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Canada

Yellowknife Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
 Archived Information
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Longhole stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotOn August 15, 2012, the previous owner of the project (Tyhee), released a feasibility study prepared by SRK for the Yellowknife gold project. The results of that study are now considered obsolete.

As part of its current strategic review process, the Company previously announced that it had initiated a PEA on the Yellowknife Project. While the Company had announced the initiation of a PEA on September 23, 2021, the Company has not defined a completion date as it is focusing on other priority projects.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
GoldMining Inc. 100 % Indirect
The property measures approximately 12,120 hectares (ha) comprising of 26 mining leases and 10 mineral claims to which 507140 N.W.T. Ltd. has title, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GoldMining.

Deposit type

  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Orogenic
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

The YGP deposits can be considered Archean Lode Gold deposits within an orogenic gold environment. These deposit types are well documented throughout the Canadian Shield. Gold deposition typically post-dates peak metamorphism and can be accompanied by retrograde metamorphism in the greenschist to amphibolite grade lithologies. Favorable structural settings include areas of contrasting lithological competency which result in brittle and ductile shearing as well as quartz-carbonate veining as stockwork and lode gold quartz veining.

The Ormsby and Bruce Zone deposits are interpreted to be an amphibolite facies disseminated-replacement hypothermal to mesothermal Archean lode gold style deposit hosted by brecciated mafic metavolcanics. Metasomatic layering has resulted in very irregular banded to laminated textures with bands of alternating amphibolite, biotite and plagioclase pseudo-gneiss with abundant garnet. The two zones are located in the Ormsby and Discovery metavolcanic members respectively.

Gold is found associated with fine grained lamination parallel pyrrhotite bands within silicified amphibolite and within irregularsmoky grey quartz veins. Sulfide mineralization includes arsenopyrite, pyrite and trace amounts of galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite. Visible gold occurs as isolated grains proximal to sulfide clots in quartz veins or alone in quartz veins. Similar gold mineralization has been intersected in diamond drill core over the 2.5 km extent of the Ormsby and Discovery Member amphibolites.

Quartz veining is an important but minor component by volume of the mineralized zones. Silicification occurs as discrete, discontinuous light to dark gray quartz veins, pods, or disseminations. The quartz veins, usually only a few centimeters in width, have variable orientations typically striking 320º to 340º azimuth and dipping 10º to 50º to the southwest. Lesser veinlets dip to the northeast suggesting an asymmetric conjugate pair.

The Ormsby Zone generally strikes 0350 (+/- 150) and dips vertically. The Ormsby Zone varies from 75 to 150 m wide, has a strike length of approximately 1,300 m and is open at the current explored depth of 550 m below surface.

The Nicholas Lake Zone gold deposit is nterpreted to be an intrusion hosted shear zone deposit comprised of multiple auriferous sulfide bearing quartz veins and veinlets located within the granodiorite or within the Burwash sediments in close proximity of the granodiorite. The quartz veins are generally vertical but can dip as much as 80° to the north or south.

The Nicholas Lake Zone is approximately 125 m wide, has a strike length of 225 m and is open at the current explored depth of 450 m below surface. The zone trends approximately east-west and is sinusoidal in shape both vertically and horizontally.

The Goodwin Lake Zone deposit is interpreted to be a brittle shear zone quartz vein stockwork lode gold deposit within a gabbro. Vein widths on surface are generally <1.5 m but have been seen over 2 m with lengths of 10 to 15 m and locally >35 m. Quartz veins, typically a light smoky grey to blue grey to near white in color, are generally irregular in shape with sinuous and local boudinaged forms. Vein orientations vary greatly from flat to vertical and locally folded. Dips where indicated suggest north-northeast dips with more common strikes at 115° to 125° east o north and 10° to 20° east of north. Gangue minerals are minor amounts of chlorite, amphibole and biotite with weak carbonate.

Gold mineralization is seen principally within quartz veins and to a much lesser extent at vein contacts and thin halos. Gold appears to be essentially free in nature and occurs as very fine grained to local fine grained <1 mm blebs along vein fractures and contacts with sulfide or chlorite mineralization.

The Clan Lake Main Zone deposit is interpreted to be a brittle shear zone quartz vein stockwork lode gold deposit within intermediate volcanic flows and related tuff. Vein measurements indicate a great variation in strike and dip. Vein widths on surface are generally <1.0 m and some over 2 m with lengths of 8 to 12 m and locally >25 m. In core, veining can be seen as 5 cm to 3 m wide irregular veins with upper and lower contacts at sometimes at differing angles. Contacts are sharp with locally a very weakly foliated margin where semi-pervasive sericite alteration is noted. Gangue minerals are typically minor amounts of chlorite, amphibole and biotite with weak carbonate.

Gold mineralization occurs within smoky grey to grey-white quartz-carbonate veins, quartz breccias zones and the alteration haloes surrounding the veins. Gold occurs as very fine grained to local fine grained less than 1 mm blebs along vein fractures and contacts with sulphide or chlorite mineralization. The presence of visible gold is common with many gold assay results greater than 10 g/t. Pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite are the most abundant sulphides from trace to 12% with pyrite, galena and trace sphalerite and chalcopyrite. Arsenopyrite is a common halo component and replaces pyrrhotite locally. The main zone, open horizontally and at depth, currently measures 1,200 m long and ranges in width from 125 to 250 m wide with a north-west to south-east trend. The current deepest intersection is 400 m below the surface, but remains open at depth.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

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