Huldra Silver eyeing production at Treasure Mountain

The company has spent over $4.5 million on exploration of its wholly- owned 3,000-acre property to date, with work concentrated on the Treasure Mountain Fault zone with specific emphasis on the C vein section within this fault.

Work to date has resulted in a drilled, drifted or partly blocked out reserve of 164,000 tons at an average grade of 25.3 oz silver, 5.94% lead and 4.14% zinc per ton, calculated on the basis of widths diluted to 4 ft.

With an additional 180,000 tons (based on geology and the possible extension of known ore), the company said an independent preliminary evaluatio n of the project indicates that a production rate of 200 tons per day would be optimal. Reserves to date were obtained entirely within a 1,500 ft section of the 8,000-ft Treasure Mountain fault zone, with the mineralization open to depth and at both ends.

Since the fall of 1987, work has continued to test the down dip continuity of the C vein on four levels, with level four located about 1,200 ft down dip from surface vein exposures. A total of 7,200 ft of 8 ftx8 ft crosscuts and drifts, and 1,800 ft of raises were advanced, along with 3,500 ft of underground diamond drilling.

The property also has numerous other exploration targets which remain to be tested for their reserve potential, including the Ruby Zone East discovered by trenching last fall. Limited drilling since then has indicated some 10,000 tons grading 15.6 oz silver and 4.5% lead over a 10-ft width. The company noted that a major drill program would be required to define ore reserves within this section of the fault.

While pursuing its production objectives, the company intends to continue exploration of seven key targets found within the property. Access is by 40 km of all-weather gravel road from the Coquihalla Highway.

In the summer of 1987, Huldra Silver mined a surface bulk sample of 2,400 tons from the centre section of the C vein. The company said a test shipment of 407 tons of select high grade to smelter “proved the ore to be free of contaminants” and netted $344,265 to its treasury. Further testing of lower grade ore by Coastech Research is reported to have indicated that a 95% recovery can be achieved through conventional concentrating.

The company recently retained Bacon, Donaldson & Associates to carry out further metallurgical testing and the firm of Entech Environmental Consultants to obtain operating permits.

Michael Ross, P.Eng., president of Orocon Inc., recently joined Huldra Silver’s board.

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