Mineral Exploration

46 Mineral Exploration | amebc.ca PHOTO: COURTESY GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Coal projects Allegiance Coal Limited continued to move its Tenas project forward. Eight PQ diameter holes were drilled, three for the installation of water-monitoring wells and five to collect rock samples for geochemical studies and coal testing. Twelve sonic holes were drilled for geotechnical information. Fourteen large-diameter (150 mm) holes were drilled, recovering 1,400 kilograms of coal. The coal was sent for sizing, washability and comprehensive coal quality analyses and to generate samples for coke-oven tests. A definitive feasibility study was expected in late 2018 or early Q1 2019. Precious metal projects New Gold Inc. continued environmental assessment work on its Blackwater Gold project, and has permits for a major drilling program in the proposed pit area. Proven and probable reserves are 294,200 million tonnes at 0.79 g/t gold and 4.70 g/t silver. As proposed, Blackwater would be a 60,000-tonnes-per-day operation with a 17-year mine life. Gitennes Exploration Inc. completed a six-hole, 1,612-metre drill program on its Snowbird orogenic gold project. The drilling connected the North and Main zones; the deposit remains open at depth and along strike. Short intervals grading more than 15 g/t were intersected, and the company reported typical intersections of more than 4 g/t. Benchmark Metals Inc. completed about 4,000 metres of diamond and reverse circulation drilling on the Lawyers gold and silver epithermal project to extend the existing resource of four mineralized zones. Prospectors Andreas Anderson and Max Keogh discovered an orogenic gold prospect (AK), about 10 kilometres north of Prince George. Outcrop samples returned up to 8 g/t. Cu-Mo, Cu-Au-Ag, Mo (porphyry) projects In early 2018, Centerra Gold Inc. completed its acquisition of Aurico Metals Inc., taking over the Kemess projects. In July, the company received Mines Act approval for the Kemess Underground (KUG) project. KUG is about 6.5 kilometres north of the Kemess South (KS) mine, which closed in 2011, and would use the KS camp and ore processing plant and store tailings in the old KS open pit. The KUG ore body will be accessed by a tunnel and conveyor system, and mining will be by panel caving. KUG has an estimated 246.6 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.42 g/t gold, 0.22% copper, and 1.75 g/t silver, classified as Indicated mineral resources, with an additional 21.6 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.40 g/t gold, 0.22% copper, and 1.70 g/t silver, classified as Inferred mineral resources. About one kilometre east of KUG is a second underground project, Kemess East (KE), which Centerra is considering for integrated development with KUG. KE has an Indicated resource of 113 million tonnes containing 954 million pounds copper, 1.7 million ounces gold and 7.1 million ounces silver. In 2018, Centerra reassessed existing core to develop a new deposit model and completed an estimated 30 line-kilometres of IP across four nearby targets. Centerra Gold explored extensively at its Mt. Milligan mine to expand reserves and investigate nearby prospects. On- lease, the company completed 12 holes (6,669 metres) to delineate copper-gold mineralization in the Goldmark, North Slope, and Saddle West zones. O¥-lease, it completed 13 holes (5,616 metres) to test 4 target areas: Mitzi East, D2 and Heidi Stock, and Fugro-1. A 14 line-km IP survey completed coverage begun in 2017. Kwanika Copper Corporation (65% Serengeti Resources Inc., 35% POSCO Daewoo and Daewoo Minerals Canada) completed 21 holes totalling 7,411 metres on the Kwanika project Central zone. Three of these holes tested the foundation characteristics of a potential tailings storage facility. Of the 18 exploration holes, nine are also being used for hydrogeological monitoring. An NI 43-101 NORTHWEST REGION NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL REGIONS Kwanika project, borehole K-18-184, 369 m: pyrite in a chalcopyrite halo in fine-grained potassically altered quartz monzonite, with accessory magnetite, in quartz crackle breccia.

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