The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
One of the largest deposits in the Keno District and growing North of 60 Mining News – January 21, 2022
A geotech marks core from the 2021 drill program that contributed to a 43% increase of the indicated silver resource in the Bermingham deposit at Alexco's Keno Hill silver operation in Canada's Yukon.
Alexco Resource Corp. Jan. 18 reported that the Bermingham deposit at its Keno Hill Silver District project in Canada's Yukon now hosts 1.56 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 939 grams per metric ton (47.2 million ounces) silver, a 43% increase over the 33 million oz calculated for the deposit in 2019.
In addition, Bermingham hosts 843,400 metric tons of inferred resource averaging 735 g/t (19.9 million oz) silver, a 66% increase over the 509,400 oz in the 2019 estimate.
This upgraded and expanded resource is the result of drilling completed at this increasingly important deposit over the past two years, including a recently completed 17,742-meter directional drill program.
"As the Bermingham deposit continues to grow in size and grade whilst still remaining open, it is becoming increasingly obvious that we are working within one of the most productive and extensive mineralized systems in the Keno Hill district," said Alexco Resource Chairman and CEO Clynt Nauman. "Significant additional exploration is yet to be completed, ranging from near-mine deposit expansion drilling to kilometer-scale exploration along strike on Galena Hill. Even in its present interim discovery and early production stage, the Bermingham deposit is already one of the largest deposits in the KHSD."
With the newly expanded mineral resource at Bermingham, Alexco's two primary mining centers in the Keno District – the Bermingham and Flame & Moth deposits – now hosts a total of 74.1 million oz of silver in the indicated category and 24.1 million oz of silver in the inferred category.
As a result of these changes, Alexco is currently re-evaluating the life of mine plan for both deposits with a view to potentially expand the combined estimated 33.8 million oz of silver in reserves based on the current mine plan.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, Alexco milled 7,172 metric tons of ore, most of which was mined from Bermingham.
"The Bermingham deposit is currently producing ore from long hole stopes in the upper 1150 level, and along with opening up additional production levels in 2022, we will continue to advance the primary haulage ramp toward lower levels where it will be within 200 meters of the newly defined Bermingham Northeast Deep Zone resource," Nauman added.
Northeast Deep is a high-grade zone at Bermingham that contributes 426,800 metric tons averaging 978 g/t (13.4 million oz) silver to the current indicated resource, and 281,000 metric tons averaging 819 g/t (7.4 million oz) silver to the current inferred resource.
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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