Endako is a porphyry molybdenum deposit mined in the Endako, East Denak and West Denak pits. In the longterm mine plan these will merge into a large ‘Super-Pit’.

The Endako deposit consists of an elongated stockwork of quartz-molybdenite veins within the Endako quartz monzonite phase of the Francois Lake Batholith. The orebody is a series of major en-echelon moly-sulfide veins that strike from north through east across the deposit and dip west to south.

The combined strike length of ore grade mineralization is about 3 miles (4.8 km) with a width of roughly 0.5 mile (0.75 km). Mining is in progress or has occurred in the Endako, and both Denak areas. The Northwest zone is yet to be produced. Ore grade moly nearly outcrops in the Northwest zone and is exposed in all of the other pit areas.

Molybdenite is the primary metallic mineral on the Endako Mine property. Minor pyrite, magnetite and chalcopyrite and traces of sphalerite, bornite, specularite and scheelite are also present. Single occurrences of beryl and bismuthinite have been reported. Molybdenite occurs in two types of veins. Large veins (up to 1.2 meters wide) contain laminae and fine disseminations of molybdenite.
The second vein type occurs as stockworks adjacent to the major veins in the form of fine fracture-fillings and veinlets of quartz-molybdenite. Pyrite is most abundant along the southern margin of the zone of molybdenum mineralization.

The Endako Mine utilizes conventional open pit hard rock mining techniques. Ore is hauled to an in-pit crusher and waste is hauled to nearby waste storage stockpiles. A new flotation mill is under construction at Endako which is expected to increase the ore processing capacity to 50,000 tpd. As a consequence, the mine ore and waste production rates are being increased in order to sustain ore production to the mill.

The infrastructure at Endako Mine includes a 55,000 ton per day concentrator, a 35,000 to 40,000 pound per day roaster (and an additional non-operating roaster), tailings and reclaim water ponds, a crushing plant, waste rock dumps, an administrative building, a truck shop/warehouse, a change house, a first aid station, a laboratory, a garage and other shops. The power supply of the site is provided by a 9 km, 69 kV power line owned by B.C. Hydro from a nearby substation. Water for the milling process is re-circulated from the tailings facility while make-up water is pumped from François Lake, located nearby. [2019 AIF, p. 92]


The process plant will consist of the following unit operations:
1) In-pit crushing with the existing in-pit crusher
2) Crushed ore storage and reclaim
3) Semi-autogenous (SAG) mil (36 ft) in closed circuit with a pebble crusher
4) Ball mill secondary grinding in closed circuit with cyclone classification
5) Rougher / scav ........