Athabasca Claims, British Columbia, Canada
In September, 2009, the Company signed an option to purchase the Athabasca group of claims, which includes the historic gold producer the Athabasca Mine. The property consists of ten reverted crown granted claims and five located claims.
Its history begins in 1896, when a gold bearing quartz vein (to become known as the Athabasca vein) was located on the slopes of Toad Mountain. The Athabasca Gold Mining Co. Ltd. secured $1,000,000 from British interests to develop the discovery. Ore was being shipped in 1897 and by 1901, the mine had produced over 435,449 g (14,000 oz) of gold from only 9,979 tonnes (11,000 tons) of ore.
In 1897 the ore was transferred via tram line to the Silver King smelter in Nelson. By 1898, an onsite stamp mill was constructed on Giveout Creek with ore extracted by means of amalgam plates. Recovery averaged less than 80 percent. Tailings were impounded pending the addition of a cyanide circuit, but there is no evidence the tailings were ever re-milled.
The mine was leased intermittently to various contractors between 1904 and 1934. During this interval, operators removed some of the remnant pillars and expanded a number of the old stopes. In 1933, there was an attempt to develop a new level 169 feet (51 meters) below the original workings. They did not reach the contact, but managed to obtain gold by reworking old dump material. There has been no record of mining or development work being carried out since 1943.
Historical records show total production of over 622,069 g (20,000 oz.) of gold from about 19,958 tonnes (22,000 tons) of ore.
There is no evidence that mineralization diminishes with depth. The property has never been drilled.
*Information referred to above was written prior to government regulation NI-43-101 inception. Statements are derived from the non-compliant NI 43-101 Beaty Geological Ltd. Athabasca Compilation Report dated 1987 and from historical British Columbia overnment records. Therefore this information may not be relied upon and investors are cautioned in using any historical estimates or statements contained herein. There has been no major work including drilling that has occurred on the property since the inception of NI-43-101 except as noted in the Hellix news releases on this website.*
