Cliff Frame returned to Denison for his third tenure, initially as Executive Vice-President and eventually as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. He was again faced with problems of highly active mineral cycles, a shortage of manpower, stricter ventilation exposure standards, training requirements and unsatisfactory production levels.

One of the problems this time was a shortage of up to 1,500 people and, necessarily, because of the high demand for people to service the booming mining industry, the training of these numbers and the preservation of safety standards required a new and different approach. To achieve these goals, Denison took over the facilities of Sault College in Elliot Lake and hired and appointed professional trainers to introduce prospective mining candidates and apprentices to fill these roles – a new approach for the mining industry.

The programme took several years to complete and to reach full production levels. The mine was able to maintain its high standard of safety and to reach, again, more stringent environmental limitations

THE COAL DEAL

In 1975, Clifford was responsible for initiating the development of Northeast Coal production in conjunction with the federal and provincial government and six major steel companies of Japan. The coal was developed at a cost of $3.5 billion and also included 52 banks, three additional partners and six steel mills. The deal was one of the toughest challenges he would face in his career. To help implement every facet of the deal, he implemented the first computer-based financial-analysis mine-development software in conjunction with experts at Wood Gundy. The computer-program had approximately $5 million worth of software.

On February 10, 1981 in Vancouver Premier Bennett, the Honourable Don Phillips, Senator Olson and Senator Perrault participated in a signing ceremony commemorating the Northeast Coal Agreement. Representing Japanese steel companies were Tsuneji Nemoto and Masayosu Iwaki while Teck Corporation's Bob Hallbauer and Denison Mines' C. H. Frame represented the Canadian coal companies.

An agreement signed in Vancouver February 10, 1981 by the governments of British Columbia and Canada, two Canadian coal companies and a consortium representing the Japanese steel industry will mean increased export sales in excess of $500 million a year to our province. In announcing the details of the $2,3 billion project aimed at delivering both metallurgical and thermal coal to Japan by late 1983 Industry and Small Business Development Minister Don Philips said. The economic impact of development of the northeast coal field will surpass all previous resource developments in the province. In fact, the agreement just reached will result in the largest export contract ever negotiated by Canada." The contract called for 7.7 million tonnes of the coal to be delivered annually to Japan.

The first ship to dock at Ridley Island coal terminal

"The signing culminates 12 years of work since leases were first obtained in 1969," said C. H. Frame of Denison's Quintette mine. "In the past six years we have spent $25 million on feasibility studies leading to this day."

Coal activities in 1982 were highlighted by the Quintette project which was progressing rapidly towards a production start planned for the end of 1983. The full-scale construction and development phase was well underway. Financing arrangements with an international group of lenders led by Canadian, Japanese and French banks were concluded early in 1983. Coincident with the finalization of the financing, the Japanese Steel Industry and Sumitomo Corporation acquired equity interests in the Quintette project.

POTASH

The detailed feasibility study which was completed in late 1982 on the potash property near Sussex, New Brunswick, had demonstrated the commercial feasibility of full-scale development. Marketing of the potash products was undertaken through Potacan by Entreprise Miniere et Chimique and Kali and Salz A.G. These major European companies had a 40% interest in the development and have been significant participants in world potash markets for over eighty years.

The mine was put in production in a record time. Sinking of the production shaft was started in 1983. On surface, the site had been prepared for construction of the surface structures. The excess brine disposal pipeline to the Bay of Fundy has been surveyed and acquisition of the right-of-way was near completion. Pipeline construction started in April and was completed by September, 1984. This pipeline was one of the most advanced features of the operations. Instead of building a plant to treat the brine, the excess salt was pumped into the ocean.

The production objective was a minimum annual output of 1,430,000 tons of potash product. This was supported by proven, probable and possible reserves of over 254 million tons of ore averaging 28% K₂0 grade.

In April 1985, Clifford Frame departed Denison Mines and formed Curragh Resources Ltd.