ANSWERS CRITICS OF US$90M OFFERING / 5 ROB MCEWEN: Geotech_Earlug_2016_Alt2.pdf 1 2016-06-24 4:27:20 PM SPECIAL FOCUS PROJECTS EXPLORATION TO WATCH Milestones on the horizon for juniors chasing VTEM™ | ZTEM™ | Gravity | Magnetics DELIVERING QUALITY EXPERTISE GLOBALLY hot prospects / 9–15 ACROSS THE ENTIRE MINING LIFE CYCLE 905 841 5004 | geotech.ca WWW.SGS.COM/MINING [email protected] DECEMBER 10–23, 2018 / VOL. 104 ISSUE 25 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS · SINCE 1915 / $3.99 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM Flin Flon mining to Nighthawk explores regions stop in 2021, Hudbay near Colomac in NWT GOLD | Drills ‘vast, unexplored potential’ north of Yellowknife memo says BASE METALS | Efforts to find more ore failed BY TRISH SAYWELL [email protected] espite its best efforts, the “most likely scenario” is that in 2021, mining operations Dwill cease in Flin Flon, Man., an internal memo to employees at Hud- bay Minerals (TSX: HBM; NYSE: HBM) says. While the company has extended the life of its 777 mine from 2019 to 2021, the memo notes, its efforts to find new sources of ore from 777 “did not turn out as we hoped.” That means that the Flin Flon mill will also cease operations, the memo states, and the “most likely outcome is that the zinc plant will also close in 2021. “We have to be honest: after min- ing for 90 years in the Flin Flon area, we now know that we won’t have an anchor mine to replace 777 and sustain operations in Flin A drill rig at Nighthawk Gold’s Indin Lake gold property in the Northwest Territories. NIGHTHAWK GOLD Flon the same way they are today,” Robert Assabgui, vice-president of its regional gold deposits and property are Treasure Island, PM40069240 Hudbay’s Manitoba business unit, BY TRISH SAYWELL showings to build on what it 11 km northwest of Colomac; wrote to staff. [email protected] says is a gold camp with vast, Leta Arm, 15 km southwest of “In 2022, with only Lalor ore avail- underexplored potential in the Colomac; and Damoti Lake, 28 able, the zinc plant will have only Indin Lake greenstone belt of km south of Colomac. 50% of the feed that it has today. It ince it kicked off this year’s the Northwest Territories, 200 The company drilled 16 holes is unlikely we will be able to techni- 32,500-metre drill program km north of Yellowknife. (4,000 metres) at Treasure Island cally or commercially operate the in March, Nighthawk Gold “This past year a little over this year — the first drilling there plant at this reduced throughput.” S(TSX: NHK; US-OTC: MIMZF) half of our drill metres were since the company intersected The 777 zinc-copper-gold-silver has continued drilling at the outside Colomac on our larger several shallow, high-grade gold mine began commercial produc- Colomac and Grizzly Bear gold land package,” Michael Byron, intercepts in 2011. tion in 2004. deposits, which, along with its Nighthawk’s president and CEO, All 16 holes intersected min- The company said it is working to Goldcrest gold deposit, make up says in a telephone interview. eralization, with visible gold in figure out what this means for jobs, the Colomac project’s inferred “The whole concept of why we 14 of them. but doesn’t have all the answers yet. resource of 2.61 million con- consolidated the Indin Lake belt Highlights include 46.3 metres “I can tell you that we know there tained oz. gold in 50.3 million was to demonstrate that it is a grading 3.31 grams gold per tonne will be a need for more people at Stall tonnes grading 1.62 grams gold gold camp at its very early stages from 118 metres downhole, in- mill and Lalor mine,” Assabgui said. per tonne. of exploration and evolution.” cluding 21.8 metres of 6.23 grams But the company has also spent So far, Nighthawk’s most ex- See HUDBAY / 2 See NIGHTHAWK / 6 a lot of time drilling several of citing regional targets on the FORTUNA SILVER: NEARS PRODUCTION AT LINDERO / 16 1-16_DEC10_Main .indd 1 2018-12-04 9:34 PM 2 DECEMBER 10–23, 2018 / THE NORTHERN MINER WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM Carube expands gold anomaly at Main Ridge in Jamaica GOLD | New management to expand company’s focus beyond Jamaica BY RICHARD QUARISA pany’s vice-president of business [email protected] development. The company then reorganized its board. arube Copper (TSXV: CUC) “What we’ve done is created a has expanded the gold-in-soil group of extremely experienced and anomaly at its Main Ridge talented individuals to look at things Cgold project in Jamaica east to a 5.5 a bit differently than what was done km total strike length. in the past at Carube,” Hughes says. Though Carube has several copper “It was a Jamaica-focused company, and gold projects in Jamaica, the and I see that changing now.” company says Main Ridge is one Hughes says Jamaica has good it can fast track through explora- copper projects, but not “of the tion. Carube is now carrying out scale that is of serious interest.” detailed mapping and sampling at Still, the company is reviewing its Main Ridge, including rock-chip copper anomalies across Jamaica samples, grab samples and chan- to determine which ones could nel samples across all mineralized host a deposit. structures it considers significant. The company intends to pick up This could continue until year-end. at least two more exploration or “We are aggressively working development projects. While its on our Main Ridge gold project in focus is copper, Hughes says he is Jamaica, where we’ve found pretty considering gold assets, as well. He good indications of mineralization says his intent is to lower the com- at surface,” company president and pany’s risk profile by diversifying CEO Stephen Hughes says in a tele- its portfolio. phone interview with The Northern “First and foremost, I don’t like Miner. being isolated in one country,” The company first defined a gold- Hughes says. “It just increases your in-soil anomaly at Main Ridge in risk.” August 2018 to a minimum 2 km He adds that “everyone on the strike length, with gold values rang- board, we all believe that next year ing from 0.05 to 6.13 grams gold there’s going to be a significant in- per tonne. At the time, Carube crease in copper price, as companies found two mineralized structures. either don’t meet production levels, It collected grab samples grading or those that are have lower grades 6.1 grams gold and 13.9 grams gold Personnel in the field at Carube Copper’s Main Ridge gold project in Jamaica. CARUBE COPPER than planned.” from what became its Donkey Hill Before joining Carube, Hughes and Mango Valley prospects. grading 20.4 grams gold. AusJam structures. Main Ridge also hosts two copper- served for 23 years as a director The prospects sit along trend reported 17 grams gold over 3.1 Most recently, Carube found two in-soil anomalies called Orange Hill and as vice-president of explora- northwest of the Pennants gold metres and 2.7 grams gold over more gold-in-soil anomalies on the and Trout Hall. Rock-chip channel tion for Asiamet Resources (LON: deposit, which AusJam Mining 1.4 metres in historical drilling at other side of Pennants, east of the sampling at Trout Hall returned ARS; US-OTC: KMGLF), which developed into a small, open-pit Main Ridge. deposit, called Guava Ridge and grades as high as 0.84% copper is preparing a bankable feasibility gold mine after BHP Billiton (LON: In October 2018, Carube an- John Austin. The company took 326 over 0.8 metre and 0.79% copper study for its Beruang Kanan Main BHP; NYSE: BHP) found it in the nounced more high-grade, rock- samples at eastern Main Ridge at over 1.5 metres. copper project in Indonesia. The early 1990s. Drilling by AusJam at chip samples from Main Ridge, 100-metre spacings over a 1,500- by “Outside of that we’re actively project has 49.2 million measured Pennants reported grades as high along with a third gold prospect 1,900-metre area. speaking to at least 10 companies at and indicated tonnes grading 0.7% as 429.78 grams gold over 1.7 me- called Silver Fish. Recent grab The samples graded up to 1.14 a time about copper projects across copper for 711.3 million lb. copper tres, and 56.41 grams gold over 3.8 samples have graded as high as grams gold in soils at Guava Ridge the globe, with a preference to the at a 0.2% copper cut-off grade. metres. AusJ reportedly mined as 19.3 grams gold at Mango Valley, and 2.11 grams gold in soils at John Americas,” Hughes says. Shares of Carube Copper are trad- much as 15,000 oz. gold at Pennants. 12 grams gold at Donkey Hill and Austin. Grab samples graded as high Hughes took over as CEO earlier ing at 4¢ in a 52-week range of 4¢ to The Pennants deposit has a 1.7 grams gold at Silver Fish. All as 0.21 gram gold at Guava Ridge this year, replacing Jeff Ackert, who 10¢. The company has a $7-million 75,500-tonne historical resource prospects are hosted in quartz vein and 1.19 grams gold at John Austin. stepped aside and became the com- market capitalization. TNM Flin Flon mining to stop in 2021, Hudbay memo says HUDBAY From 1 “WE HAVE TO BE HONEST: AFTER MINING “We are also optimistic that there FOR 90 YEARS IN THE FLIN FLON AREA, will be additional jobs at the New WE NOW KNOW THAT WE WON’T HAVE Brit gold mill once refurbished, and AN ANCHOR MINE TO REPLACE 777.” potentially at Pen, if this project moves forward.