Alexco restarts Keno Hill, Canada’s only primary silver mine Alexco Resource Corp. built and operated Keno Hill’s Bellekeno mine from 2011 to 2013, when low silver prices forced it into care and maintenance.
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n November 2020, Alexco Resource Corp. recommissioned its Keno Hill Silver District mill, located 350 kilometres north of Whitehorse, within the traditional territory of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, Yukon. This marks the revival of a historic mining district dating back to the early 1900s. Alexco knows this project well; management built and operated Keno Hill’s Bellekeno mine from 2011 to 2013, when low silver prices forced it into care and maintenance. Since then, Alexco systematically
Keno Hill is one of the purest primary silver mines in the world and one of only a handful of operations of this kind.
undertook successful exploration programs that led to the discovery of the Bermingham and Flame & Moth deposits, which are the backbone of today’s Keno Hill mine plan. The 400-tonne-per-day conventional flotation mill is being commissioned with ore from Bellekeno, where mining operations are underway, and will end in the first quarter of 2021. Underground development at Bermingham and Flame & Moth is advancing as planned and ore production will start in Q1 2021. The Lucky Queen deposit is expected to come on stream towards the end of the mine plan. The current plan spans eight years and includes approximately 1.2 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 805 grams of silver per tonne. This makes Keno Hill one of the purest The current plan spans eight years and includes approximately 1.2 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 805 grams of silver per tonne.
20 Mining North of 60 | 2021
primary silver mines in the world and one of only a handful of operations of this kind. The mine will produce four-million silver ounces annually contained in high-quality lead/silver and zinc concentrates. Alexco is also working to unlock Keno Hill’s significant upside. The mine’s pre-feasibility study was prepared when silver was around US$15 per ounce and based on a high cut-off grade to design a mine capable of operating through the precious metals’ cycles. Approximately 1.2 million tonnes of ore were not included in the mine plan, and with silver trading above US$20 per ounce, management is working to maximize the project’s long-term value. In addition, Alexco continues to explore the district with emphasis on areas around known resources, such as the Bermingham “deep” target, where 2019 surface drilling returned exceptional results. The 2020 program drilled 7,653 metres with 11 holes completing to the target area. Results are expected
