The Kutcho Creek volcanogenic massive-sulphide deposit is one of three sulphide deposits discovered and explored on the property in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s.
Kutcho Creek contains an open-pit reserve of 14.2 million tonnes grading 1.76% copper and 3.47% zinc, plus 34.2 grams silver and 0.34 gram gold per tonne. This calculation was included in a 1981 prefeasibility study prepared by a respected engineering firm.
The smallest deposit, Esso West, contains an inferred resource of 1.5 million tonnes grading 3.37% copper, 5.71% zinc, 63.4 grams silver and 0.54 gram gold. It is still open for expansion.
More than 135 holes have been drilled at the Kutcho lens, which, combined with other work, represents more than $20 million spent (at today’s dollar value) on exploration and development. The lens has a strike length of 1,700 metres, a maximum thickness of 40 metres, and extends downdip for about 200 metres.
Western Keltic is considering the possibility of advancing the project to production. One proposal calls for the mining of a higher-grade core at Kutcho (6.3 million tonnes grading 2.71% copper, 4.01% zinc, 46.5 grams silver and 0.52 gram gold), together with the Esso West deposit.
Western Keltic says Kutcho Creek reflects its strategy of acquiring low-cost, low-risk, high-potential projects that have a reasonable chance of production. The company continues to seek other opportunities that meet these requirements, as part of a broad goal to become a mid-tier mining company.
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