Jun 13, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. The provincial government is expected to announce later this month a more than $34-million investment in Fraser Papers' pulp and saw mill operations, New Brunswick Business Journal reported. Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault said the investment will bring much-needed upgrades to the firm's Plaster Rock saw milll and Edmundston pulp mill. The saw mill was shut down last October in response to unstable market conditions. The operation restarted several weeks ago to mill raw logs left in inventory, but the remaining stock would keep it running for just two to three weeks, said Terry Noble, general manager of wood procurement. Arseneault would not disclose the date the saw mill is expected to resume full operations after the upgrades are installed, saying it will survive over the long term. The minister said the new investment will not target the Juniper mill, which has been shut down since last fall. Noble, who had not been briefed on the upcoming announcement, said the Plaster Rock mill needs a new boiler that would produce steam to both dry the wood and generate electricity to fuel the plant. The upgrades, including repairs to the mill's boiler and turbine, will be done during a scheduled shutdown in September.