The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Mining Explorers 2024 - January 15, 2025
The 2024 filed program at Schaft Creek included six geotechnical holes drilled to fill gaps ahead in preparation for finalizing a prefeasibility study for a mine at the large porphyry copper project.
A joint venture between Teck and Newmont carried out roughly 7,500 meters of geotechnical drilling at Galore Creek last year in preparation for a prefeasibility study for the world-class copper project.
The Red Dog District in Northwest Alaska continues to be one of Teck's primary zinc exploration targets.
ZincX, Teck, and Korea Zinc are exploring more than a 90-mile stretch of the zinc-enriched Kechika Trough in B.C.
Jonathan Price
With the sale of its steelmaking coal business to Glencore for $7.3 billion in cash, Teck Resources Ltd. has shifted its focus to being a pure-play energy transition metals company focused on growth.
The Vancouver, British Columbia-based mining company has reorganized its copper, zinc, and other energy transition assets in North and Latin America into two regional business units.
The North American business unit includes the Highland Valley copper mine in Southern British Columbia, Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska, and Trail zinc and critical metals refinery in B.C.
Copper growth projects encompassed by this unit include the world-class Galore Creek and Schaft Creek copper-gold projects in Northern B.C. and the New Range copper-nickel project in Minnesota.
Jonathan Price
"This new structure will ensure Teck is optimally positioned to operate safely, efficiently and responsibly while capitalizing on profitable growth opportunities and enhancing value for our shareholders and all stakeholders," said Teck President and CEO Jonathan Price.
The company's focus on energy metals is reflected in its exploration strategy.
"Our exploration efforts are primarily focused on copper, nickel, and zinc in support of the company's operations and business units," Teck wrote on its exploration webpage. "Strategic opportunities in other metals and high-margin mineral commodities are also being actively pursued."
• Copper exploration is focused on projects in the Americas and select belts globally for porphyry copper and sediment-hosted copper deposits.
• Zinc exploration includes projects surrounding its world-class Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska and the Kechika Trough area in northcentral B.C.
• Nickel exploration is focused on evaluating opportunities in select belts and frontier districts globally.
Teck says the success of its exploration is built on a foundation of building strong relationships.
"Teck prides itself on being a 'partner of choice' for mining ventures of all sizes – from the communities around our projects, through innovative entrepreneurs to the industry's largest enterprises," the company penned on its exploration webpage.
A joint venture between Teck and Newmont carried out roughly 7,500 meters of geotechnical drilling at Galore Creek last year in preparation for a prefeasibility study for the world-class copper project.
On the copper front, Teck's exploration includes advancing two very large porphyry projects in the Golden Triangle region of Northern BC – Galore Creek and Schaft Creek.
A prefeasibility study (PFS) completed in 2011 envisioned a mine at Galore Creek producing 6.2 million lb of copper, 4 million oz of gold, and 65.8 million oz of silver over a span of 18 years.
Galore Creek Mining Corp., a joint venture owned equally by Teck and Newmont Corp., is working on a new PFS that will include market changes and incorporate the resource expansion and other work completed at the project over the past 13 years.
According to a 2023 calculation, Galore Creek now hosts 1.2 billion metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 0.46% (12.2 billion lb) copper, 0.25 grams per metric ton (9.4 million ounces) gold, and 4.5 g/t (174 million oz) silver.
To collect the final data for the PFS slated for completion later this year, Galore Creek Mining completed roughly 7,500 meters of primarily geotechnical drilling to inform project design in 2024.
The JV is also working on updating existing regulatory approvals for Galore Creek to include proposed changes such as increased production and relocation of the tailings management facility and associated facilities.
Pending final due diligence, Natural Resources Canada has conditionally approved up to C$20 million (US$14.7 million) in federal funding to support the construction of a 43-kilometer (27 miles) road to Galore Creek.
"Canada's support for Galore Creek represents confidence in our project, our owners, the relationships we have fostered with the Tahltan Nation, and our commitment to responsibly developing a world-class copper-gold mine," said Galore Creek Mining General Manager Rob Mean.
Teck also invested C$18.7 million (US$13.8 million) into a 2024 program focused on collecting the data needed to finalize a PFS for the Schaft Creek porphyry copper-gold-silver-molybdenum project about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of Galore Creek.
Being advanced under a JV between Teck (75%) and Copper Fox Metals Inc. (25%), Schaft Creek hosts 1.35 billion metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 0.26% (7.76 billion pounds) copper, 0.17 g/t (7 million ounces) gold, 1.25 g/t (54.3 million oz) silver, and 0.017% (510.6 million lb) molybdenum.
A preliminary economic assessment completed in 2021 outlines plans for a 133,000-metric-ton-per-day mill and open pit mine at Schaft Creek that would produce roughly 5 billion lb of copper, 3.7 million oz of gold, 226 million lb of molybdenum, and 16.4 million oz of silver over 21 years of mining.
The field portion of this program included 2,472 meters of geotechnical drilling to confirm key aspects of the open pit design, as well as continuing environmental baseline studies in alignment with Tahltan Nation's cultural and social traditions.
The field portion of this program included 2,472 meters of geotechnical drilling to confirm key aspects of the open pit design, as well as continuing environmental baseline studies in alignment with Tahltan Nation's cultural and social traditions.
"The program provided additional information in the areas where geotechnical data gaps existed and extended the mineralization in the Schaft Creek deposit to the north," said Copper Fox Metals CEO Elmer Stewart.
Teck is also carrying out metallurgical testing to optimize mill design, capital expenditures, and throughput at Schaft Creek.
The Red Dog District in Northwest Alaska continues to be one of Teck's primary zinc exploration targets.
When it comes to zinc, Teck's primary focus continues to be around Red Dog, the world's first zinc mine to be awarded the Zinc Mark. This certification demonstrates that the zinc produced at this world-class deposit on Northwest Alaska Native land owned by NANA Corp. meets the high ESG standards Zinc Mark stands for.
Accounting for 5% of global zinc production – along with lead, silver, and germanium byproducts – Red Dog is also the largest critical minerals-producing mine in the United States.
"Zinc plays an important role in enabling a low-carbon future and our people are focused every day on responsibly producing this critical mineral that the world needs," said Price.
Going into 2023, Red Dog hosted 38.5 million metric tons of proven and probable reserves averaging 12.4% (4.03 million metric tons) of zinc and 3.6% (670,000 metric tons) of lead. This is enough ore to keep the world-class zinc mine in operation until 2031.
Teck, however, is exploring deposits on nearby state of Alaska lands that could add new reserves and extend the life of the world-class mine.
"There is regional geology that suggests there are other deposits as close as 10 miles away that could be as large as the existing deposits that we are operating right now," Michael Gonzales, manager of tailings and environment at Red Dog, said in a video describing the potential around the mine. "Because it is similar, because it is close by, it is a great opportunity."
Aktigiruq and Anarraaq, satellite deposits on state land held by Teck, could provide ore for the Red Dog mill deep into the 21st century.
Aktigiruq, which lies about nine miles north-northwest of the current Red Dog operation, is one of the largest undeveloped zinc deposits on Earth.
While an industry-compliant resource has yet to be published, Teck has previously reported that Aktigiruq hosts 80 to 150 metric tons of material averaging 16 to 18% combined zinc and lead.
This would be enough ore to feed the Red Dog mill for 25 to 50 years at current production rates.
Anarraaq, which lies just south of Aktigiruq, hosts 19.4 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 14.4% zinc and 4.2% lead, according to the most recent calculation published by Teck.
In the wider Red Dog District, Teck is also exploring the Lik zinc project under a 50-50 partnership with Solitario Resources Corp.
Lying about 11 miles northwest of its world-class zinc operation in Northwest Alaska, Lik hosts 17.6 million metric tons of potentially open pit mineable indicated resource averaging 8.1% zinc, 2.7% lead, and 50.1 g/t silver; plus 2.8 million metric tons of inferred resource at 8.6% zinc, 2.7% lead, and 38.9 g/t silver.
Limited reconnaissance exploration was carried out at Lik in 2024.
In addition to Red Dog, Teck is exploring for zinc at Cirque, a Northern B.C. zinc project being advanced under a 50-50 partnership with Korea Zinc.
ZincX, Teck, and Korea Zinc are exploring more than a 90-mile stretch of the zinc-enriched Kechika Trough in B.C.
While Teck has not published a modern resource estimate, according to a 1990s calculation, the Cirque Main deposit hosts 24.7 million metric tons of historical reserves averaging 8.5% zinc, 2.3% lead, and 50.8 g/t silver.
Located close to existing infrastructure, Teck says concentrates from Cirque could easily be delivered to Trail, a Southern B.C. smelting and refining facility owned by the company.
Cirque is one of 12 zinc properties covering a 140-kilometer- (87 miles) long stretch of the Kechika Trough in northcentral B.C. The remaining 11 properties are held by ZincX Resources Corp.
The Teck-Korea Zinc JV holds 51% interest in three of these properties adjacent to Cirque – Pie, Cirque East, and Yuen – optioned from ZincX.
To support ongoing exploration of its zinc properties in and around Cirque, Teck has cut a deal to rent a 50-person near the Cardiac Creek zinc deposit on the Akie property southeast of Cirque from ZincX.
Teck is also carrying out out advanced metallurgical testing of material from ZincX's Cardiac Creek deposit, which hosts 22.7 million metric tons of indicated resource averaging 8.32% (4.16 billion lb) zinc, 1.61% (804 million lb) lead, and 14.1 grams per metric ton (10.3 million oz) silver; plus 7.5 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 7.04% (1.17 billion lb) zinc, 1.24% (205 million lb) lead, and 12 g/t (2.9 million oz) silver.
Teck sent selected samples to its research facility at Trail and a third-party lab for metallurgical testing. This work is increasing Teck's understanding of Cardiac Creek metallurgy and recoveries.
"We are pleased with Teck's continued and growing interest in ZincX's Cardiac Creek deposit," said ZincX Resources President and CEO Peeyush Varshney. "The world-class SEDEX zinc-lead-silver endowment of the Cardiac Creek deposit and the Cirque project carry significant potential for resource development in the Kechika Trough region."
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.
Reader Comments(0)