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| Harper Creek Project Drill Results Technical Reports Project Maps Project Photos Movies |
Location and Ownership The project is located approximately 90 km north-north-east of the city of Kamloops in south-central B.C. The Company now holds mineral tenures with an area of 39,326 ha (618 ha subject to a 2.5% NSR), plus it controls tenures with an area of 775 ha optioned from Cygnus Mines (a US Steel subsidiary) and subject to a 3% NSR capped at $3 million, bringing the total controlled tenures of 40,101 ha. History Noranda Exploration and US Steel discovered the deposit in 1966. The two companies conducted exploration separately until 1971, when they formed a joint venture to explore their claims, which lasted until 1981. Drilling on the main deposit totalled 26,854 meters in 155 holes. In 1996, American Comstock drilled 2,847 metres in 8 holes. Yellowhead has acquired and digitized the data from the prior programs and recovered drill core from up to historical 100 holes on site. Yellowhead Mining was formed in 2005. In 2005 and 2006, five claim groups were acquired or optioned by Yellowhead Mining on the historical drilling area and contiguous parts of the Eagle Bay Assemblage, the mineralogical group which includes the Harper Creek deposit. Geology and Mineralization The Harper Creek Project is an extensive volcanogenic sulphide system, with a mineralized envelope greater than 2.0 km along strike, over 2.0 km down dip, in a 1 kilometre thickness of volcano-sedimentary stratigraphy, and open along strike, down dip and at depth. Copper mineralization is tabular, striking east-west and dipping about 15° -- 25° to the north with a number of high copper grade cores that persist with depth within a multi-phased stringer zone. The deposit is open to the north and along strike. Harper Creek is hosted in the Eagle bay Assemblage, comprised of the Lower Paleozoic Greenstone Belt. There are intensely altered sequences of black shales, mudstones, mafic and felsic flows and tuffs. A broad lower-grade zone of copper and gold/silver is linked to multi-phased stringer or feeder zones. Higher grade copper-bearing massive sulphides are adjacent to porphytic rhyolite flows. Vertical zonation ranges from upper lead/zinc/silver/barite/pyrite to deeper copper(some zinc)/silver/gold/pyhrrotite. Typical intercepts represent different potential mining zones of the deposit:
Exploration During late 2005 and early 2006, the company re-logged and re-analysed historical drill core recovered from the site, and produced a NI43-101 data compilation report. Beginning spring 2006, Yellowhead completed a 1,000 line kilometre airborne geophysical survey, identifying several high priority targets for further exploration. Also in 2006, a 12-hole, 4,077 metre in-fill drilling program intersected several high grade zones and confirmed the volcanogenic massive sulphide characteristics of the deposit. At least ten horizons have been identified, with both open-pit and underground potential. In 2007, Yellowhead completed a 15,904 metre, 40-hole drill program. The first six step-out holes down-dip all encountered multiple mineralized horizons including massive sulphide zones. In 2008 through April, the company drilled another 7,655 metres in 23 holes. NI 43-101 Resource Estimate -- March 2008 Indicated Resource
Environment Phase I environmental assessment work has been completed with water quality baseline sampling in the field and regional desk studies. Phase II is underway in advance of permit applications. First Nations and Local Communities The Company is cognizant of its responsibility to address the needs and aspirations of the local and regional First Nations and local communities, and has begun consultation with these groups including visits from their representatives to the site. The Company plans to conduct its exploration and development of Harper Creek in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner, and to set objectives and maintain operations that are in the best business interests of the Company's shareholders, First Nations and local communities. Project Scoping Study and Feasibility Study A Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") was completed in April 2008, based on the NI 43-101 resource. Pit optimization modelling is ongoing, as is metallurgical work and environmental studies. Pit profiles are shown on the maps page. These pit profiles demonstrate a very low 18 -year life-of-mine strip ratio of 1.03:1, based on a 70,000 tonnes per day operation and the 0.2% copper cut-off, with stockpiling and occasional blending of 0.15 - 0.2% copper material. The pit-optimized resource is currently estimated at 456 million tonnes grading 0.30% copper, with 3.0 billion pounds of contained copper plus unquantified gold and silver. Key results from the PEA
Key financial results are as follows:
The Company intends to commence a bankable feasibility study in 2008. The company plans a further 40,000 meter drill program to expand and upgrade the Indicated and Inferred Resources to Measured Category, including geotechnical and condemnation drilling as part of the feasibility study. Metallurgical tests to date on both higher and lower head grade material resulted in very good concentrates, as demonstrated below:
Work is ongoing to enhance precious metals recoveries. A project team has been assembled including the following experts:
Harper Creek Block Model |
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