Gold: Beardmore Camp – 100% owned
1. Northern Empire
In 1996, Roxmark acquired a 100% interest in the Northern Empire property from Pancontinental Mining (Canada) Ltd. and Ateba Mines Inc. The property consists of 72 patented and leased claims covering 2,644 acres in McComber and Summers Townships, and includes a permitted mill complex. The mill currently has a capacity of 200 tons-per-day, can be expanded to 1,000 TPD. It has been upgraded and readied to process gold and molybdenum ores.
Historically, the Northern Empire mine was operated successfully by Newmont Mines, producing 149,493 ounces of gold from 425,866 tons with a recovery of 0.35 oz. in gold per ton. It is serviced with a shaft to 2,460 feet with development above and below a major flat diabase sill. The mine was inactive since 1988.
In 2007 and 2008, Roxmark carried out a 103-hole, 11,096-metre diamond drilling program at the Mine, described in a NI 43-101 report dated November 2008, which established resources for the top two mine levels of indicated 86,652 tons grading 10.70 g/t Au (0.34 oz/t Au) for 927,113 g Au (29,807 ozs Au) and inferred 64,748 tons grading 9.95 g/t Au (0.32 oz/t Au) for 644,446 g Au (20,719 oz Au).
An independent study by SRK Consulting Geologists concluded in 2006 that the mine offers excellent exploration potential containing 150,000 ounces of gold (non-Ni 43-101 compliant).
Roxmark’s current plan is to develop the eastern strike length of the Northern Empire mine by a decline and mine the area to the second level. Preliminary study indicates that production can begin within six months of completing development work. This program will be followed up by dewatering the 2,460 feet shaft and installing a headframe, hoist and ancillary equipment on surface and underground.
2. Sand River Mine Property
In 2000, Roxmark acquired a 100% interest from Rio Fortuna Exploration Corp. in the Sand River Property, 37 contiguous mining leases covering 1,692 acres in Eva Township.
The Sand River-Leitch discovery was made on the Sand River Mine in 1934 and the vein system was extended to the northeast onto the Leitch Mine in 1935. Servicing was by a three-compartment shaft to 2,656' depth. Sand River Resources processed 157,870 tons with a recovery grade of 0.32 oz. of gold per ton yielding 50,065 oz. gold.
3. Leitch Property
In 2003, Roxmark acquired from Teck Cominco Limited an approximate 63% interest in the Leitch property, consisting of 10 patented claims covering 1,276 acres in Eva and Summers Townships. Roxmark owns now 100% interest in the property subsequent to acquiring the balance of interest early in 2009. Operated continuously over a period of nearly 30 years and producing 847,900 oz with an average ore grade of .92 ounces per ton, the Leitch Mine was shut down in 1965 as a result of $35 gold and boundary disputes which Roxmark has eliminated by acquiring the Sand River Mine. At just over 3000 feet, The Leitch Mine was shallow by the standards of top producers in nearby camps. It never ran out of gold at depth and both ore grade and vein width increased with depth. Mining records of the time record several drill assays of more than two ounces per ton over 2 feet located 100 feet below the 30th level.
The Mine was serviced by a three-compartment shaft to 3,006', with a winze from the 19th or 2,875' level to the 30th or 4,525' level. It operated continuously from 1937 to 1965, processing 920,745 tons with a recovery of 0.92 oz. of gold per ton yielding 847,690 oz. gold at US$35/oz. The Mine was shut down in 1965 as a result of $35 gold and boundary disputes which Roxmark has eliminated through consolidation and acquisition of Sand River Mine.
4. East Leitch Property
In 2003, Roxmark acquired from Kinross Mines a 55.25% interest in the East Leitch Property covering 20 claims held under a 21-year lease on 832 acres in Summers Township. In January 2005, Roxmark acquired the remaining 29.75% interest from African Marine. During 2006, Roxmark conducted a small bulk sample from the property and recovered 125 ounces of gold from processing 800 tons. The property is adjoining the Leitch-Sand River Mine
Gold: Geraldton Camp
1. Hardrock Project – 30% carried interest
The Hardrock Project, located in the Beardmore–Geraldton Greenstone Belt of Northwestern Ontario. The project is operated by Premier Gold Mines Limited (PG-TSX) which is cauurntly earning 70% interest and Roxmark is being carried at 30% interest, The Hardrock Project comprises approximately a 15-kilometre long property package that overlies more than 3.0 million ounces of past gold production in a district that has historic production in excess of 4.0 million ounces. The property lies only a few kilometers south of the Town of Geraldton, which is serviced by the Trans-Canada Highway, Trans-Canada Pipeline and the Canadian National Railway.
The Hardrock Project contains some 1 million ounces of historic (non-NI43-101 compliant) gold resources having potential to be mined in part by both open pit and underground methods. Premier believes that these historic resources, while attractive in their own right, are only an indication of the true potential of this district. We regard the Hardrock Project as having potential to host multiple discoveries of 1 million ounces or more.
In 2009, Premier, as operator is conducting an aggressive $8 to $10 million exploration program with the goal of tabling a NI43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate of 1 million to 1.5 million ounces of gold, occurring in multiple, closely-spaced deposits, potentially amenable to open-pit mining. In order to achieve this, we have planned the following exploration program:
- Some 50,000 metres of diamond drilling in delineation and exploration configurations.
- Focus within 300 metres of surface.
- Target areas of existing mineralization & those with high potential for discovery based on our geological model.
2. Placer Dome-Key Lake Property
Between 1995 and 1997, Roxmark earned from Placer Dome Canada Limited and Key Lake Explorations Limited a 100% interest in 26 patented claims and mining leases (of which 10 claims are freehold with surface rights) on 1,339 acres in Lindsley Township. To earn the interest Roxmark earned a 100% interest in the property by investing a total of $2 million of exploration expenditures.
In 1997, Cyprus Canada Inc. completed an exploration program comprising 13 holes and 2,270 metres drilled, with five holes intersecting visible gold. The drilling was part of a Cyprus program to determine the possibility of developing open pit gold mines in the Geraldton area. In 1997, Cyprus determined that the property contained a total of 150,000 ounces of gold (non-NI 43-101 compliant).
Drilling focused on either side of a three-compartment shaft with three underground levels. It confirmed the presence of gold mineralization and added to the extensive drilling previously carried out in the area, including 87 holes by Placer Dome.