Bronze Age tin mine to reopen in 2018

Canadian-owned Strongbow Exploration acquired the South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall, UK, and local media reports operations could restart within two years. Mining in the area dates back to the Bronze Age (between 2500-800 BC) and reached a peak in the latter half of the 1800s when Cornwall accounted for almost half the global tin trade. “We think that really we will be down there for decades,” says Richard Williams, President and CEO of Strongbow, saying the company “needs to demonstrate to the market that there is potential for long term mining at the site. At the moment, it is estimated that there is eight to nine years’ mine life, but we think that really we will be down there for decades.” Early estimates suggest that there are millions of tonnes of ore ready to be extracted between 600-800 metres below the surface.