Artemis Gold (TSXV: ARTG) says it’s begun milling ore this week at the Blackwater mine in British Columbia as it prepares for an initial gold pour this month.
The Vancouver-based company had planned for first gold last month at the project in central B.C. It’s about 160 km southwest of Prince George and 446 km northeast of Vancouver.
The mine is initially targeting high-grade, near-surface gold and silver ore from a conventional open pit.
The company has installed a combined gravity circuit and whole ore leach for recovering the metal. It plans to use stockpiled lower-grade material for processing at the end of the mine’s life.
Shares in Artemis fell 3% on Thursday in Toronto to $15.12 apiece, valuing the company at $3.4 billion.
Mineral claims
Artemis has interests in 328 mineral claims covering an area of 1,487 sq. km distributed among the property and the Capoose, Auro, Key, Parlane and RJK claim blocks. The government controls surface rights over the project areas.
The Blackwater mine received its B.C. Mines Act permit in March 2023. The federal Environmental Assessment Agency OK’d the project in April 2019 and the province issued environmental assessment certificate that June.
The company signed a trilateral project participation agreement in 2019 with the two Indigenous nations whose traditional territories overlap the proposed mine site: Lhoosk’uz Dené Nation and Ulkatcho First Nation.
In May 2021, Artemis also signed an impact benefits agreement with the Nazko Nation in respect of the Blackwater project. Discussions continue with the Carrier Sekani First Nations, whose territories overlap proposed linear infrastructure corridors.
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