The past-producing Eskay Creek gold mine once had the highest grade in the world, and if Vancouver-based Skeena Resources keeps drilling bonanza grades – 18.13 g/t over 22.7 metres in the new high grade vent – it may be in the running again for the title.
Skeena has two drills working at Eskay Creek, and in the 21A zone the following highlights are noted:
- Hole SK-19-052: 16.52 g/t gold and 73 g/t silver over 7.5 metres;
- Hole SK-19-55: 28.38 g/t gold and 1 g/t silver over 5.8 metres;
- Hole SK-19-057: 17.38 g/t gold and 113 g/t silver over 19.5 metres; and
- Hole SK-19-058: 17.93 g/t gold and 15 g/t silver over 22.7 metres.
The 21A zone has a high grade hydrothermal vent (holes 57 and 58) that is considerably thicker than the mineralization hosted in the tabular contact mudstone previously drilled. The find has Skeena believing there is additional resource tonnage to be found during infill drilling.
Ausenco Engineering Canada is preparing a preliminary economic assessment of the Eskay Creek project. It should be ready by the end of this year.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)