Work History

Staked in July/62 by Frances River Syndicate (Canex Placer Ltd, Kerr Addison Mines Ltd, Newconex Canadian Exploration Ltd and Anglo-Huronian Ltd) as JP and OP cl (79573), which were explored with trenching and one hole (118.3 m) and fringed by Conwest Exploration Company Ltd's Tom cl (86925) in 1963, and transferred to a new company, Mt Hundere Mines Ltd in 1965. The property was then optioned to Atlas Explorations Ltd, which performed trenching, geochem and geophysical surveys in 1966 to earn a 70% interest. Atlas changed its name to Cima Resources Ltd in 1974 and restaked as Mica cl (YA412) in Aug/76. One hole was drilled in 1981 by a joint venture between Cima and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

The property was sold in 1984 to Canamax Resources Inc, which performed remapping and geochem sampling later in the year in conjunction with work on the adjoining Jewelbox Hill occurrences. Canamax sold its interest to Hillsborough Resources Ltd in Apr/88, subject to a 10% Net Profit Interest. Hillsborough transferred the Mica cl to Curragh Resources Inc in May/89. Drilling was carried out in 1988 and 1989 in conjunction with the adjoining Jewelbox Hill occurrences.

In 1990, Curragh announced that they were putting the property into production. In Jul/91 the company commenced production at a rate of 1 500 tonnes/day. In 1991 the company mined 172 345 tonnes of ore and recovered 44 998 tonnes of lead-zinc concentrate, containing an average combined grade of 20.2 %. The following year the company mined 527 411 tonnes of ore and recovered 125 228 tonnes of lead zinc concentrate, containing an average combined grade of 18%. The concentrate contained significant silver credits. Exploration drilling in 1992 totalled 16 460 m in 79 holes, and the Burnick zone on North Hill was explored with a short adit. Curragh Resources changed its name to Curragh Inc in May/92.

The mine and mill were shut down Dec 2/92, primarily as a result of low metal prices. In Dec/93, a partnership of Teck Corporation Ltd, Cominco Ltd and Korea Zinc Company Ltd offered to purchase the Sa Dena Hes property from the receivers Coopers and Lybrand Ltd, subject to court and regulatory approval. The sale to Teck and Cominco was completed in Mar/94 with Korea Zinc granted the right to acquire a 50% interest in the mine.

In Aug/97 the consortium considered re-opening the mine during a rise in base metal prices but a subsequent down-turn in prices led to the cancellation of the project. The property is presently on care and maintenance status.

Capsule Geology

Galena and sphalerite occur in actinolite-diopside-garnet±chlorite skarn developed in Lower Cambrian crystalline limestone near the contact with overlying phyllite or argillite of Cambrian to Ordovician age. The Attila and Burnick showins occur on the North Hill on the Sa Dena Hes property, (formerly known as Mt Hundere). At the start of production, the Attila zone contained a probable mineral reserve of 406 000 tonnes, containing 3.4% lead, 12.4% zinc and 62 g/t silver. The Burnick zone contained a probable mineral reserve of 196 700 tonnes, containing 0.9% lead, 12.7% zinc and 48 g/t silver and an indicated mineral resource of 527 000 tonnes containing 0.6% lead, 12% zinc and 69 g/t silver.

The Atilla showing, measures 36 m long and up to 10 m wide. An aplite dike occurring near the showing is the only igneous rock which outcrops in the area. Drilling in 1981 showed that the skarn is the eroded remnant of a synclinal trough and has no depth extension. Surface sampling and 1981 drilling gave the following assays: 

Chips - 128 m long by 7.6 m wide 41.1 g/t Ag, 11.3% Pb, 7.2 % Zn
Chips - 76 m long by 12.8 m wide 44.6 g/t Ag, 14.3% Pb, 10.0 % Zn 
Grab - Galena 87.0 g/t Ag, 25.0% Pb, 19.9 % Zn 
DDH 81-69 - 1.5 m intersection 28.0 g/t Ag, 7.9% Pb, 14.7 % Zn 

Diamond drilling in 1988 showed that the Attila zone is much larger than originally thought: measuring at least 230 m long and 20 to 50 m wide and consisting of elongated skarn lenses along the updip pinch out of a 100 m thick limestone unit.

The surface exposure of the Burnick zone was discovered by soil samplers M. Burke and J. Nicholson in 1984, in a large kill zone 1 km south of the Attila zone. After it was further outlined by geophysics, the Burnick zone was drilled in 1988 and found to consist of at least three tabular skarn lenses (up to 40 m thick) in thinner limestone units. Drill intersections from the Burnick zone include 40.6% Zn and 197 g/t Ag over 5.8 m and 4.6% combined Zn-Pb and 583 g/t Ag over 10.8 m.

The last published reserve/resource for the Sa Dena Hes property calculated a mineral reserve of 1 400 000 tonnes, grading 2.5% lead, 10.2% zinc and 44 g/t silver and indicated mineral resources of approximately 700 000 tonnes grading 4.6% lead, 11.8% zinc and 56 g/t silver.