Rubicon Minerals begins bulk sample processing and files 2Q18 results

Rubicon has commenced the processing of 25 000 - 30 000 t of mineralised bulk sample material extracted from the F2 Gold Deposit. More than 20 000 t of mineralised material from the #977 and #015 test stopes have been blasted, mucked and stockpiled separately on surface. The company is currently blasting the #161 test stope. Rubicon has utilised the sublevel longhole stoping method on the test stopes to determine the amenability of bulk mining methods, following the completion of a new structural and geological interpretation for the F2 Gold Deposit. Please review the Rubicon news release dated 30 April 2018 and associated NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Phoenix Gold Project, including the F2 Gold Deposit, filed on SEDAR on 13 June 2018 for further details on the 2018 Mineral Resource Estimate and the new structural and geological interpretation for the F2 Gold Deposit.

Over the last several weeks, the company undertook the commissioning of its state-of-the-art permitted 1250 tpd mill, which included the processing of approximately 5000 t of development material to bed in the mill.

After the mill was commissioned, Rubicon commenced and completed the processing of mineralised material from the #015 test stope through its mill. The company is now conducting a partial clean out of the mill circuit, allowing for the collection of data attributed to the #015 test stope. Rubicon will repeat this process with the #977 and #161 test stopes sequentially. The results from the bulk sample will be reconciled to the 2018 Mineral Resource block model estimate for the tested areas, which will be used to evaluate the new geological model. The company has collected more than 8000 assay results from closely-spaced stope drilling and an extensive chip and muck sampling programme at various points throughout the test mining activities. The company expects to complete the bulk sample processing in the third quarter of 2018 and the block model reconciliation in the fourth quarter of 2018. 

Drilling activities: 610 m level

So far in 2018, Rubicon has completed 10 000 m of infill and step-out drilling of a planned 20 000 m, with assay results pending. Rubicon is currently drilling from the 685 m level. The company has excavated the first of two diamond drill cut-outs at the exploration drift on the 610 m level and crews are continuing to excavate the second diamond drill cut-out located at the end of the exploration drift. Drill crews are currently preparing this drill station to activate a second drill by mid-August 2018. This exploration drift will allow the company to efficiently drill the lower portions of the deposit. The purpose of the exploration drilling is to potentially improve the classification and grow the mineral resources at the Phoenix Gold Project. 

President and CEO of Rubicon, George Ogilvie, P.Eng., commented: "With the commencement of the bulk sample processing, we enter an important step towards potentially improving the confidence of, and evaluating, the 2018 Mineral Resource Estimate at the Phoenix Gold Project. Test mining activities went relatively well with the #977 and #015 test stopes and we are currently blasting the #161 test stope to give us the 25 000 to 30 000 t of mineralised material for our bulk sample programme. We are on schedule to provide the full results of the bulk sample programme and its reconciliation to the block model in the fourth quarter of 2018. We plan to update the markets on the progress of our bulk sample processing and exploration activities in due course." 

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/13082018/rubicon-minerals-begins-bulk-sample-processing-and-files-2q18-results/