Re: Both Sides of the Picture
in response to
by
posted on
Feb 11, 2012 03:06PM
CUU own 25% Schaft Creek: proven/probable min. reserves/940.8m tonnes = 0.27% copper, 0.19 g/t gold, 0.018% moly and 1.72 g/t silver containing: 5.6b lbs copper, 5.8m ounces gold, 363.5m lbs moly and 51.7m ounces silver; (Recoverable CuEq 0.46%)
Great discussion here folks.
I want to add a quick comment/question... The 75% earn-in scenario is good for teck until you look at how it needs to carry CUU's share to production and on an 'artificial' time line (4yrs). TCK could buy CUU outright - very plausible - and free itself from the entire agreement. But could TCK also re-negotiate the earn-in agreement to do away with this timeline and, say, replace it with a NSR to CUU or something?
With our new understanding of the geology and the identification of new undrilled targets at shallow depths, it doesn't make sense to simply charge ahead with a mine plan on the Main Zone when the economic picture could be significantly improved with a better mining scenario. The entire 20 km length of Mt La Casse may need to be drilled to get a full picture of how to extract ore and waste rock efficiently and store tailings. We also have anomallies to the west near the Sept 2011 claims. That is me thinking like TCK with a 5 to 20 yr outlook.
In short, better, shallower grades may be found that revolutionize current (actually 10+ yr old) thinking about how to mine this district. This line of strategy would require a single, strong owner with a long term strategic outlook.