Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/468124
Photographs : Pretium Re source s Inc . S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 31 KSM (Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell) Project Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM project is one of the largest undeveloped gold pro- jects in the world. Proven and probable reserves total 38.2 million ounces of gold and 9.9 billion pounds of copper. Federal Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq recently issued her environmental assessment decision statement endorsing the project, which is consistent with the Province of British Columbia's earlier approval of KSM. In an announcement, Seabridge Gold chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk said, "With this positive decision, the Canadian government has concluded its lengthy and rigorous environmental assessment process for the KSM project, which began in 2009." Exploration continues at KSM. In June 2014, a new exploration program began to expand the Deep Kerr deposit and to search for additional higher- grade deposits. In September 2014, the company announced it had discovered another higher-grade deposit beneath the Iron Cap deposit. In November 2014, Seabridge reported the complete drill results from its 2014 exploration drilling campaign at Deep Kerr. A total of 12,900 metres in 13 core holes expanded the known dimensions of the deposit along strike to the north and south as well as at depth. Drilling also confirmed the geological and resource models developed after the 2013 discov- ery program. In an announcement, Seabridge said it is "highly confident" that the 2014 results will support a substantial increase in the Deep Kerr inferred resource, which cur- rently stands at 515 million tonnes grad- ing 0.53 per cent copper and 0.36 grams per tonne gold. A new resource estimate is expected in the first quarter of 2015. Valley of the Kings Pretium Resources Inc. has the 100-per- cent-owned, advanced-stage Brucejack project located 65 kilometres north of Stewart, B.C. The focus of Brucejack is the Valley of the Kings, which is made up of high-grade visible gold stringers within a lower-grade gold-quartz stock- work system. A feasibility study completed in June 2014 has outlined proven and probable mineral reserves in the Valley of the Kings of 6.9 million ounces of gold (13.6 million tonnes grading 15.7 grams per tonne gold). The deposit remains open in all directions. According to the study, the mine will use long-hole stoping and cemented paste backfill. Stopes will be mined using a combination of longitudi- nal and transverse mining, depending on zone width and orientation. Cemented paste tailings will be prepared in a paste plant located on surface near the mill and then pumped underground for distribu- tion to the stopes. Pretium recently reported the remain- ing assay results from infill surface drill- ing in the Valley of the Kings, which targeted the deeper portion of the 2013 Mineral Resource estimate block model. Selected drill highlights include: hole SU-644-W1 intersected 13.81 grams of gold per tonne over 22.1 metres, includ- ing 1,085 grams of gold uncut over 0.5 metres; and hole SU-644-W2 inter- sected 125.35 grams of gold per tonne over 4.45 metres, including 1,620 grams of gold uncut over 0.5 metres and 2,930 grams of gold uncut over 0.5 metres. VP of corporate relations Michelle Romero says permitting is underway for an underground mine at Brucejack, w it h commercial product ion of a 2,700-tonnes-per-day underground mine targeted to begin in 2017. The mine is expected to have an 18-year life. (top left) Bolter in action in mineralized vein stockwork at the Valley of the Kings; Senior project geologist Susan Flasha (left) and senior consulting geologist Charlie Greig (right) exploring on the Brucejack property.