The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Yukon, Golden Predator improve info flow for future gold mine North of 60 Mining News – February 7, 2020
Viceroy Resource left plenty of gold in near-surface oxidized mineralization at Brewery Creek when it shut down operations in 2002 due to low gold prices.
The Government of Yukon and Golden Predator Mining Corp. Jan. 4 announced the establishment of a project coordination committee that will allow for more efficient communications and permitting of the Brewery Creek gold mine project about 55 kilometers (34 miles) east of Dawson City.
"The Government of Yukon supports and encourages responsible development," said Yukon Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Ranj Pillai. "Establishing this committee is aimed at ensuring an environmentally and socially responsible operation. Improving the flow of information between the regulator and the company will improve the process and make it more efficient"
The committee was formed on Jan. 6 and held its first meeting during the Mineral Exploration Roundup Mining Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, last month.
Golden Predator is working towards resuming mining at Brewery Creek, the site of a former mine where Viceroy Resource Corp. produced 280,000 ounces of gold from 1996 to 2002. This operation used heap leaping – a method of gold recovery that involves stacking ore in a lined facility and using cyanide to separate the gold from the rock – to recover gold mined from seven near-surface deposits on the property.
While there was still plenty of gold in near-surface oxidized mineralization at Brewery Creek, with gold prices down to around US$310/oz in 2002 Viceroy opted to wind down operations and put Brewery Creek on care and maintenance.
Golden Predator, which acquired this past producing gold mine project roughly a decade ago, has been carrying out exploration and studies aimed at resuming operations there.
In August, Golden Predator formerly informed the Yukon government of its plans to resume operations at Brewery Creek. With the territory's acceptance of this notice, the junior mining company has the permits and authorizations needed to begin development.
This move has the support of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, which passed a formal council resolution in support of resumed mining and processing at the Brewery Creek Mine under the existing licenses.
Golden Predator, which later acquired Brewery Creek, has recently ramped up efforts to restart operations at the shuttered mine.
Phase one of this plan envisions the reprocessing of the original heap leach pad where, according to Viceroy's records, roughly 10 million metric tons of run-of-mine ore averaging 1.5 grams per metric ton (525,094 oz) gold was placed on the heap leach pad. This would leave significant quantities available for recovery.
The mining of new material under the existing license is the second phase of Golden Predator's plans for resumption of operations.
Phase 3, which is contingent upon continued exploration success and additional permitting, is expected to include expansion that would extend the life of the Brewery Creek Mine.
Phases 1 and 2 are covered under the existing licenses, phase 3 would requires additional authorizations.
The Yukon-Golden Predator committee aims to enable the territorial government and mining company to make informed decisions that fall within their respective roles and jurisdiction for Brewery Creek. This approach to information sharing and exchange also gives the two parties an ongoing ability to coordinate information as Golden Predator advances the project.
"Canada's Yukon is a premier jurisdiction that has an amazing future capable of realizing on the potential for local wealth creation, employment, training, tax revenue and business development to Yukon communities from mining activities," said Golden Predator Mining CEO Janet Lee-Sheriff. "The Yukon often seeks innovative solutions and continues to illustrate its dedication to working together on this project and with the mineral sector in the Yukon."
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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