RESOURCES
NUNAVIK Drill program confirms REE
Commerce Resources Corp. has announced analytical results for drill core recently analyzed from the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit, located approximately 130 km south of Kuujjuaq. During the 2016 field campaign, 14 drill holes totalling approximately 2,014 m were completed as part of the resource definition drilling at Ashram, focused along the northern, western, and southern margins of the deposit. The drill core was sampled during the 2016 and 2017 field programs; however, due to market conditions at the time, as well as diligent financial prudence, the core was placed into secure storage and only recently submitted for analysis in the fall of 2019. With assay results now received, the 2016 drill program confirms intervals of strong rare earth element (REE) mineralization through to the outer boundary of the deposit’s A-B zones. Cores from the deposit’s southern margin are one of the highest grades returned from this area to date. In addition to the strong REE mineralization returned at Ashram from the 2016 drilling, robust grades of fluorite continue to be present over wide intervals and as such have been identified as a potential by-product of significant value. Recovery and sale of the fluorite (industrially known as “fluorspar”) would also reduce the tailings footprint of the project, resulting in a social and environmental benefit. The 2016 drill hole data will be integrated, along with other mineralogical and structural information, into an updated geological model which will form the basis of a mineral resource update anticipated in 2020. The Ashram Deposit has now been drilled at roughly 50 m centres (distance between holes), with some 25 m infill also completed. Additional infill drilling at 25 m centres may yet be completed ahead of the resource update. The 2016 program and subsequent exploration of the Property is being carried out by Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd.
NUNAVUT New portal to help future growth
TMAC Resources Inc. has started construction on the Madrid North underground portal. The portal and underground development is targeting the Naartok West zone, enabling access to JANFEB 2020 | 01
first production stopes in late 2020. This is an important milestone as Madrid North development will provide both near-term operational flexibility and enable medium-term potential growth alternatives at Hope Bay. To provide further operational flexibility, this portal can also be used to drive exploration drifts towards Naartok East, Suluk, Rand and Spur deposits for future bulk samples and exploration. Opening the underground mine will also allow for key infrastructure for further development at Madrid North overall. Both surface infrastructure and the underground development will also improve exploration efficiency.
YUKON White Gold Corp stakes strategic claims
White Gold Corp. has staked three strategic claim blocks (Kodiak, Kirkman and Tea) totaling 689 mining claims contiguous to the Company’s White Gold property, Newmont Goldcorp Inc.’s Coffee project and Western Copper & Gold’s Casino project, all located in the prolific White Gold District in the Yukon. The claims further extend the Company’s land package to the south, with Kodiak and Kirkman blocks located approximately 10 km south of the Company’s White Gold deposit and 10 km north of Newmont’s Coffee deposit, and the Tea block located contiguous to the Coffee project to the south. These properties each display similar geological characteristics to the nearby properties which host significant gold deposits. The Claims bring the Company’s expansive land package to 21,207 quartz claims across 33 properties, totalling over 422,730 hectares, representing over 40 per cent of the White Gold District. The Kirkman claims were previously held by Kaminak Gold, who originally discovered the Coffee deposit and was subsequently acquired by Goldcorp for $530M. Historically the properties have only had limited exploration work completed, comprised primarily of soil sampling, geophysical surveys, and minor trenching activity. The Company’s recent high-grade gold discovery, the Titan, consists of a 650 m x 650 m gold in soil anomaly with multiple other prospective targets that show similar geophysical characteristics to the mineralization encountered in these drill holes. Titan surface exploration
A B O V E & B E Y O N D — C A N A D A’ S A R C T I C J O U R N A L
results include grab samples with fine grained visible gold observed, and the highest soil value samples ever in the Company’s 400,000+ soil sample database. The Titan is located on the road-accessible Hen property, contiguous to the JP Ross property, less than 15 km from the Vertigo discovery and 25 km from the Golden Saddle and Arc deposits.
Amended license issued and new targets discovered
Alexco Resource Corp. has been issued an amended Quartz Mining License (QML) for the Keno Hill Silver District from the Yukon Government. The amended QML is effective for 17 years and was necessary to incorporate the Bermingham deposit into the Keno District Operations mine plan. The amended QML authorizes underground operations for development and production from Alexco’s Bermingham, Flame & Moth, Bellekeno, Lucky Queen and Onek deposits as well as construction and management of mine waste rock and dry stack tailings facilities. The QML also extends the authorization to operate and maintain the 400 tonne per day Keno District Mill and associated ancillary facilities, construct and maintain the district wide surface haulage roads as well as operation of the Company’s 200-person camp located adjacent to the historical Elsa township. The Company is also expecting renewal of its Water Use License, currently in the final stages of the permitting process. When issued, it will incorporate the Bermingham deposit as well as renew current authorizations at all other deposits to obtain, use water and deposit treated water from the associated mine water treatment plants, and deposit tailings and waste rock into authorized facilities. Alexco has also discovered a new zone of silver mineralization, 3.7 kilometres northeast of the Bermingham Deposit, the Inca target, which has returned encouraging results. It is within a favourable structure that has at least 800 metres of untested strike length in rocks known to host most of the silver deposits in the district. More work is required in 2020 to better understand the importance of the Inca discovery.
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