrid Airships "combine the technology of lighter than air aircraft with airplanes, helicopters and hovercraft. Helium pro- vides 80% of the lift with the remaining lift coming from the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft and its four thrust vectoring engines. The airship also features a unique hovercraft-like Air Cushion Landing System that facilitates taxiing and holds the craft firmly on the ground." Besides driving innovation towards the development of new technologies, the resource industry pushes existing technology to meet the industry's needs. Helicopters and small, fixed-wing aircraft have long been in the employ of the min- ing industry. They are used to fly in and out people, equipment, supplies and high value product such as gold concentrate. Remote projects are often only accessible by air and rough terrain is often best sur- veyed by air. Sometimes conventional aircraft are customized to meet industry needs using the latest technology. BC-based Precision GeoSurveys Inc. specializes in providing high-resolution magnetic, electromagnetic and radiomet- ric surveys for exploration and mining companies. The company has dedicated helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft specifi- cally equipped for airborne geophysics. In an interview, Harmen Keyser, President of Precision GeoSurveys, dis- cussed providing airborne geophysics to the mining industry. His company has been in business for 10 years and has a fleet Lockheed Martin's Hybrid Airship the LMH-1 Mining and Aviation – a prosperous partnership by Kathrine Moore

• Cover