The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) is expanding and purchasing new equipment for its Advanced Microanalysis Centre™ thanks to joint federal-provincial funding announced November 26, 2010. Saskatchewan mining companies and other industry sectors will now have access to a full range of analytical services and data interpretation in the province.

“Saskatchewan’s mining sector is an integral part of our economy,” said the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification. “This new equipment will help small-and medium-sized business accelerate exploration and mine development, creating more jobs and opportunities in our communities.”

“Enhancing the Advanced Microanalysis Centre’s capabilities will provide economic benefits to Saskatchewan by helping exploration and mining companies discover, tap into and develop new resources,” Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister and Minister responsible for SRC Rob Norris said. “Expanding its range of services will also give small- and medium-sized mining businesses access to the same world-class analytical facilities used by major mining companies.”

By expanding operations, the Centre will address growing industry demand to test and analyze a wider range of mineral samples, providing resource companies one-stop access to new technologies, analytical services and expert data interpretation. The analytical capacity of the Centre will be enhanced by the additional equipment including a high-resolution mass spectrometer, two X-ray fluorescence spectrometers and one X-ray diffractometer.

“This expansion will allow the Advanced Microanalysis Centre to provide an even more robust array of services to a broader client base here in Saskatchewan and well beyond,” said SRC Vice-President of Mining and Minerals Craig Murray. “These services will bring added value and complement the services already offered by our Geoanalytical Laboratories.”

The federal and provincial governments are providing $705,000 each through the Canada-Saskatchewan Western Economic Partnership Agreement (WEPA); the Saskatchewan Research Council is providing the remaining $500,000 towards the $1.9 million project. In 2009, SRC received $1.3 million in federal-provincial funding through WEPA with matching industry funds from SRC to create the Advanced Microanalysis Centre™.

Opened in February 2010, SRC's Advanced Microanalysis Centre™ offers the use of advanced microanalytical techniques with state-of-the-art equipment to support the requirements of the exploration and mining industries, as well as other sectors. The trained employees at the Centre provide high quality scientific and technical information for industrial and scientific use. It is also the only ISO-certified electron microprobe facility in Canada and the only Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) commercially-licensed facility that can safely prepare and test thin sections of radioactive materials.

Working with SRC’s Geoanalytical Laboratories, the Advanced Microanalysis Centre™ interacts with clients and develops services suitable for several mineral commodities including uranium, gold, base metals, diamonds, potash, rare earth elements and petroleum. The Advanced Microanalysis Centre's™ services are beneficial to companies, consultants, researchers and governments working in the geoscience sector.

Both Canada and Saskatchewan are contributing $25 million each, over four years, to the Canada-Saskatchewan Western Economic Partnership Agreement to strengthen economic activity and improve quality of life in western Canadian communities.