Mining and Exploration highlights - Minerals...
Transcript of Mining and Exploration highlights - Minerals...
Mining and Exploration highlights
C. Paul Jago - P.Geo., Regional Geologist, Prince George BC
Omineca and Northeast regions, British Columbia, 2015-16
Mines and selected exploration projects, 2015
Main mineral deposit types mined
and/or explored for in 2014:
- Epithermal gold-silver & gold vein
- Porphyry copper-gold ± Ag ± Mo
Porphyry molybdenum
- Sediment-hosted zinc-lead ± Ag
- Niobium ± REE (specialty metals)
- Nickel-iron alloy (awaruite)
- Barite veins
- Phosphate
- Limestone, Dimension stone
- Med volatile bituminous coal
- Anthracite coal
Updated mineral exploration expenditure & drilling statistics
Expenditure
$70.8 million
in 2015 (23.3% less YOY)
Drilling
57,350 m(14.6% less YOY)
Mineral production in BC
$6.9 B
Average increase of $345 M/y since 2003
20132014 $272 M
(2015)
Skeena Region = 43.0%Omineca-Northeast Region = 26.1%
69% of expenditure from Northern BC
Average increase of $26 M/y since 2003
Northeast Region:
- Peace River Coalfield
Peace River Coalfield: mines
• five metallurgical coal mines
(and mine developments) placed on
C&M since 2013:
Trend-Roman - Anglo American plc
Perry Creek - Walter Energy, Inc.
Brule - Walter Energy, Inc.
Willow Creek -Walter Energy, Inc.
Quintette-Babcock - Teck Coal Limited
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RT R
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• mined inventory transported in January at:
Trend-Roman - Anglo American plc
• and processed and transported to May at:
Brule - Walter Energy, Inc.
Willow Creek -Walter Energy, Inc.
2015:
HA
RT R
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GES
Metallurgical coal
Sukunka - Glencore plc (75%), JX Nippon Oil
& Energy Corp. (25%)
• Env. Assessment (under review)
• updated resource/geologic model
• eng. & env. studies - proposed open-pit mine
• <3 Mt saleable coal (initially)
• >20 year mine life, ~540 jobs ops
• 145 Mt in situ resource (M & I)
• Env. Assessment (issued in Oct, 2015)
• driving decline (1350 m)
• drilling (11 holes - hydrogeo., explor.)
• 2016: bulk sample complete - mine permitting
• proposed underground longwall mine
• avg. production of 4.8 Mt/y saleable coal.
• 25 year mine life, ~760 jobs ops
• 261.6 Mt (proven reserve)
Murray River - HD Mining Int’l Ltd.
Peace River Coalfield: mine evaluation
Murray River HD Mining International Ltd.
Peace River Coalfield area: mine evaluation
Industrial mineral phosphate (fertilizer)
HA
RT R
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Wapiti East - Fertoz International Ltd.
• scoping study, upgraded resource
• <75,000 t/y mine lease application submitted (late 2014)
• proposed seasonal shallow open-pit mine
• >20 year mine life
• 0.81 Mt at 22.3% P2O5 (Ind.)
• 2016: 10,000 t bulk sample sales (Wapiti East & Fernie projects)
• field & lab testing for organic certification
• direct application fertilizer product
Omineca Region: - Kechika trough
- Toodoggone River area
- Muskwa ranges
Fireside - Fireside Minerals Ltd.
• 2015 barite production:
65,000 tonnes mined
32,000 tonnes milled
• sold as a weighting agent for
drilling fluids in oil/gas
exploration, prevents blowouts
NACAQNST
Akie - Canada Zinc Metals Corp.
• diamond drilling (8 holes; 5350 m)
• 2014-15 airborne gravity gradiometry data
• updating NI 43-101 resource estimate
• environmental baseline studies
• permitted for underground development
& drilling
Kechika trough: grassroots to advanced
Kechika Regional
• 140 km trend of contiguous properties
• 2014-15 airborne gravity gradiometry
data received for:
Yuen North & Mt. Alcock properties
Sediment-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag
Cardiac Creek deposit (Akie)
• 19.6 Mt at 8.2% Zn, 1.6% Pb, 13.6 g/t Ag (Ind.)
= 3540 Mlbs Zn , 685 Mlbs Pb, 8.6 Moz Ag
• 8.1 Mt at 6.8% Zn, 1.2% Pb, 11.2 g/t Ag (Inf.)
Drilling highlights 28.51 m of 10.22% Zn, 2.34% Pb, 20.45 g/t Ag (A-15-121)
23.36 m of 8.63% Zn, 1.68% Pb, 14.64 g/t Ag (A-15-122)
21.41 m of 9.47% Zn, 2.11% Pb, 18.22 g/t Ag (A-15-124)
15.76 m of 9.71% Zn, 1.74% Pb, 15.75 g/t Ag (A-15-125)
1300 m strike length700 m down-dip extent20 m avg. true thickness
NACAQNST
Cirque - Teck Resources Limited,
Korea Zinc Company Limited
• drilling (5370 m; 5 holes)
• geochemical sampling (rock, soil)
• mapping, prospecting
• 2014-15 airborne gravity gradiometry data
received
Kechika trough: grassroots to advanced
Kechika Regional (Pie Option): Yuen, Cirque East, Pie, Elf
• drill target definition
• geochemical sampling (rock, soil)
• mapping, prospecting, core relogging
• gravity geophysical survey (12.5 line-km)
• 2014-15 airborne gravity data received
• Pb-Zn anomaly (2.2 x 0.5 km) defined on Yuen
North Cirque deposit (Cirque)
non NI 43-101 compliant:
38.5 Mt at 8% Zn, 2.2% Pb, 47.2 g/t Ag (Ind.)(MacIntyre, 1998 - Bulletin 103)
1000 m strike length300 m down-dip extent<60 m thickness
Akie
Cirque
NACAQNST
Aley - Taseko Mines Limited
• Env. Assessment (pre-ap.)
• eng. & metallurgical studies
• geochemical characterization of ore
• environmental baseline data collection
• proposed open-pit mine
- 10,000 t/d processing
• avg. 9000 t/y niobium production
• 24 year mine life
• 83.8 Mt at 0.50% Nb2O5;
~292,900 tonnes Nb (P&P)
Muskwa ranges: grassroots to mine evaluation
Coral - Minfocus Exploration Corp.
• geochemical sampling (rock),
mapping, prospecting
• 3.21% Zn, 0.70% Pb avg. grade in
12.9 m long trench
MVT zinc-lead deposit
Carbonatite-hosted niobium
Magnetite, apatite, phlogopite, Nb-oxides
1200 x 400 m proposed open pit
NACAQNST
Kemess Underground - AuRico Metals Inc.
• proposed underground panel cave mine
• 2015: geotechnical drilling, test pitting
• 2016: Env. Assessment (under review)
• feasibility study update
• 24,600 t/d processing - 12 year mine life
• ore is 200-550 m below surface
• using Kemess South infrastructure
• pre-production capex = C$603 million
• 4-year development period, >400 jobs
Toodoggone River area: advanced to mine evaluation
Porphyry Cu-Au-Ag-Mo
• avg. annual production:
106 Koz Au, 47 Mlbs Cu
• LOM production:
1.4 Moz Au, 573 Mlbs Cu, 4.5 Moz Ag
2 km
• 107.4 Mt at 0.27% Cu, 0.54 g/t Au, 2.0 g/t Ag (P&P)
= 629.6 Mlbs Cu, 1.9 Moz Au, 6.9 Moz Ag
• 246.4 Mt at 0.22% Cu, 0.42 g/t Au, 1.8 g/t Ag (M&I)
NACAQNST
Toodoggone River area: advanced to mine evaluation
Kemess East - AuRico Metals Inc.
• one km east of KUG
• 2015: drilling (15 holes; 27,719 m)
• Kemess East & Kemess Offset zones
• open in three directions
• geochemical sampling (rock),
mapping, prospecting
• high-grade deposit core delineated
• 2016: metallurgical testwork program
• updated resource estimate based on
lithological, structural & alteration models
Porphyry Cu-Au-Ag-Mo
• 39.2 Mt at 0.40% Cu, 0.50 g/t Au, 2.0 g/t Ag
= 344 Mlbs Cu, 627 Koz Au, 2.5 Moz Ag (Ind.)
• 109.6 Mt at 0.37% Cu, 0.38 g/t Au, 2.0 g/t Ag (Inf.)
• High grade core:
19.2 Mt at 0.47% Cu, 0.72 g/t Au, 2.0 g/t Ag (Ind.)
Kemess East -AuRico Metals Inc.
• drilling highlights:
• 305 m of 0.625 g/t Au, 0.433% Cu (KH-15-01)
• 301 m of 0.466 g/t Au, 0.394% Cu (KH-15-02)
• 458 m of 0.640 g/t Au, 0.437% Cu (KH-15-23)
• 590 m of 0.516 g/t Au, 0.366% Cu (KH-15-27)
• 772 m of 0.465 g/t Au, 0.365% Cu (KH-15-30)
• mineralization: 850-1600 m depth
Toodoggone River area: advanced to mine evaluation
NS
Kemess East zone Kemess Offset zone
NACAQNST
Epithermal Au-Ag
Toodoggone River area: early stage
Lawyers - PPM Phoenix Precious
Metals Corp.
• drilling (24 holes, 4002 m), prospecting
• Cliff Creek North (1600 m strike length) &
Duke's Ridge (1480 m) zones
• verify and infill historic results
• P2 vein discovery:
0.7 m over 274 g/t Au, 7542 g/t Ag
• first drilling program in 9 years
Groundhog – Atrum Coal Groundhog Inc.
• proposed Groundhog North Mining Complex
• updating PFS for underground & highwall mines
• 2016: underground bulk sample permit (<100 Kt)
Bowser Basin: advanced stage
Anthracite coal • planned initial small-scale mine permit (<250 Kt/y)
• eng. studies and env. baseline data collection
• coal quality testing & washing simulations
• improved yields >80% for Duke E seam
• upgraded resource & geological model
Magnetite replacement and breccia body Lawyers
Groundhog North - proposed initial portal development
• 349.4 Mt in situ anthracite (M&I) - Groundhog North
• 259.7 Mt in situ anthracite (M&I) - East of Skeena
NACAQNST
Kliyul - Teck Resources Limited,
Kiska Metals Corporation
• drilling (4 holes, 1908 m)
• geochemical sampling (rock), mapping,
prospecting
• drilling highlights:
245.0 m of 0.18% Cu, 0.53 g/t Au (KLI-15-034)
162.4 m of 0.20% Cu, 0.26 g/t Au(KLI-15-033)
Ingenika fault corridor: grassroots to early stage
Porphyry Cu-Au
Red Lion – Garibaldi Resources Corp.
• aeromagnetic, radiometric survey,
• IP survey (47 line-km)
• geochemical sampling
• mapping, prospecting
• area of Cu-Au anomalous RGS stream
sediments (including Kliyul)
Copper King - Pacific Empire Minerals Corp.
Menard - HPX Quesnellia Holdings 1 Inc.
• IP survey (5 line-km) at Copper King
• geochemical sampling (rock, soil, silt) at Menard
• mapping, prospecting
Magnetite replacement and breccia body Ingenika fault corridor: grassroots to early stage
Kliyul - Teck Resources Limited,
Kiska Metals Corporation
Porphyry Cu-Au
Omineca Region: - Quesnel Terrane
CA NA
QNCCST
SM
Mt. Milligan - Thompson Creek
Metals Company Ltd.
• ramp-up continued to
60,000 t/d processing in
Jan 2016
• second SAG mill discharge
screen deck installed
• engineering for permanent
secondary crushing circuit
• 2015 production:
71.4 Mlbs Cu, 218.1 Koz Au
2016 guidance:
55-65 Mlbs Cu, 240-270 Koz Au
• 2016 production from higher
grade gold zones
• 2016 planned capex ~$72 M
($47 M secondary crusher)
• 23 year mine life, ~450 employ.
Porphyry Cu-Au-Ag
Quesnel Terrane: mine and early stage
North Grid - Thompson Creek Metals Company Ltd.
• drilling (2000 m) on two targets: Mitzi, Snell
• similar geophysical-geochemical signatures as
mineralized stocks at Mt. Milligan deposit
• Reserves:
506.4 Mt at 0.196% Cu, 0.349 g/t Au (P&P)
= 2185 Mlbs Cu, 5.69 Moz Au
CA NA
QNCCST
SM
Col-Later - Pacific Empire
Minerals Corp.
• IP survey (68 line-km)
• drilling (6 holes, 2493 m)
• testing two geophysical
anomalies on the till-blanketed
western side of property
Porphyry Cu-Au
Quesnel Terrane: mine and early stage
Chuchi - Kiska Metals Corp.
• IP survey (10 line-km),
prospecting
• chargeability anomalies within
and flanking the BP zone
(1.5 x 1.5 km) intrusive centre
• new drill targets
Kwanika, Kwanika East-Smoke & Jewel - Serengeti
Resources Inc.
• 2015: heliborne magnetics survey
(328 line-km at KE-S, 55 line-km at Jewel)
• 2 km-long ring-shaped cluster of mag highs (Jewel)
• 2016: re-evaluating Kwanika PEA - drill program in deposit area (JV w. DAEWOO Minerals Canada Corp.)
Col-Later
Chuchi
Omineca Region: - Nechako Plateau
- Cache Creek terrane
- Slide Mtn terrane/Cassiar platform
Endako - Thompson Creek
Metals Company Inc. (75%),
Sojitz Moly Resources Inc.
• July 2015 - placed on
care and maintenance
• reserves:
33.4 Mt at 0.049% Mo (M&I)
= 36 Mlbs molybdenum
Nechako Plateau: mine evaluation
Blackwater - New Gold Inc.
• Env. Assessment (under review)
• eng. & env. studies - -
- alternative TSF evaluation
• proposed open-pit mine
- 60,000 t/d processing
• avg. annual production:
413 Koz Au, 1.74 Moz Ag (LOM)
• 17 year mine life, ~500 jobs
• 344.4 Mt at 0.74 g/t Au, 5.5 g/t Ag
= 8.17 Moz Au, 60.8 Moz Ag (P&P)
Epithermal Au-Ag (int. sulfidation)
W E
600 mNew Gold, 2013
QNCCST
SM
KO
CA
BW-623: silica halos on
pyrite-sphalerite pseudomorphs
~1300 x 950 x 350 m depth mineralized-altered body
Nechako Plateau: early stage
Blackwater South - New Gold Inc.
• 3 target areas: BW South,
Dave, Kaolinite Ridge
• drilling (5150 m) - following up
2014 porphyry Cu-Mo-Ag discovery
at NW margin of Blackwater pluton
• heliborne magnetics survey
• ground geophysics (IP, mag)
• geochemical sampling (soil, rock)
• mapping, prospecting
Epithermal Au-Ag
Porphyry Cu-Mo-Ag
QNCCST
SM
KO
CA
Buck - New Gold Inc.
• heliborne geophysics (magnetics)
• geochemical sampling (rock)
• mapping, prospecting
• Late Cretaceous granite pluton
DBS-14-003130 m at 0.19% Cu, 0.118% Mo, 2.58 g/t Ag 284 m at 0.10% Cu, 0.029% Mo, 0.84 g/t Ag
DBS-14-004174 m at 0.09% Cu, 0.055% Mo, 0.65 g/t Ag 98 m at 0.05% Cu, 0.033% Mo, 0.47 g/t Ag
Nechako Plateau
Cache Creek terrane: grassroots to early stage
2 X Fred - Kootenay Silver Inc.
Theia Resources Ltd.
• 2014: trenching, sampling (rock)
• 244 samples in 16 trenches
avg. 0.49 g/t Au, 8.7 g/t Ag
• 2015: shallow drilling (4 holes, 717 m)
incl. 35.4 m at 0.55 g/t Au, 9.39 g/t Ag
• 3.0 x 1.4 km area vein system
Epithermal Au-Ag (low sulfidation)
Au-quartz veins
QNCCST
SM
KO
CA
Trout - Venerable Ventures Ltd.
• soil sampling
• 900 x 100 m NE-trending
Au-As-Sb geochem anomaly
BT - Porpoise Bay Minerals Ltd.
• trenching, prospecting
• area of anomalous gold
surface samples <0.318 g/t Au
Slide Mtn terrane
Cassiar platform: mine evaluation
Giscome - Graymont Western
Canada Inc.
• Env. Assessment (under review)
• eng. & env. studies
• final lime plant & quarry design
• bulk sample (1000 t), test pitting
• proposed 600,000 t/y limestone quarry
• vertical lime kiln to produce 198,000 t/y lime
• 50+ year mine life
• <60 jobs construction, ~15 ops
• >100 Mt of limestone in situ (Ind.)
(>95% calcite, <5% Mg-carbonate)
QNCCST
SM
KO
CA
Industrial mineral limestone
In summary:
Omineca region
• exploration expenditure for 2015 is estimated at $39.6 million - 7% less than in 2014
• total drilling for 2015 is estimated at 55,200 m (32% more than in 2014)
• grassroots + early stage exploration = 24.7% of expenditure
Northeast region
• exploration expenditure for 2015 is estimated at $31.3 million - 37% less than in 2014
• total drilling for 2015 is estimated at 2,150 m - 92% less than in 2014
• reflecting difficult metallurgical coal market conditions
Thank you. Q’s? References• Cui, Y., Miller, D., Nixon, G., and Nelson, J., 2015.
British Columbia digital geology. British
Columbia Geological Survey Open File 2015-2.
• Nelson, J. L., Colpron, M., and Israel, S.K., 2013.
The Cordillera of British Columbia, Yukon, and
Alaska: tectonics and metallogeny. In: Colpron,
M., Bissig, T., Rusk, B., and Thompson, J.F.H.,
(Eds.), Tectonics, Metallogeny, and Discovery -
the North American Cordillera and similar
accretionary settings. Society of Economic
Geologists, Special Publication 17, pp. 53-109.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the geologists and miners
who were generous with their time and
resources, and those who provided
expenditure and related information. I
also thank the Regional Geologists and
the Mineral Development Office for
additional support, and the skilled staff
at the Ministry of Energy and Mines
regional office in Prince George.