The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News – June 21, 2019
A brilliant aurora display illuminates core boxes from the more than 64,000 meters of drilling completed at the Cardiac Creek zinc deposit in northern British Columbia.
ZincX Resources Corp. June 19 announced the start of a 2,500-meter drill program at its Akie zinc project in northern British Columbia. Focused on the central high-grade core of the Cardiac Creek deposit, this drilling is targeting the initial five years of future mine production identified in a preliminary economic assessment completed in 2018.
The PEA contemplates a 4,000-metric ton underground mine at Cardiac Creek providing ore for a 3,000-metric-ton-per-day mill that is expected to produce 3.27 billion pounds of zinc and 362 million lb of lead over an initial 18-year mine life.
This is based on 22.7 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 8.32 percent (4.16 billion lb) zinc, 1.61 percent (804 million lb) lead and 14.1 grams per metric ton (10.3 million ounces) silver; and 7.5 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 7.04 percent (1.17 billion lb) zinc; 1.24 percent (205 million lb) lead and 12 g/t (2.9 million oz) silver.
"We achieved a very significant milestone for the Akie project in 2018 with the completion and announcement of an economically positive and robust maiden PEA on the Cardiac Creek deposit," said ZincX Resources President and CEO Peeyush Varshney.
This year's drilling aims to increase the confidence in the resource with additional infill holes, as well as extending the high-grade core of the deposit to the southeast.
Two holes drilled in 2007, A-07-43 and A-07-45, are characteristic of the high-grade nature of the core of the deposit.
• A-07-43 cut 27.61 meters (18.4 meters true width) averaging 12.2 percent zinc, 2.99 percent lead and 20 g/t silver;
• A-07-45 cut 32 meters (22.6 meters true width) averaging 15.35 percent zinc, 3.4 percent lead and 25.2 g/t silver; including 16.4 meters (11.6 meters true width) averaging 18.42 percent zinc, 4.17 percent lead and 30.49 g/t silver.
The first hole, currently underway, is stepping out to the southeast of these high-grade intercepts at the core of Cardiac Creek.
In addition to expanding the high-grade core and upgrading the resource, the 2019 drilling will collect data to improve the understanding of the rock mass characteristics of the deposit and provide advanced engineering data for future underground mine design and stope dimensions.
In addition to the Akie, ZincX owns the Kechika Regional project, a series of 11 claim blocks that extend for some 140 kilometers (85 miles) to the northwest. Kechika Regional includes the advanced Mt. Alcock prospect and three properties – Pie, Yuen and Cirque East – owned in partnership with Teck Resources Ltd. and Korea Zinc Co. Ltd.
"This year will be busy as we continue to dialogue with several interested mining and investment groups that recognize the strong economics of the Akie project as well as the future, long-life district potential of the Kechika Regional properties," said Varshney.
Assay results from the 2019 drill program are expected in late summer-early fall.
–SHANE LASLEY
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