Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Drilling seeks third core zone at KSM

Seabridge Gold June 1 reported the start of drilling at its KSM copper-gold project in northwestern British Columbia. The primary goal of the program is to determine the potential for a high-grade core zone beneath the known Mitchell deposit. Over the past two years, Seabridge discovered Deep Kerr and the Iron Cap Lower Zone, core zones beneath two other near-surface targets at KSM. “Over the past two years, we have found nearly a billion tonnes of higher grade resources at KSM in our core zone program. We are very confident that another core zone lies beneath Mitchell, and the data suggests it could be the best at KSM. We aim to prove it this summer,” said Seabridge Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk. The Mitchell deposit is the largest porphyry copper-gold system discovered at KSM, containing proven and probable reserves of 1.4 billion metric tons grading 0.60 grams per metric ton gold and 0.16 percent copper. One drill has begun testing for the Mitchell Core Zone and a second drill will be starting up within two weeks. Additional drilling on the target zone is contingent on results from these initial tests. Drill holes on this target also will provide vital information for the Mitchell block cave shape included in the 2012 preliminary feasibility study for KSM. This year’s program also will seek to enlarge and refine the block cave mining potential for Deep Kerr and the Iron Cap Lower Zone.

- Shane Lasley