WORK HISTORY 

Staked as the Mel cl 1-75 (Y17410) in Mar/67 by J. Melnychuk and T. Flint. Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada Ltd optioned the claims briefly in 1967-68 and conducted soil sampling and bulldozer trenching, during which time the prospectors' interest was sold to Winco Mining & Exploration Ltd who completed an airborne geophysical survey in 1969.

Restaked as Jean cl 1-121 (Y72731) in Apr/73 by Melnychuk, who sold the claims in Aug/73 to Empire Metal Corporation Ltd, who subsequently optioned the claims to Granby Mining Company Ltd. Granby performed geological mapping and soil sampling surveys in 1973 and 1974, drilled 8 diamond drill holes (548 m) in 1974, and added more Jean claims in Oct/73 and Wet cl 1-32 (Y83309) in Aug/74, and drilled an additional 10 diamond drill holes (1,404 m) in early 1975. Empire changed its name to Sovereign Metals Corporation in Feb/76.

St Joseph Explorations Ltd entered into a joint venture with Granby and Sovereign in Dec/76 and performed geological mapping, soil and silt sampling, and gravity and Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical surveys in 1977. Between 1978 and 79 St. Joseph drilled 19 diamond drill holes (4,054 m) on the property.
 
Granby Mining changed its name to Zapata Granby Corporation in Jan/79 and lost its interest in mid-1980 when it merged with Noranda Mines Ltd.
 
In 1979 St. Joseph staked Sov cl 1-6 (YA28600). In 1981 St Joseph changed its name to Sulpetro Minerals Ltd and carried out IP and gravity surveys.

In 1985, Sulpetro constructed an airstrip and upgraded the access road to the property before transferring its interest to Novamin Resources Inc, who entered into a joint venture agreement with BP Canada Inc.
 
In Apr/86, Sovereign changed its name to Barytex Resources Corporation.

In 1987, Novamin drilled 7 holes (2,012 m). During the year control of Novamin was slowly acquired by Breakwater Resources Ltd such that by the end of the year Breakwater owned 85% of the company.
 
In 1989 Barytex Resources collared 4 diamond drill holes (638 m) designed to test the near surface, open pit potential of the Mel deposit and completed a pre-feasibility study. In 1990 Barytex collared 11 additional diamond drill holes (1,552 m) and bulldozer stripped the north end of the orebody, which was mapped with a transit.
 
 In Aug/92 Barytex optioned an 85% interest in the Mel project from Breakwater Resources in return for cash and staged exploration expenses. In Mar/93 Barytex reorganized and emerged as International Barytex Resources Ltd. In 1994 the company carried out a deep drilling program (6 diamond drill holes – 3,123 m) on the Main zone and geological mapping, soil sampling and ground magnetic, very-low-frequency (VLF) and IP geophysical surveys over the Main and Jeri zones (Minfile 095D 032). In 1995 International Barytex carried out additional ground IP surveys and collared 2 diamond drill holes (337.5 m) on the South Main zone.

In Sep/96 Cominco Ltd optioned the Mel property from International Barytex and Breakwater in return for cash and staged exploration expenses. In Jul/96, prior to formalizing the option agreement Cominco staked Silent cl 1-36 (YB85969) and Sam cl 100-113 (YB86005) and cl 135-152 (YB86019) to cover the northern extension of the Jeri zone. During the 1996 exploration season the company soil sampled an area located directly south of the Main zone and collared a single diamond drill hole (336.5 m) on the South Main zone.
 
In 1997 Cominco carried out soil sampling over the Main zone, ground resistivity, IP, magnetics and limited gravity geophysical surveys south of the Main zone and collared 2 diamond drill holes (361 m) south of the Main zone. In Sep/97 the company terminated its option on the property.

On July 14, 2000 International Barytex reported that it had entered into an agreement with Breakwater Resources whereby International Barytex acquired a one hundred (100%) percent undivided interest in the Mel property in return for 600,000 shares of International Barytex and payment to Breakwater of a royalty of one (1%) percent of any Net Smelter Return from the property.
 
On September 30, 2009, International Barytex Resources changed its name to Kobex Minerals Inc.  On June 15, 2011 Breakwater Resources was purchased by Nyrstar, an international integrated mining company. Breakwater’s 1% Net Smelter Return interest in the Mel property was retained by the company.
 
In 2012 Kobex Minerals digitized all available drill hole data and used the data obtained, to create a wire-frame model which could be used to produce a resource estimate for the property.
 
On June 19, 2014 Kobex Minerals sold 100% interest in the Mel property to Silver Range Resources Ltd. Breakwater Resources retained its 1% Net Profit Return interest. In Sep/2014, Breakwater Resources sold its 1% Net Profit Return interest in the Mel property to Whirlwind Capital Ltd.
 
On November 12, 2014 Silver Range released 43-101 Compliant Technical Report on the Mel property which included an updated independent resource estimate for the Mel Main zone and the results of an independent barite marketing study relating to the entire property. On November 14, 2014 the company staked Mel cl 1-318 (YE60001) on the south end of the property to cover access routes to the Alaska Highway. A single claim MELBC (1032196) was staked on the British Columbia side of the route.
 
In 2015 Silver Range completed LIDAR, aerial photography, and a heritage resource overview assessment.
 
On February 1, 2017 Yukon Government passed an Order in Council (OIC 2017/26) prohibiting entry on certain lands (the Kaska asserted territory outside of the Ross River Area) for the purpose of staking Quartz or Placer Mining claims. The Order was made to facilitate continuing consultation with the Liard First Nation and Kaska Dena Council and covers the entire Mel property and surrounding area. The Order in Council provides registered active claims holders in the affected area relief from annual assessment work obligations. The Order in Council was renewed on April 18, 2018 (OIC 2018-71) and has been extended to April 20, 2020 (it may be renewed in the future).
 
On March 15, 2017 Silver Range sold the Mel property to Benz Mining Corp. in return for a staged series of cash and shares. As part of the sale Benz Mining released an updated technical report on the property.

During the 2017 exploration season Benz Mining carried out metallurgical testing, soil sampling, trenching and geological mapping, follow by 9 holes (2,114 m) of diamond drilling targeting the Mel Main zone.
 
GEOLOGY
 
The Mel property consists of the Mel Main deposit (this occurrence) and the Jeri, Jeri North and Mel East mineralized zones (Minfile Occurrences 095D 032, 035 and 027). Access to the property is located off the Alaska Highway approximately 77 km east of the Town of Watson Lake in southeastern Yukon. A seasonal bush/winter road runs northerly for approximately 47 km through gentle terrain to the property. A 640 m long air strip is located on the property provides additional access to the property.
 
L. Pigage of the Yukon Geological Survey remapped topographic map sheet 095D/6 at 1:50,000 scale during the summers of 2006 and 07 and published his map in the fall of 2007. In 2011 Pigage published a 1:250,000 scale map of topographic map sheet 095D which included updated stratigraphy. In 2015 Pigage released YGS Bulletin 17 which covered the geology and economic potential of topographic map sheet 095D. In 2016 M. Colpron of the Yukon Geological Survey released an updated geological compilation map of Yukon which included Pigage’s updated stratigraphic units.
 
Based on Pigage’s bulletin and Benz Mining technical report all 4 occurrences are classified as stratabound zinc ± lead ± barite mineralized zones. The Mel, Jeri North and Mel East occurrences are hosted in massive fine-grained limestone of the Cambrian - Ordovician Otter Creek Formation at the contact with the overlying argillaceous limestone of the Cambrian-Ordovician Rabbittkettle Formation. Benz Mining reports that the Jeri zone is hosted mainly within hydrothermally altered rocks that are thought to be equivalent to the Otter Creek fine-grained limestone.

The Mel deposit is described as a disc-shaped and stratigraphically controlled body which rests disconformably on unaltered fine-grained limestone. The mineralization is located on the steeply dipping western limb of a major syncline and is slightly deformed by a secondary fold. Mineralization consists of coarse-grained sphalerite, galena and barite disseminated throughout a mixture of mudstone, silica and carbonate. Minor amounts of fine-grained, sparsely disseminated pyrite occur locally, but overall, pyrite accounts for less than 2% of the sulphides.
 
Pigage (2015) reports the deposit is probably Devonian-Mississippian in age on the basis of lead-isotope data (Godwin and Sinclair, 1982, Godwin et al., 1988) and best classified as an epigenetic Irish-type replacement of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposit. Trenching and diamond drilling have delineated the mineralized zone over a strike length of about 700 m and from a surface depth of 500 m down dip. The true thickness of the zone varies from less than 1 m at each end to a maximum of 17.9 m in the central portion. The zone remains open to extension at depth.
 
In Oct/95 H.L. King, a geologist employed by International Barytex Resources published a Historic Resource Estimate (non NI 43-101 compliant) for the Mel deposit. The resource estimate was based on 48 diamond drill holes and totaled 6.78 million tonnes grading 7.10% zinc, 2.03% lead and 54.69% barite (Assessment Report 093353). The resource estimate was repeated in Canadian Mines Handbook 2001-02, p. 216. About 725,000 tonnes were believed to be open pittable to a depth of 60 m.
 
Early soil sampling programs outlined a large zinc soil anomaly with values greater than 300 ppm zinc (background 140 ppm), and a smaller lead anomaly with values greater than 50 ppm lead (background 40 ppm). The highest anomalous values, ranged up to 6,000 ppm zinc and 2,500 ppm lead. Five trenches completed by Newmont Mining in 1968 exposed mineralization in the Mel Main zone which returned assays averaging 5.3% combined lead-zinc over widths of 2.3 to 9 m. Follow-up geophysical programs and numerous diamond drill programs over the years outlined the Mel Main deposit and led to the discovery of the Jeri, Jeri North and Mel East mineralized zones.
 
On November 12, 2014 Silver Range Resources released a National Instrument 43-101 compliant independent resources estimate for the Mel Main zone. The estimate was prepared by Gary Giroux, P. Eng., M.A.Sc., a principal of Giroux Consultants Ltd who is the designated qualified person and independent of Silver Range Resources Ltd. Based on a 5.0% zinc-equivalent (ZnEQ%) cut-off grade the Mel Main zone hosts an inferred resource of 5.38 million tonnes grading 6.45% zinc, 1.85% lead and 44.79% barite (BaSO4). The zinc equivalence (ZnEQ%) was calculated using metal prices of US$ 0.89/lb zinc and US$0.96/lb lead and assuming 90.3% zinc recovery and 97.7% lead recovery. The resource was calculated using data from 64 diamond drill holes collared on the Mel Main zone. The resource figure was repeated in Benz Mining March 2017 technical report.

Metallurgical testing conducted on drill core from the Mel Main zone by Lakefield Research in 1976 indicated that after grinding to 100 mesh, the mineralization responded well to floatation and yielded concentrates ranging from 60.9 to 64.7% zinc, 78.0 to 79.6% lead and 90.3 to 94.4% barite. Recoveries ranged from 90.3 to 96.2% for zinc, 97.7 to 98.0% for lead and 88.0 to 90.0%  for barite.
 
A historical barite marketing study completed in 1989 by MineStart Management Inc concluded barite from the entire property demonstrated positive potential as a saleable by-product. Sale of barite products were deemed to be particularly attractive for the property as they would not only provide an additional revenue stream but also reduce capital costs due to less need for tailings disposal capability. An updated study completed by World Industrial Minerals in 2014 found that barite from the property could likely be sold into the drilling products market in western Canada and Alaska. Based on current demand it was estimated that sales of 50,000 tonnes per year at US$100/tonne would be reasonable into the Western Canadian market. The study also recommended that further work be undertaken to verify that impurity levels meet required specifications.
 
Silver Range carried out aerial photography and Light Intensity Distance and Range (LIDAR) surveys to update existing topographic data over the deposit area and potential access routes.
 
All nine diamond drill holes collared in 2017 by Benz Mining targeted the Mel Main zone/deposit. All nine holes intersected mineralized intervals comprising sphalerite, galena and barite as predicted by the exploration model. Highlights include hole 053 which returned 11.5% zinc and 0.33% lead over 3.53 m true width. Other highlights include hole 056 which returned 27.78% zinc with 0.65% lead over 2.38 m true-width and hole 058 which returned 10.93% zinc over 4.94 m and 16.65% zinc over 0.78 m true-widths.
 
In 2018 Benz Mining plans further diamond drilling on the Mel Main zone/deposit in order to increase the resource base of the zone to the north and south. The company also hopes to upgrade the Mel Main zone/deposit resource to the Measured and Indicated categories from its current Inferred Resource. Further exploration is also planned on other mineralized zones located on the property.