Vancouver – An internal resource estimate on Western Keltic Mines’ (WKM-V) Kutcho Creek project, has found less tonnage but higher grades for the Kucho deposit, while the higher grade Esso West resource was expanded by 25%. The Kutcho Creek project is situated 100 km east of Dease Lake in north-central British Columbia.
According to the new estimate, the Kutcho deposit contains measured and indicated resources of 11,554,000 tonnes grading 2.1% copper, 2.8% zinc, 36.2 grams silver and 0.44 grams gold per tonne, at a 1% copper equivalent cutoff.
Meanwhile, the indicated resource at the deeper Esso West deposit has been pegged at 2.12 million tonnes grading 3.26% copper, 5.86% zinc, 75.7 grams silver and 0.71 grams gold per tonne at a 1.5% copper cutoff.
The resource estimates follow the company’s 41 hole drill program in 2004. The estimates are based on a total of 158 drillholes in the Kutcho deposit and 44 holes in and around the Esso West deposit.
Western Keltic estimates that together, the two sulphide deposits contain 672 million lbs. copper and 959 million lbs. zinc at an average copper equivalent grade of 3.65% within the two deposits.
The copper equivalent was based on metal prices of US$1 per lb. copper, 50 US per lb. zinc, US$6 per oz. silver and US$400 per oz. gold. Metallurgical recoveries used are 88% for copper, 85% for zinc, 60% for silver and 50% for gold.
The new Kutcho resource estimate resulted in a slight increase in grade and decrease in tonnage from the previous resource estimate. The company believes that the tonnage was lost as a result of ore deposit modeling while increases in copper, silver and gold grades are owing to larger diameter core samples and improved core recovery.
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