The Bralone-Pioneer gold-quartz vein system is hosted in variably altered mafic and ultramafic rocks that occur as fault-bounded lenses in a structurally complex zone between the Cadwallader and Fergusson faults referred to as the Bralorne-Pioneer fault lens or Bralorne Block. The ore bodies occur within a lens shaped area with an approximate 4.5 km strike length, mostly along, adjacent to, or between these two faults.

The gold-quartz veins form an approximate en echelon array. They have strike lengths of as much as 1500 m between bounding fault structures, and extend to at least 2000 m in depth, with no significant changes in grade or style of mineralization recorded. Ores consist mainly of
ribboned fissure veins with septa defined by fine-grained chlorite, sericite, graphite or sulphide minerals. Massive white quartz tension veins also comprise some of the ore, although thinner connecting cross-veins are generally sub-economic. The fissure veins tend to be larger, thicker, and host the higher gold grades. The most conspicuous alteration mineral is bright green, chrome-bearing phyllosilicate that occurs in basaltic and ultramafic host rocks, composed of fuchsite, mariposite or Cr-illite.

Most veins are 0.9 to 1.5 metres wide - ranging up to 6 metres in a few places, and are composed of quartz with minor carbonates, talc, mica, sulphides, scheelite and native gold. The quartz is milky white and usually banded with numerous partings and septa of grey wallrock included in
the veins (Church and Jones, 1999).

Veins are dominantly composed of quartz, with minor carbonate minerals, mainly calcite and ankerite, and lesser amounts of chlorite, sericite, clay altered mariposite, talc, scheelite and native gold. Sulphides are present and, although locally abundant, make up less than I % of total vein volume. Pyrite and arsenopyrite are the most abundant sulphides with lesser marcassite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, stibnite, galena, chalcopyrite and rare tetrahedrite. In the historic mining operations, approximately 35% of the productive veins were ore grade above a 4.7 Aug/t cutoff.

Three types of veins are recognized on the property; fissure, tension and cross veins. Fissure veins are the richest and most continuous in the camp and include the 51, 55 and 77 veins at Bralorne, the Main Vein at Pioneer and the Peter Vein. They have been traced continuously for up to 1500 metres along a 110° to 145° strike and to a depth of 1800 metres down a steep northerly dip. The fissure veins are commonly ribbon-banded. They have an average width of 1 to 1.5 metres but often pinch and swell, ranging from centimetres to seven metres in width. Tension veins are generally less continuous than the fissure veins with maximum strike lengths of 500 metres and similar dip extensions. They are characterized by massive white quartz with erratic high gold values, open-spaced filling textures, commonly including pockets of drusy to cockscomb quartz between widely spaced and slickensided septae. They are usually not as rich as fissure veins and are hosted in fault sets that strike roughly 700 and dip about 75° northwest. These tension veins form oblique splays off of the fissure veins. They include the 75 and 83 veins at Bralorne and the 27 vein at Pioneer. Cross veins are sub economic and are interpreted to be connecting structures between the fissure and tension veins (Ash, 2001).

During the 2017 year, the Company completed its review of potential scenarios for developing a long term mine operating plan. The original phased plan was for the future start-up of a small tonnage operation, and during the course of work being completed, our site management identified ground and safety issues in the existing 800 level tunnel. It was determined that the 800 level needed rehabilitative work, and consultants were engaged to review and develop a plan for the repairs. In view of the proposed repairs, which would have restricted mine throughput, the consultant’s recommendations were to construct a new tunnel on the 800 level, due to the age and limiting size of the original main access tunnel. The future construction of a new 800 tunnel should allow earlier access to the resources below the 800 level.

The recommended new 800 level tunnel would be sized for mechanized equipment (4.5 metres x 4.5 metres) for the long term development of the mine to depth. The portal entrance would be near the mill, and replace the old 800 tunnel (2.5 metres x 2.5 metres) which was only accessible by small track equipment. The old tunnel would be made safe, and would still be used for ventilation, secondary egress, and mine water drainage.

The proposed new mine plan also contemplates testing a different mining method, sub level long hole retreat mining on veins where the hanging wall, foot wall, and mineralization are conducive to this method, which should be safer and more productive than the shrinkage and cut & fill mining methods used in the past. Combined with the larger new tunnel, the mining operation should be more mechanized and efficient than in the past and enable operating at a higher mining rate.

Prior to the most recent shutdown in 2014, the Bralorne mill and concentrator incorporated conventional grinding, gravity and froth flotation to produce both Dore bar and flotation concentrate for sale. Silver contributes only a very minor credit to the Dore.

Under the pre-2014 mill configuration, ore is delivered to a 10 ton live load receiving bin through a 9” grizzly. The ore is then forwarded to the plant via a 36” plant feed conveyor that discharges to a 100 ton capacity coarse ore bin. Vibrating feeders deliver the coarse ore to a conveyor feeding a 50 HP 12” X 30” Sawyer Massy Jaw Crusher to a nominal 4” crush size. The primary crushed product is sent to a triple deck vibrating screen, with only the top deck currently in use, and incorporating a 3/8” slot opening. The +3/8” material is operated in closed circuit with a Symons 3ft short head cone crusher powered by a 100 HP motor. The crushing circuit is reported to be capable of operating at 50 tons per hour when the ........