NORTHWEST TERRITORIES - Toronto-based FORTUNE MINERALS has completed mining the underground bulk sample from its Nico gold-cobalt-bismuth deposit 160 km northwest of Yellowknife. The sample weighed 3,000 tonnes, and a portion (250 t) will be sent to SGS LAKEFIELD RESEARCH for metallurgical testing.
The $11-million bulk sampling program was begun in March 2006. Mining consisted of establishing a portal and driving 750 m of 5-m x 5-m ramp development at a minus 15% gradient to the sampling site 145 m beneath the surface. Approximately 57,000 t of waste rock was mined from the ramp and is being used as clean aggregate for site work and improving access roads. An additional 100 m of lateral development was driven through the Lower gold zone to extract the mineralized material for the composite bulk sample. The program was conducted by KETE WHII-PROCON, a joint venture between the Tlicho, Yellowknife Dene and Lutsel K'e Dene first nations and Procon Mining and Tunnelling.
Additional information about cobalt and bismuth as well as the Nico project is available at www.FortuneMinerals.com.
Comments