Benchmark Metals Inc. (TSXV: BNCH) (OTCQX: BNCHF) is on track with its plans to update the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Lawyers Gold-Silver Project in the prolific Golden Horseshoe area of north-central British Columbia, Canada.
Ongoing ongoing technical and engineering work will support a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and Feasibility Study (FS) for Lawyers.
Both MRE and PEA are targeting completion during the first half of 2022.
P&E Mining Consultants has commenced modelling work for the updated MRE and the majority of engineering for the PEA is completed.
“In the coming months the company will deliver a Mineral Resource Estimate with drilling focused on significant infill drilling, resource expansion and adding near surface gold-silver ounces,” Ian Harris, Vice President Engineering, said.
“In parallel Benchmark has advanced multiple engineering and environmental studies and trade-offs guiding drilling with a mine building mindset.
“We believe this will drive significant value to the Preliminary Economic Assessment, to be completed in short order once resources are updated.
“During 2022, Benchmark will rapidly advance to a mining decision with a $30 million budget for environmental assessment readiness, feasibility level design, and drilling.”
Considerable work was completed in 2021 to advance engineering and technical aspects of the Project. This work provides substantial advancement of the Project towards permitting and a subsequent mining decision.
To date, the company has completed significant components required for the PEA. In addition, considerable geotechnical and metallurgical work is completed to support the Feasibility Study. To date, the company is near completion of the following components:
- Mineral Resource Estimate Update, awaiting final drill hole assay and model designs;
- Mine Design Criteria, geotechnical and hydrogeological work complete awaiting final tonnage estimates;
- Tailings and Waste facilities design, conceptual and initial trade-off work complete. Feasibility level design awaiting final tonnages and geotechnical and hydrogeological work planned to begin in May, 2022;
- Metallurgy, comminution, grindability, and detailed recovery dataset complete;
- Mining, final mine schedule is pending the updated MRE;
- Processing, conventional flow-sheet design utilising gravity recovery, whole-ore leaching and a Merryl Crowe circuit complete;
- Infrastructure, facilities and layout locations complete;
- Equipment requirements selected, and;
- Environmental & Permitting, baseline work is ongoing.
Infrastructure Improvements
The former mining road is approved and permitted for re-activation. The Road provides safer access across the company’s project area and provides advanced infrastructure to be in-place when mine construction and production begins. The company has pre-ordered road building material in preparation of a 2022 road building programme to re-instate the former mining road, a legacy from the 1990’s.
In addition, the company has purchased a sample preparation lab that will help reduce lengthy wait times for assay results. The Prep Lab will provide multiple advantages by returning faster results to enable more informed drilling, reduce the wait times for drilling news and provide the backbone for a complete laboratory for future mine production.
The Prep Lab will adhere to industry standard methodology with appropriate QAQC and a Qualified Person review and approval and will be installed during the Spring to facilitate sample analysis thereafter.
For further information please visit: https://www.benchmarkmetals.com/
