Vancouver star of Cordilleran Roundup

A technical session on diamonds, sponsored by De Beers Consolidated Mines, and an overview of volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) and carbonate-hosted polymetallic deposits in Mexico are but a few of the features planned for this year’s Cordilleran Exploration Roundup. The event, to be held Jan. 26-29 in Vancouver, B.C., will also include updates on the hottest exploration plays in Alaska, the Yukon and British Columbia.

But organizers of the West Coast’s premier exploration show are giving top billing to the city of Vancouver, which, though it has no mines, boasts the largest concentration of “geotalent” on the planet. This year’s theme, Vancouver: where discoveries start, is designed to promote a city that has become a worldwide centre for exploration technology and finance. That expertise will be on display at the Roundup’s trade show, which runs concurrent with the technical sessions.

Walter Segsworth, president of Homestake Canada, will kick off the event with a keynote presentation followed by a review of the successful Eskay Creek gold-silver mine in northern British Columbia. Also featured will be a special session on the emerging Tintina gold belt of Alaska, the Yukon and possible extensions into B.C.

The Alaska Miners Association will give a presentation on the basics of doing business in Alaska, in light of strong interest in portions of the state where major gold discoveries were recently made. This session is expected to explain the dos and don’ts of arranging lease agreements with local native groups.

In a similar vein, B.C.’s Ministry of Energy and Mines will sponsor a session which promises to explain the First Nation land settlement negotiation process, as well as the status of current negotiations.

International discoveries will also be highlighted, with a special session covering the volcanogenic massive sulphide and carbonate-hosted polymetallic deposits in central Mexico. This will be followed by presentations on recent discoveries in the area, such as the Campo Morado project of Farallon Resources and the Penasquito deposit of Western Copper Holdings.

George Burne, managing director of Vancouver-based De Beers Canada, will kick off the diamond session with an overview of today’s diamond market. Other speakers in this session will discuss such topics as geostatistical analysis of diamond deposits and the environmental and social challenges encountered in Canada’s North.

The Cordilleran Roundup is preceded by short courses on: applied mining geostatistics for resource estimation and grade control; exploration tools for VMS deposits; and geological database management techniques.

For further information contact Bruce McKnight at (604) 689-5271, or check out the B.C. Mining House web site at http://www.bc-mining-house.com