Overview
| Stage | Permitting |
| Mine Type | Open Pit |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
|
| Mine Life | 27 years (as of Jan 1, 2013) |
The Sisson Project has the potential to become a near-term critical metal producer, providing new primary supply of tungsten and molybdenum to North American, European and Asian markets. |
Source:
p. 19
Todd Corporation (Todd) of New Zealand has an 11.5% interest and Northcliff has an 88.5% interest in the Sisson Partnership, which owns the Sisson Project.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Hydrothermal
- Vein / narrow vein
Summary:
The Sisson deposit can be defined as an intrusion related, structurally controlled, bulk tonnage tungstenmolybdenum deposit. Deposits of this type have general hydrothermal similarities to porphyry copper deposits. These types of deposit form in convergent margin to collisional tectonic environments and are related to highly evolved granitic melts formed from continental crust.
A larger granitic pluton as a source for mineralizing hydrothermal fluids at Sisson has not been intersected by drilling thus far, but the numerous, albeit narrow, granitic dykes allow the presence of such a body to be confidently inferred at depth below the deposit.
Structures focused the ascent from depth of the intrusion derived hydrothermal fluids which formed the Sisson deposit. The physical relationship between QS and SX veins exposed in exploration Trench 1 in Zone I and the concentration of mineralization along the disrupted contact between gabbro and the Turnbull Mountain Formation suggest the possible nature of this control. Trench 1 is cut by several broadly north trending, approximately vertical QS veins that are between 0.3 m and 1.5 m in width. Kinematic indicators support long-lived to episodic, sinistral movement along the structures which host the QS veins. Sheeted arrays of northwest trending, steeply dipping, narrow SX veins, as well as fewer but larger, lensoidal quartz extension veins, form an envelope at approximately conjugate angles to the larger QS veins. ........
Summary:
Mining operations for the Sisson Project are typical of open pit, truck-and-shovel mining methods for year round operations in Canadian climates.
Direct mining and mine maintenance were planned as an Owner operated fleet with the equipment ownership and labor being directly under operations. It may be possible to contract out some of the direct mining activities under typical mine stripping contracts and maintenance and repair contracts as per other operating mines.
The exception for this study involves blasting where, due to the specialty expertise required, the supply and onsite manufacturing of blasting materials, blasting crew and their immediate supervisor are assumed to be contracted out. All infrastructure required for the blasting supply contractor will be purchased by the Owner.
The mining fleet consists of 136-t trucks, 16.5 m3 hydraulic shovels and support equipment. The mining fleet will excavate, on average, approximately 23.7 million tonnes per year (Mt/a) over the life of the Sisson Project, including 10.5 Mt/a of mill feed, nominal 30,000 tonnes per day (tpd), 10.6 Mt/a of barren open pit rock and mid-grade stockpile and 2.6 Mt/a of quarry material for construction of the tailings facility embankments. The mine life is estimated to be 27 years.
Bench Height
The Sisson pit designs are based on the digging reach of the mine shovels (10 m operating bench) with double benching between high wall berms; therefore, th ........
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Projected Production:
| Commodity | Product | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
|
Molybdenum
|
Metal in concentrate
|
M lbs
| 4.1 | 111 |
|
WO3
|
Crystals
|
kt
| ...... | ...... |
Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | |
|
Stripping / waste ratio
| 1 * |
|
Daily milling capacity
| 30,000 t * |
|
Daily ore mining rate
| 30,000 t * |
|
Annual mining capacity
| 23.7 Mt * |
|
Waste tonnes, LOM
| 270,290 kt * |
|
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 298,357 kt * |
|
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| 568,647 kt * |
|
Tonnes milled, LOM
| 281,489 kt * |
|
Annual milling capacity
| 10.5 Mt * |
|
Annual ore mining rate
| 10.5 Mt * |
|
Mining scale, tpd
| 60,000 t |
|
Processing scale, tpd
| 30,000 t |
* According to 2013 study.
Reserves at January 22, 2013:
Mineral Reserves are estimated at a net smelter return (NSR) cut-off grade of $US8.83/t
Mineral Resources are estimated at a net smelter return (NSR) cut-off grade of $US9.00/t.
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Proven
|
105,415 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.023 %
|
53.1 M lbs
|
|
Proven
|
105,415 kt
|
WO3
|
0.069 %
|
7.3 M mtu
|
|
Probable
|
228,948 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.02 %
|
101.7 M lbs
|
|
Probable
|
228,948 kt
|
WO3
|
0.065 %
|
14.9 M mtu
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
334,363 kt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.021 %
|
154.8 M lbs
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
334,363 kt
|
WO3
|
0.066 %
|
22.2 M mtu
|
|
Measured
|
108 Mt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.023 %
|
55.3 M lbs
|
|
Measured
|
108 Mt
|
WO3
|
0.072 %
|
7.7 M mtu
|
|
Measured
|
108 Mt
|
WO3Eq
|
0.096 %
|
|
|
Indicated
|
279 Mt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.02 %
|
122 M lbs
|
|
Indicated
|
279 Mt
|
WO3
|
0.065 %
|
18 M mtu
|
|
Indicated
|
279 Mt
|
WO3Eq
|
0.086 %
|
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
387 Mt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.021 %
|
178 M lbs
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
387 Mt
|
WO3
|
0.067 %
|
25.7 M mtu
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
387 Mt
|
WO3Eq
|
0.089 %
|
|
|
Inferred
|
187 Mt
|
Molybdenum
|
0.02 %
|
82.6 M lbs
|
|
Inferred
|
187 Mt
|
WO3
|
0.05 %
|
9.41 M mtu
|
|
Inferred
|
187 Mt
|
WO3Eq
|
0.074 %
|
|
Source:
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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