GOLD: Golden Predator moves Brewery Creek mine closer to restart

[caption id="attachment_1003729459" align="aligncenter" width="409"] This was how the Brewery Creek heap leach gold mine looked in 2000 when it was in production. (Image: Golden Predator Mining)[/caption] YUKON – Vancouver-based Golden Predator Mining Corp. is one step closer to reopening the Brewery Creek gold mine 55 km east of Dawson City. The company announced on July 2 that both the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Yukon government support the project. The historic mine was closed temporarily in 2002 when gold prices were below US$300 per oz. The territorial government has confirmed the validity of the existing quartz mining and water licences. This decision gives Golden Predator the authorization to restart mining activities that follow the previously assessed mine plans without further review. The company has received notice that the local indigenous community, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, passed a formal council resolution in support of resuming mining and processing under the existing licences. Golden Predator and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in signed a socio-economic accord for Brewery Creek in 2012. Golden Predator CEO Janet Lee-Sheriff said the company wants to amend the licences and eventually expand the mine. A preliminary economic assessment was completed in 2014 that  had an indicated oxide resources of 14.2 million tonnes averaging 1.27 g/t gold and an inferred oxide resource of 9.3 million tonnes at 0.93 g/t. The oxide resources contain 577,00 oz. of gold in the indicated category and 279,000 oz. in the inferred category. There are also sulphide resources –  3.5 million indicated tonnes at 1.28 g/t gold for 142,000 contained oz. and 12.4 million inferred tonnes at 1.37 g/t for 546,000 contained oz. Click here to view the current mine plan.