Mining News: Underground drilling begins at Snip Mine

Skeena Resources Ltd. said it has begun a 9,000-meter underground drill program at its Snip gold project in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia. The historic underground mine at Snip, which Barrick Gold operated from 1991 to 1999, produced 1.1 million ounces of gold from 1.25 million metric tons of ore averaging 27.5 grams per metric ton gold. Skeena optioned this project from Barrick last spring and completed roughly 7,180 meters of surface drilling in 2016. Skeena spent more than C$3 million on exploration and data review, exceeding a C$2 million requirement to gain full ownership of the high-grade gold property. With full ownership of Snip, previous restrictions on entering the mine or drilling within 25 meters of historic mining workings has expired, allowing Skeena to drill from underground. “We now have the ability to continue drilling through the winter, which is usually not possible for exploration projects in the Golden Triangle. We look forward to releasing a maiden resource estimate for Snip in 2018,” said Skeena CEO Walter Coles Jr.

–SHANE LASLEY