Projects

Fyre Lake, Copper/Gold, Yukon

Copper/Cobalt/Gold

Pacific Ridge's Fyre Lake Project, located in southeast Yukon, hosts "Besshi-type" copper-cobalt-gold volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization. Exploration to date has partially drill defined the Kona massive sulphide deposit and outlined a number of satellite targets with potential for additional VMS deposits. A preliminary resource estimate for the Kona deposit has been completed, along with recommendations for work plans for continued exploration.

PROPERTY
The Fyre Lake Property is comprised of 169 mineral claims (35 square km).

OWNERSHIP
Pacific Ridge -- 100%

DISTRICT ACTIVITY
The Fyre Lake Copper/Cobalt/Gold project is located in the Yukon's Finlayson Lake Camp, approximately 250 km east of Whitehorse in southeastern Yukon Territory. The potential of the Finlayson Lake Camp was recognized in the mid-1990s with the discovery of the Kudz Ze Kayah volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit, 30 km to the north of Fyre Lake and the discovery of the Wolverine VMS deposit 30 km to the northeast of Fyre Lake. Wolverine is under construction for initiation of production in 2010. Near term production at Wolverine  will enhance viable economic development of the Finlayson Lake camp..

WORK TO DATE
Pacific Ridge has spent over $6 million at Fyre Lake.

The Fyre Lake project covers over nine kilometres of favourable host rocks with geochemical-geophysical targets indicative of volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization. During 1996 and 1997, the company focused its attention to delineating one target, the Kona deposit, through completion of 23,200 metres of drilling in 115 holes.

Kona Deposit

The Kona Deposit consists of two parallel northwest trending zones of copper-cobalt-gold massive sulphide mineralization found in horizons with mineralized thicknesses varying from eight to 40 metres over a length of 1,500 metres and a width of 250 metres.

The results of a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource study of the Kona Deposit was completed by Minorex Consulting Ltd. who estimated an indicated mineral resource of 3.571 million tonnes grading 1.57% copper, 0.10% cobalt and 0.61 grams gold per tonne at a 1 percent copper cut-off grade. Its inferred mineral resource, at the same cut-off grade, is 5.361 million tonnes grading 1.48% copper, 0.08% cobalt and 0.53 grams gold per tonne. Zinc and silver grades were not calculated in this mineral resource estimate.

Preliminary metallurgical test work results indicate that target recoveries of 90% for copper and 70% for gold, into a concentrate representing 7.5% of the feed and assaying 21% to 23% copper, 10g gold/tonne and 0.08% cobalt, should be achieved from a mill feed grade of approximately 2% copper and 1.2g gold/tonne (Melis Engineering, 1997). Subsequent scoping leach tests on cobalt-bearing pyrite concentrate indicated a 70% cobalt recovery in flotation and 95% recovery from pressure leaching with an overall cobalt recovery of possibly 65 to 70%. No cobalt minerals were identified during the microscopic examination of two samples but pyrite was identified as the main cobalt carrier. No visible gold has been observed but it occurs associated with pyrite and chaleopyrite grains.

Exploration Targets
With copper and gold grades increasing to depth, the Kona deposit remains “open” for expansion. The deepest holes drilled to date intersected massive sulphides grading 5.55% copper, 0.14 grams gold and 0.22% cobalt over 3.0 metres and 3.23% copper, 0.14 grams gold and 0.23% cobalt over 5.7 metres and 6.07% copper, 0.05 grams gold and 0.68% cobalt over 7.0 metres.

Significant exploration potential remains, over and above determining the ultimate size of the Kona massive sulphide deposit. A four kilometre-long magnetic anomaly located northeast of Kona and a three kilometre-long magnetic anomaly lying west of Kona are larger and more intense as compared to the magnetic feature reflecting the Kona mineralization. These anomalies represent priority drill targets for discovery of additional massive sulphide deposits.

Minorex has recommended a minimum $1.0 million exploration program to expand the Kona deposit and drill test other exploration targets on the Fyre Lake Property.

Pacific Ridge will seek joint ventures participation to advance the Fyre Lake Property.