The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Reports scandium at Hat, rebuilding relations with Tahltans North of 60 Mining News – August 6, 2021
Critical minerals such as cobalt, palladium, and scandium found with the porphyry copper-gold mineralization at Hat.
Doubleview Gold Corp. Aug. 5 reported that drilling has encountered scandium and other critical minerals alongside the copper and gold at its Hat project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle.
Located in the heart of Tahltan Territory, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) west of the community of Dease Lake, Hat hosts porphyry-style copper-gold mineralization similar to other large deposits in northwestern British Columbia.
Earlier this year, the Tahltan Central Government notified Doubleview that it was opposed to any further operation by the exploration company in Tahltan Territory.
TCG said Doubleview's Hat property is in a culturally sensitive area, and the exploration company has a track record of being disrespectful toward the Tahltan Nation, including unsuccessfully taking legal action against Tahltan Leaders and Elders in 2015.
In mid-July, Doubleview announced that it is dropping all legal actions against TGC and committed to respectful engagement with Tahltan elders in an attempt to foster a positive, productive, and collaborative relationship with the Tahltan Nation.
While a communications and engagement agreement between Doubleview and TGC does not obligate the Tahltan Nation to support the exploration company's activities in the territory, Doubleview hopes that it is a first step to reconciling past differences.
"Doubleview recognizes the negative impacts of the Injunction to the Tahltan Nation and appreciates the opportunity to reset our relationship with the TCG and is committed to building a constructive and respectful relationship with the Tahltan Nation," said Andrew Rees, the lead director of Doubleview Gold.
As the company rebuilds its relationship with the Tahltan people, Doubleview reports encouraging results from two holes drilled at Hat earlier this year.
Hole H036, drilled in the Lisle zone at Hat, cut 907.8 meters averaging 28.6 grams per metric ton scandium, 4.7 g/t cobalt, 0.03 g/t palladium, 0.15% copper, 0.12 g/t gold, and 0.31 g/t silver.
Hole H037, which was drilled in the newly discovered O'Zone about 1,500 meters west of Lisle, cut 760.4 meters averaging 24.9 g/t scandium, 4.8 g/t cobalt, 0.02 g/t palladium, 0.04% copper, 0.03 g/t gold, and 0.11 g/t silver.
While the scandium values are higher than most porphyry deposits, metallurgical work will need to be done to determine whether this critical mineral used in high-strength and lightweight aluminum alloys can be economically recovered along with the copper and gold.
"We are extremely encouraged by the significant intercept in drill hole H036, the new discovery of the O'Zone in drill hole H037 and the potential for the economic recovery of scandium," said Doubleview Gold President and CEO Farshad Shirvani.
Metallurgical work carried out earlier this year indicates the potential to recover cobalt, a metal critical to lithium-ion batteries, in copper and gold concentrates.
Doubleview says other critical metals, such as rhodium, have also been identified at Hat and will be analyzed in future exploration programs.
In the meantime, Doubleview continues its engagement with TGC in preparation for the planned resumption of drilling at Hat later this year.
"Having recently signed a communication and engagement agreement with the Tahltan Central Government, the company has begun engagement with the TCG's Employment and Contracting Department as we prepare for our summer/fall drill program at HAT," said Shirvani. "With in excess of C$5 million dollars in the treasury, Doubleview is fully funded to complete its next phase of drilling, which will be designed to expand on the O'Zone discovery and further delineate the Lisle deposit."
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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