The Keno Hill deposits do not readily fit into a recognised mineral deposit model and attempts to classify a “deposit type” for the mineralization are questionable since the source(s) of metals and conditions related to ore-deposition are poorly understood.

Beaudoin and Sangster (1992) classified the Keno Hill as sediment-hosted veins, likened to the silver bearing deposits at Coeur d’Alene, USA and the Kokanee Range, Canada. A genetic relationship between silver-lead-zinc and intrusion related gold mineralization has also been postulated (Mair et al., 2006).

The mineralization has been more recently classified as belonging to the Lithogene genetic group (Greybeal and Vikre, 2010) which invokes a depositional environment of re-mobilized metals, with no magmatic contribution or associated gold.

Current information, however, shows that this latter classification is not correct, as there is some magmatic component, with local felsic intrusives acting at least in part as a heat source for hydrothermal fluid circulation and gold is associated with the mineralization.

Mineralization in the Keno Hill Silver District comprises carbonate vein hosted polymetallic silver-lead-zinc as described by Boyle (1965), Cathro (2006), Murphy (1997) and Roots (1997). It typically exhibits a succession of hydrothermally precipitated minerals deposited in veins or veinlets as a result of multiple pulses of hydrothermal fluid boiling events, probably relat ........

The Keno Hill Silver District (KHSD) project contains four separate deposits: Bellekeno, Bermingham, Flame & Moth, and Lucky Queen. All are characterized by high-grades, narrow vein widths, and challenging ground conditions.

All four deposits will be mined by mechanized underground mining methods of cut and fill (MCF) and longhole open stoping (LHOS) with cemented rock fill and unconsolidated rock fill.

The KHSD Project is composed of four silver/lead/zinc narrow-vein hosted deposits located throughout the district; Bellekeno Deposit (BK); Lucky Queen Deposit (LQ); Flame & Moth Deposit (FM); and Bermingham Deposit (BM). It is noted that the Flame & Moth and Bermingham deposits are comprised of several zones. All deposits will be extracted using overhand mechanized cut and fill (MCF) and longhole open stoping (LHOS) underground mining methods with cemented rock fill (CRF) and unconsolidated rock fill (URF) backfill types.

While production mining at KHSD Project will predominantly use mechanized C&F mining method several zones of the Bermingham and Flame & Moth deposits will be extracted using LHOS. In these areas, all available geotechnical drill hole data proximal to the planned stope hanging wall was used for stability analysis.

The Bellekeno, Lucky Queen, and Bermingham proposed mining zones are located above the valley floor. Consequently, this tends to limit the occurrence and effect of adverse hydrogeological conditions.