Deep sea mining puts $560 billion in land extraction at risk — report
Even in optimal scenarios, the activity would generate only $6.25 million in tax revenue for countries involved, says Planet Tracker.
Integra Resources continues to expand higher-grade resource targets at its DeLamar project in Idaho through drilling and soil sampling.
Drill highlights from the War Eagle target include:
These drill results extend the strike length of War Eagle to 300 metres; drilling completed last year identified high-grade shoots within this zone, intercepting up to 12.37 g/t gold-equivalent. When coupled with soil sampling and historical data, there is a 1,200 metre-long prospective area at War Eagle with 5,000 metres of follow-up drilling planned this year along the entire structure to further define high-grade shoots.
Integra completed a soil sampling program which outlined a 1-km long area of anomalous element values 400 meters to the east of the structure drilled at War Eagle; it plans to complete a geophysical survey and initial drilling on this new zone.
Last year, a PEA for DeLamar outlined a 27,000 t/d heap leach operation with a 2,000 t/d mill producing an average of 124,000 oz. of gold-equivalent a year
At Florida Mountain, soil surveys show a 1,400 metre by 600 metre geochemical anomaly which is east of the current resource area with potential for high-grade veins. In June, Integra plans to complete a geophysical survey to delineate the associated structures.
In addition, a 1,500-metre drill program has started at the Henrietta target, 500 metres west of the DeLamar resource, where past work intercepted high-grade mineralization.
Last year, a preliminary economic assessment for DeLamar outlined a 27,000 t/d heap leach operation with a 2,000 t/d mill producing an average of 124,000 oz. of gold-equivalent a year over a 10-year mine life at all-in sustaining costs of $619 per oz. The study estimates diluted gold-equivalent head grades of 0.58 g/t and 1.02 g/t for heap leach and mill operations respectively.
This year, Integra plans to complete additional engineering and permitting work for DeLamar and update the PEA, including additional unoxidized material in the mine plan.
The DeLamar project features measured and indicated resources of 172.4 million tonnes grading 0.7 g/t gold-equivalent for a total of 3.9 million gold-equivalent ounces with additional inferred resources of 28.3 million tonnes at 0.55 g/t gold-equivalent totaling 500,000 gold-equivalent oz. A portion of these resources is contained in oxidized material.
(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)
