The Bralorne-Pioneer gold-bearing veins were deposited from low salinity fluids at 300°C to 400°C and 1.25 kbar to 1.75 kbar (Leitch, 1990). The vein style, structure, mineralogy, and alteration are all similar to those defined for orogenic gold deposits (Groves et al., 1998).

The Bralorne Pioneer gold deposit, therefore, belongs to a well-recognized group of deposits referred to as mesothermal, orogenic or greenstone-hosted quartz-carbonate gold vein deposits. These deposits include the Mother Lode district in California and most of the greenstone-hosted gold deposits in the Canadian Shield, including the Timmins, Val d'Or and Red Lake camps. These deposits are quartz-carbonate veins hosted in moderately to steeply dipping brittle-ductile shear zones and, locally, in shallow dipping extensional fractures.

The gold-quartz veins form an approximate en echelon array. They have strike lengths of as much as 1,500 m between bounding fault structures, and extend to at least 2,000 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 m to 1.5 m wide, ranging up to 6 m 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 1% of total vein volume. Pyrite and arsenopyrite are the most abundant sulphides with lesser marcasite, pyrrhotite, sphalerite, stibnite, galena, chalcopyrite and rare tetrahedrite.

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 1,500 m along a 110° to 145° strike and to a depth of 1,800 m down a steep northerly dip. The fissure veins are commonly ribbon-banded. They have an average width of 1 m to 1.5 m but often pinch and swell, ranging from centimeters to seven meters in width. Tension veins are generally less continuous than the fissure veins with maximum strike lengths of 500 m and similar dip extensions. They are characterized by massive white quartz with erratic high-gold values, openspaced 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 70° 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).


The historic King, Bralorne and Pioneer mines all lay within the current Bralorne Property. These mines developed a total of 30 veins through a number of shafts and 80 kilometers of
tunnels on 44 levels, the deepest of which traced the 77 vein to a depth of 1,900 m (Church and
Jones, 1999). The areas between these mines were not controlled by the main producing

companies at the time the mines were operated, so these gap areas were never developed. Since the mine workings extend to the limits of the old claim boundaries, it is reasonable to expect mineralization to occur in the gap areas, with the same potential frequency of gold mineralization as that found in the mined areas. Talisker controls the mineral claims covering these gap areas.

In addition to the three major past producing mines on the Property, the King, Bralorne and Pioneer mines, the Company’s claims cover seven additional developed prospects; notably the Arizona, Forty Thieves, Gloria Kitty, Why Not, California, Cosmopolitan and Pioneer Extension. These developed prospects span 12 km of strike length along the Cadwallader fault system with numerous other prospects, showings and anomalies identified on the Property

During the 2017 year Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. 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.

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 there are no mechanical or ore flow issues.

The minus 3/8 screened undersize can be sent to one of two fine ore bins. The larger of the two bins with a live load capacity of 150 tons is currently not in use as it requires additional mechanical work. The smaller bin has a reported 88 ton live load capacity. All the ore bins are located within the mill building.

Ore is reclaimed from the fine ore bins on a 24” wide conveyor operating at fixed speed, feeding a “6.5’ x 6’ rubber lined Eimco ball mill equipped with a 150 HP motor. The mill has been reported to be operating at a 72% critical speed, with a targeted 300% re-circulating load. Recent adjustments to operating procedures have resulted in increasing the plant throughput from about 90 tons per day up to 130-140 tons per day. These adjustments included incorporating an increased volume of ball loading, decreased ball mill feed particle size going from -1/2” to -3/8”, and as stated by operating personnel “a closer watch on cyclone operation and solids density in the mill”. The increased throughput has resulted in a coarser product size from an 80% passing 200 mesh to as low as 50% passing 200 mesh. This has resulted in a reported increase to flotation tailing losses and slightly lower gold recovery, but with overall higher precious metal production.

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.

The mill discharge passes over a Denver 16” X 24” duplex jig. Only one of the compartments is reported in use due to excess water balance issues when both compartments are operating. The jig concentrate is stored and cleaned on a 6’ X 14’ Deister shaking table 3 to 4 times per month. The resulting tabled gravity concentrate is typically melted once a month. Jig tailing goes to the cyclone feed with the cyclone underflow being returned to the mill and the overflow reporting to the conditioning tank ahead of flotation.

The flotation circuit and reagent scheme is conventional, using PAX (potassium amyl xanthate) as a collector, and Dow-froth 250 asbfrother. The flotation is via a single 100 ft3 Wemco condition ........