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United States
Lucky Friday Mine

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 Location:
1 km E from Mullan, Idaho, United States

  Address:
397 Friday Ave
Mullan
Idaho, United States
83846
Phone+1-208-744-1751
Fax+1-208-744-1317
EmailEmail
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Lead
  • Zinc
Mining Method
  • Cut & Fill
  • Cemented backfill
Shaft Depth 2,627 m
Processing
  • Flotation
Mine Life18 years (as of Jan 1, 2019)
The unionized employees at Lucky Friday were on strike from mid-March 2017 until early January 2020, resulting in limited production during that time.


Owners

Source: p. 7
CompanyInterestOwnership
Hecla Mining Company 100 % Indirect
Hecla Ltd. 100 % Direct

Deposit Type

  • Vein / narrow vein

Source: Source p.39

Summary:

There have been two ore-bearing structures mined at the Lucky Friday unit. The first, mined through 2001, was the Lucky Friday vein, a fissure vein typical of many in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. The ore body is located in the Revett Formation, which is known to provide excellent host rocks for a number of ore bodies in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. The Lucky Friday vein strikes northeasterly and dips steeply to the south with an average width of six to seven feet. Its principal ore minerals are galena and tetrahedrite with minor amounts of sphalerite and chalcopyrite. The ore occurs as a single continuous ore body in and along the Lucky Friday vein. The major part of the ore body has extended from 1,200 feet to 6,020 feet below surface.

The second ore-bearing structure, known as the Lucky Friday Expansion Area, or Gold Hunter, has been mined since 1997 pursuant to an operating agreement with Silver Hunter Mining Company (“Silver Hunter”), our wholly owned subsidiary. During 1991, we discovered several mineralized structures containing some high-grade silver ores in an area known as the Gold Hunter property, approximately 5,000 feet northwest of the then existing Lucky Friday workings. This discovery led to the development of the Gold Hunter property on the 4900 level. At approximately 4,900 feet below surface, the Gold Hunter veins are hosted in a 200-foot thick siliceous lens within the Wallace Formation that transitions to the St. Regis Formation below 5,900 feet. The veins are sub- parallel, and are numbered consecutively from the hanging wall of the favorable horizon to the footwall. The strike of the vein system is west-northwest with a dip of 85 degrees to the south. The 30 vein, which has demonstrated to contain higher silver grades, represents approximately 71% of our current proven and probable ore reserve tonnages, while the remaining 29% of our reserves are contained in various intermediate veins having lower silver grades than 30 vein. While the veins share many characteristics with the Lucky Friday vein, the Gold Hunter area possesses some mineralogical and rock mechanics differences that make it more favorable to mine at this time.


Mining Methods

  • Cut & Fill
  • Cemented backfill

Source: p.39

Summary:

The principal mining method at the Lucky Friday unit is ramp access, cut and fill. This method utilizes rubber-tired equipment to access the veins through ramps developed outside of the ore body. Once a cut is taken along the strike of the vein, it is backfilled with cemented tailings and the next cut is accessed, either above or below, from the ramp system.


Crushing and Grinding
Source: Source p.39


Processing

  • Flotation

Source: Source p.39

Summary:

Ore at the Lucky Friday is processed using a conventional lead/zinc flotation flowsheet, with process control guided by a real-time, on-line analyzer. Run of mine ore is crushed in a conventional three stage crushing plant consisting of a primary jaw crusher, and a secondary crushing circuit, and tertiary cone crushing stage. Crushed ore is ground in a ball mill, and the ground slurry reports to the lead flotation circuit. The lead circuit tailings report to the zinc flotation circuit. Lead and zinc concentrates are thickened and filtered, and final concentrate products are shipped to smelters for final processing.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2019201820172016201520142013
Silver Recovery Rate, % 9491969595
Silver Head Grade, oz/ton 11.810.812.412.710.7118.99
Lead Recovery Rate, % 9191959694
Lead Head Grade, % 7.867.197.17.786.556.876.19
Zinc Recovery Rate, % 8593939492
Zinc Head Grade, % 4.254.24.013.922.982.932.69

Production:

CommodityUnits201920182017201620152014
Silver oz 632,944169,041838,6573,596,0093,028,1343,239,151
Lead tons 4,0981,1314,73721,87618,34820,104
Zinc tons 2,0526732,5608,9858,1398,159
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics2019201820172016201520142011
Tonnes milled 57,091 tons17,309 tons70,718 tons293,875 tons297,347 tons309,070 tons298,672 tons
Daily milling capacity 1,000 tons1,000 tons1,000 tons1,000 tons1,000 tons
Daily milling rate 812 tons803 tons815 tons847 tons

Reserves at December 31, 2019:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 4,185 k tons Silver 15.4 oz/ton 64,506 koz
Proven 4,185 k tons Lead 9.6 % 401,020 tons
Proven 4,185 k tons Zinc 4.1 % 172,880 tons
Probable 1,386 k tons Silver 11.4 oz/ton 15,815 koz
Probable 1,386 k tons Lead 7.6 % 104,720 tons
Probable 1,386 k tons Zinc 3.7 % 50,640 tons
Proven & Probable 5,571 k tons Silver 14.4 oz/ton 80,321 koz
Proven & Probable 5,571 k tons Lead 9.1 % 505,740 tons
Proven & Probable 5,571 k tons Zinc 4 % 223,520 tons
Measured 8,060 k tons Silver 7.5 oz/ton 60,788 koz
Measured 8,060 k tons Lead 4.8 % 385,040 tons
Measured 8,060 k tons Zinc 2.6 % 210,730 tons
Indicated 2,720 k tons Silver 8 oz/ton 21,641 koz
Indicated 2,720 k tons Lead 5.1 % 138,620 tons
Indicated 2,720 k tons Zinc 2.4 % 65,930 tons
Measured & Indicated 10,780 k tons Silver 7.6 oz/ton 82,428 koz
Measured & Indicated 10,780 k tons Lead 4.9 % 523,670 tons
Measured & Indicated 10,780 k tons Zinc 2.6 % 276,660 tons
Inferred 3,050 k tons Silver 8.6 oz/ton 26,155 koz
Inferred 3,050 k tons Lead 6.2 % 190,500 tons
Inferred 3,050 k tons Zinc 2.7 % 82,250 tons

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits20172016201520142013
Credits (by-product) Silver USD -17.02 / oz -14.11 / oz -12.56 / oz -14.51 / oz -15.72 / oz
Cash costs Silver USD 22.8 / oz 23 / oz 23.8 / oz 24 / oz 34.9 / oz
Cash costs Silver USD 5.81 / oz† 8.89 / oz† 11.2 / oz† 9.44 / oz† 19.2 / oz†
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver USD 29.5 / oz 34.8 / oz 43.6 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver USD 12.5 / oz† 20.7 / oz† 31.1 / oz†
† Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs:

Units201820172016201520142013
UG mining costs ($/ton milled) USD 86.3106.7598.189.787.9100.49
Processing costs ($/ton milled) USD 14.921.724.121.521.629.7

Financials:

Units2019201820172016201520142013
Capital expenditures M USD 7.9  14.2  6.3  44.8   60   52.2  
Operating Income M USD -12.52  -20.2  -16.04  18.2   0.87   21.5   -3.56  
Gross profit M USD 6.45  18.3   1.08   21.9   -4.86  


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
Acting Health, Safety & Environmental Manager Lance Boylan LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021
Chief Geologist Nicholas Furlin LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021
Engineering Manager Matt Blattman LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021
Maintenance Manager Norm Doxanakis LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021
Mine Superintendent Chris Neville LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021
Technical Services Manager Wes Johnson LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021
Vice President and General Manager Clayr Alexander LinkedIn Feb 19, 2021

Staff:

EmployeesYear
327 2020
271 2019
287 2018
299 2017
310 2016
318 2015

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Press Release 2021
Form 10-K 2020
Press Release 2020
Form 10-K 2019
Press Release 2019
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2019
Form 10-K 2018
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2018
Form 10-K 2017
Corporate Presentation 2016
Form 10-K 2016
Press Release 2016
Annual Report 2015
Form 10-K 2015
Annual Report 2014

Aerial view:

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