Kutcho Project
Kutcho is an accessible project with on-site and nearby infrastructure situated within subtle terrain
The Kutcho property is located approximately 120 km east of Dease Lake in northern British Columbia, and consists of one mining lease and 46 mineral exploration claims covering an area of approximately 17,060 hectares. The site is accessible via a 900 m long gravel airstrip located 10 km from the deposit and a 100 km long seasonal road from Dease Lake suitable for tracked and low-impact vehicles.
Property Highlights
High Grade Copper Zinc development project with 22.8 millions tonnes in the Measured and Indicated Category at 2.26% CuEq¹ representing over 1.1 billion pounds of copper equivalent contained metal (“CuEq”)¹
Top Tier Jurisdiction – situated in northern British Columbia, Canada, one of the safest mining jurisdictions globally with producing mines in the region including Brucejack (Pretium) and Red Chris (Imperial Metals)
Infrastructure – Existing field camp and airstrip; 100km of year-round ground access to be upgraded to haul road; port facilities within 400km paved highway access; subtle terrain
Permitting – Transparent and prescribed process, supportive First Nations, local stakeholders and Government. Subject only to the British Columbia Environmental Assessment review process
Exploration Upside Potential – Significant upside potential through near resource expansion and drill infilling of current Inferred resources. Blue sky green fields/regional exploration potential
Strong Financial support – Major Shareholders, Capstone Mining and Wheaton Precious Metals, support with financing package of C$100 million; over C$34 million already invested
¹ Click here to view more information on Kutcho Resource
Accessibility
120 km of existing ground access; Airstrip on property
Port facilities
in Stewart ~400 km from Dease Lake via Highway 37
Existing field camp
with 900m long gravel airstrip adjacent to camp
First Nations
ongoing engagement with Tahltan & Kaska First Nations
2021 Feasibility Study Highlights
1 Metal prices: Cu US$4.00/lb, Zn US$1.15/lb, Ag US$20/oz. Au US$1,600/oz 2 Spot metal prices: Cu US$4.50/lb, Zn US$1.57/lb, Ag US$24/oz. Au US$1,788/oz 3 CuEq calculation based on base case metal prices 4 All-in sustaining cost estimation stated in appendix 5 See section below for Mineral Resource Estimate table 6 See appendix for Mineral Reserve Estimate table 7 Wheaton Capital from stream applied
Kutcho Resource
Click here to view more information on Kutcho Resource
Kutcho’s GHG Intensity
Low GHG intensity of 1.3 kg CO₂e/kg Cueq inclusive of all construction and closure requirements
Other comparative carbon intensity reporting measures place Kutcho below the median of BC operating mines where many of those mines have the added benefit of hydroelectricity sourced grid power compared to Kutcho’s reliance on site LNG generator sourced power.
Opportunities for Further GHG Reductions
1. Potential to build a powerline to the project and connect hydroelectric or geothermal sourced grid power.
2. Potential electrification of the underground mining fleet in order to reduce ventilation power, ventilation capital and air heating requirements and costs.
3. The potential to develop CO₂ sequestration technology to permanently store CO₂ using chemical reactions that are inherent to tholeiitic basalt.
Operational GHG Intensity Comparison for BC Copper Mines¹
GHG Intensity at Global Copper Mining Operations
(Mine plus Concentrator)²
1 Source for comparison data: Government of British Columbia Website: “Industrial facility greenhouse gas emissions”. 2018 data.
2 Source: UBA Raw Materials and Environment Conference. Presentation by Associate Professor Gavin M. Mudd of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. 2019. Data provided does not specify how multi-metal mines are calculated nor if the full life cycle is included. Kutcho Copper Life Cycle GHG Intensity includes access road construction, mine construction, operations, and closure with pit backfilling and is based on a cradle-to-gate calculation. Kutcho Copper is a multi-metal mine (copper, zinc, silver, and gold), so a copper equivalency is also shown based on metal value. For copper equivalent calculations, please click here and see notes 1, 2, and 3.
The Kutcho project covers 90% of the prospective Kutcho formation rocks
The prospective volcanic rocks are folded, repeating the mineralized horizon threefold on the project, including the deposit.
Mineralization & Alteration
Mineralization at Kutcho comprises three known “Kuroko-type” VMS deposits aligned in a westerly plunging linear trend. The largest, the Main deposit, comes to surface to the eastern end, followed by Sumac down plunge, and Esso to the western end which occurs at depths of about 400 m below surface.
“Kuroko-type” VMS deposits are typically related to felsic volcanism in island arc or back-arc tectonic settings. Features of the Kutcho deposits suggest that they formed at or near the water-seafloor interface in a structurally controlled depression, such as a half-graben type structure. The chemical composition of the alteration around the Kutcho deposits is well zoned about the hydrothermal vent areas. Mineralization consists of a pyritic footwall with zoned copper and zinc towards a sharp hanging wall contact.
Main, Sumac and Esso contain over 12 Mt of Inferred Resources that have the potential to be converted to Indicated Resources
Esso
Contains the highest grade Inferred Resource (2.15% CuEqR) and requires drilling to close out mineralization trends both up and down dip
Sumac
Contains 75% of the inferred resource tonnage where definition of a potential higher grade zone may be possible with further drilling
No significant exploration on the property since 1990
Multiple repeated VMS sulphide horizons are under-explored
Six advanced and prioritized target areas
Hover over target number
for more informaiton on each advanced target area
Target 6
The Main, Sumac and Esso resource lenses all align on the same trend at a 15° plunge to the west. The Esso West target lies 300 m west of Esso on this trend where drilling in 1980 successfully intersected massive and semi-massive sulphides returning 7.2 m of 2.0% Cu, 5.2% Zn and ~17 g/t Ag in hole E094B3. This compelling corridor target has never been followed up since 1980.
Target 5
Target associated with cherts hosted in crystal lithic tuffs and is interpreted as a hydrothermal exhalative horizon. 2 proximal drill holes which show alteration in lithic tuffs and the presence of massive to laminated pyrite with minor disseminated sphalerite and chalcopyrite indicate proximity to a productive VMS environment.
Target 4
A 3.5 km long conductor inferred to be overlain by 30m of silica exhalite. Host rocks comprise a narrow band of sericite schist with narrow lenses of massive pyrite and silica exhalate hosted in mafic rocks. Gravity surveys produced a broad and shallow response that suggests a diffuse zone of increased density that could indicate disseminated or stringer-style sulphide mineralization.
Target 3
A significant VMS-type showing located on the flank of a felsic dome. A prospect pit was excavated and reached “mineralized bedrock” at a depth of 1.6 m, assaying 0.3% Cu, 0.1% Pb, 0.1% Zn and 7 g/t Ag. Soil sampling has defined a 400 x 500 m cluster of strong Cu-Zn anomalies that are coincident with a strong, linear, chargeability anomaly.
Target 2
Three holes drilled in 1990 returned massive to semi-massive sulphide layers up to 1 m in width and associated with argillaceous material. Hole E017 returned
~3 m of a stringer zone with an average of 20% pyrite that includes some massive bands.
Target 1
Conductor identified in a 1990 ground-based survey and tested with two drill holes which intersected intensely altered and weakly copper- mineralized intervals. The size and strength of the alteration in both holes suggests a prospective target down dip from prior drilling efforts.
Geophysics in exploration
Ground gravity survey over the Main lens in 1983 proved that the Kutcho massive sulphide lenses produced a significant gravitational response
A combination of aerial and ground based geophysical methods including gravity and Audio-Frequency Magnetic ElectroMagnetic (AFMag) are planned for 2023 to cover the full project area
Significant expansion potential under cover & west of Esso
Known Massive Sulphide Lenses Plunge at 15 degrees. The along strike potential to the west of the Esso lens was last drilled in 1980
In 2023 advanced geophysical methods will be used to investigate this high potential discovery corridor
Qualified Persons
The technical or scientific information on this website has been reviewed and approved by Andrew Sharp, P.Eng BC (Lic. No. 47907), FAusIMM, Chief Operating Officer for Kutcho Copper, who serves as a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101
Technical Reports
2021 Project Feasibility Study: NI 43-101 Technical Report
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