Skeena Resources Ltd (SKE)

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Skeena Initiates Metallurgical Optimizations and Preliminary Economic Assessment for Eskay Creek

Vancouver, BC (March 26, 2019) Skeena Resources Limited (TSX.V: SKE, OTCQX: SKREF) (“Skeena” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that metallurgical optimizations as well as a Preliminary Economic Assessment, for the Eskay Creek Project (“Eskay Creek”) have been initiated. The Company also welcomes Stacy Freudigmann, P.Eng., to the Skeena team as Project Manager for the aforementioned studies. Eskay Creek is endowed with excellent infrastructure including road access, proximity to recently commissioned 195MW run-of-river hydroelectric facilities, tailings storage capacity and historical underground development situated less than 100 metres from existing mineral resources.

Phase I Metallurgical Optimizations

Demonstrated metallurgy from the past producing Eskay Creek mine involved a 350 TPD flotation plant with average gold and silver recoveries of 80% and 92% respectively. Gravity separation of gold accounted for 10-30% of preliminary separation. Sulphide concentrates were subsequently transported via truck to either the Port of Stewart for further smelting in Japan or trucked to Kitwanga for loading onto rail cars and transported to a smelter in Quebec.

Notwithstanding the proven historical process associated with flotation, the Company will be investigating the amenability of the Eskay Creek blended mineralization to leaching.

The Phase I metallurgical testing is proceeding on schedule with results anticipated in Q2 2019.

Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. (“Ausenco”) has been engaged to perform a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) for Eskay Creek. The PEA will contemplate an open pit mining scenario with a small up-front contribution of underground resources. Dependent on the results of the metallurgical optimizations, subsequent trade-off analyses will contemplate either the leaching or flotation processes. The Eskay Creek PEA is scheduled for completion in Q3 2019.


Read more at:
https://www.skeenaresources.com/news/skeena-initiates-metallurgical-optimizations-and-preliminary-economic-assessment-for-eskay-creek