After several years of false starts, the historic Bralorne gold mine near Vancouver, B.C., is scheduled to reopen in mid-March.
The mine operated from 1916 to 1971, but low gold prices forced its closure. In 1990, it was acquired by equal partners Bralorne Pioneer Gold Mines (BPN-V) and International Avino Mines (IVV-V), which have tried to reactivate the underground workings several times.
Development permits were granted in March 1995, but progress was delayed by a cash shortage and the discovery of asbestos in the walls of the mill building.
“It took us years to get the permits,” says David Wolfin, a director of Bralorne Pioneer. But he adds that “the mill is now almost complete [and] everything is pretty much in place.”
The mine’s resource is estimated at 1 million tons grading 0.3 oz. gold per ton.
Meanwhile, a 3,000-ft. diamond drill program is set to begin on the Peter zone in an attempt to confirm the grade and continuity of the largely unexplored area.
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