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PHOTO: GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Precious metals
Following surface drilling in 2016, New Carolin
Gold Corp. rehabilitated underground access
for drilling at Ladner Gold, the completion
of which is pending additional financing.
Surespan Gold Ltd. acquired a block of
Crown grants covering the Privateer mine
near Zeballos and began 2,400 metres
of surface drilling. Since the 1930s, the
Zeballos camp produced 300,000 ounces
of gold from veins. The last significant
exploration e›ort was in the early 2000s.
Approximately 20 kilometres to the
southwest, Caisey Harlingten is permitted
for up to 1,000 metres drilling in 20 holes
using a Winkie drill at the Eliza gold-
bearing quartz vein prospect. In 1940,
12.7 tonnes yielded 435 grams of gold, 93
grams of silver and 10 kilograms of copper.
Porphyry
NorthIsle Copper and Gold Inc. drilled
its North Island Project at Red Dog
and Hushamu, which are adjacent
porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum
prospects that are the subject of a new
preliminary economic assessment.
The new assessment considered a
SOUTHWEST REGION
75,000-tonne-per-day open-pit operation
and estimated a base-case net present
value of $550.4 million at an eight per
cent after-tax discount rate. Internal
rate of return is estimated at 14.3 per
cent with a 22-year mine life. Two pits
would be mined concurrently, with the
smaller Red Dog initially providing higher-
grade ore with a lower stripping ratio.
Polymetallic base
and precious metals
Planning to ramp up to full production in
2018, Nyrstar NV is investing 70 million
euros (C$104 million) in Myra Falls, which
suspended production and exploration in 2015.
The new investment will include exploration.
Coal
No coal exploration was reported in the first
three quarters of 2017. However, Quinsam
coal mine is resuming production. The new
Surespan Gold geologist
Ben Richards at the historic
Privateer mine in Zeballos.
