Vista (Phase I + Phase II)

RESOURCE CONTEXT

Huge Plains subbituminous endowment with no domestic market; Coalspur Vista exports 7–8 Mt/yr

Domestic coal power ended in 2024; the remaining market is seaborne export from Vista and Coal Valley.

Official reserve statements for this commodity (2)

• Coal reserves, all ranks (dated)33 Gt (2016 figure, not updated) · Remaining established reserves · 2016AER ST98 2016 infographic ↗
• Vista / Obed coalfield resource1,322 Mt · Resource estimate · 2024Global Energy Monitor ↗

GEOLOGICAL SETTING

Prospectivity envelopes for Thermal coal

• Plains subbituminous coal (Ardley / Horseshoe Canyon)Highly favourable
  Flat-lying Paleocene–Upper Cretaceous coal zones at shallow depth

Development regime

Tenure

Coal lease (existing leases only; new Crown leases paused).

Royalty

Bituminous 1 % pre-payout / 1 % + 13 % net post-payout; subbituminous C$0.55/t.

DATASETS TO STACK HERE

Public layers that cover this site

• Bedrock geology of Alberta (Map 600 tiles)Alberta Geological SurveyWhich formation is at the bedrock surface: the first screen for outcropping targets such as silica sand, limestone, ironstone, bentonite, ammonite shell and shallow coal.
• Bedrock geology polygons (DIG 2013-0018, queryable)Alberta Geological SurveyAttribute-level bedrock mapping for screening host lithologies; heavy, so it loads only when zoomed in.
• Sediment (drift) thickness above bedrockAlberta Geological SurveyOverburden cost for open-pit targets and the depth of cover that geophysics must see through.
• AGS prospective areas for mineral explorationAlberta Geological SurveyThe survey's own view of where each commodity is prospective; compare with the Atlas knowledge-driven envelopes.
• NRCan Map 900A: producing mines, mineral areas, oil & gas fieldsNatural Resources CanadaOfficial federal view of producing operations to cross-check the Atlas mine inventory.
• Coal mine boundaries (Alberta Energy)Alberta Energy and MineralsWhere coal has been or is being mined; coal-zone geology itself is published in AGS reports, not as a service.
• Coal Development Policy (1976) categories 1–4Government of AlbertaCategory 1 = no exploration; Category 2 = no open pit. The decisive constraint for metallurgical coal.
• Coal agreementsAlberta Energy and MineralsExisting coal rights are the only route to a new mine under the Coal Industry Modernization Initiative.

NEARBY OPERATIONS

Within reach

• Latitude 53 geothermal greenhouse (Hinton)Geothermal · Novus Earth · ≈7 kmPermitting
• Cadomin QuarryQuarry · Heidelberg Materials · ≈39 kmOperating
• Cheviot / Cardinal RiverCoal mine · Teck → Elk Valley Resources (Glencore) · ≈47 kmClosed (recent)
• Coal Valley (Pit 26)Coal mine · Prairie Mines & Royalty (Westmoreland) · ≈59 kmOperating
• Grande Cache (No. 8 Mine)Coal mine · CST Canada Coal · ≈121 kmOperating
• Summit Mine 14 (underground)Coal mine · Summit Coal (Valory Resources) · ≈127 kmPermitting