Mining News: Northern Neighbors: High-grade Bermingham brightens Keno’s future

Alexco Resource Corp. Nov. 9 provided an update on its expanded drill program at its Keno Hill Silver District in the Yukon, which included 50 holes totaling 17,300 meters of surface drilling to follow up on high-grade silver identified at the Bermingham prospect. This roughly C$3.3 million program ran from June through late October. Assay results have been received from 18 of 36 holes completed to date. Drilling has confirmed and expanded the Bermingham high-grade zone, known as the Bear zone, including a recent intercept of 7.5 meters of 2,715 grams per metric ton (87.3 ounces per metric ton) silver in hole K-16-0608. Overall, all other composite intercepts in the high grade Bear Zone now range between 504 g/t to 7,462 g/t silver over composited true thicknesses ranging from 1.3 to 6.4 meters. “Early results from the 2016 exploration program underscore the materiality and importance of this discovery to the future of Keno Hill,” said Alexco CEO Clynt Nauman. Final results from the program are pending. Alexco is investing additional funds to gather important geotechnical and hydrogeological information, as well as undertaking a preliminary metallurgical program to test the Bermingham mineralization. The company plans to provide an updated preliminary economic assessment for Keno Hill that incorporates a re-engineering and optimization of the mine plan along with an updated mineral resource estimate for the Bermingham deposit by the end of the year.

-Shane Lasley