Mine Type
Ownership
Silver
Lead
Zinc
***All metals reflect 2024 production
|
Tons
(000) |
Silver
(oz/ton) |
Gold
(oz/ton) |
Lead
(%) |
Zinc
(%) |
Silver
(000 oz) |
Gold
(000 oz) |
Lead
(Tons) |
Zinc
(Tons) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proven Reserves (2, 6) |
13
|
28.1 |
–
|
3.0 |
3.0 |
364 |
– |
380 |
200 |
| Probable Reserves (2, 6)
|
2,630
|
24.3 |
0.01
|
2.4 |
2.4 |
63,914
|
17 |
63,914 |
62,790 |
| Proven & Probable Reserves (2, 6)
|
2,643 |
24.3 |
0.01
|
2.4 |
2.4 |
64,278 |
17 |
64,278 |
62,990 |
| Measured Resources (12, 16) |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Indicated Resources (12, 16) |
1,050
|
13.7
|
0.01
|
1.1
|
2.1
|
14,431
|
12
|
11,610
|
22,460
|
| Measure & Indicated Resources (12, 16) |
1,050 |
13.7 |
0.01 |
1.1 |
2.1 |
14,431 |
12 |
11,610
|
22,460
|
| Inferred Resources (12, 16) |
1,300 |
14.8 |
0.005 |
1.3 |
2.7 |
19,270 |
6 |
16,450 |
34,940
|
Between 1913 and 1989, Keno Hill produced over 200 Moz of silver with average grades of 44 oz/t, making it the second-largest historical silver producer in Canada. Today, it boasts significant Mineral Resources at grades far higher than most of the world’s primary silver producers.
years ended December 31
|
2023
| 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
|
Silver (ounces) | 1,502,577 | 2,773,873 |
|
Lead (tons) | 1,225 | 2,930 |
|
Zinc (tons) | 1,339 | 1,507 |
The Keno Hill Silver District is in the central Yukon, which is characterized by subarctic continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. Annual precipitation averages 28 cm and half of this falls as snow, which starts to accumulate in October and remains until May or June. The landscape of the District is characterized by rolling hills and mountains with a relief of up to 1,600 m, the highest of which is Keno Hill at 1,975 m.
Mineralization in the District is of the polymetallic silver-lead-zinc vein type where multiple pulses of hydrothermal fluids or fluid boiling, probably related to repeated reactivation and breccia formation along the host fault structures, have formed a series of vein stages with differing mineral assemblages and textures. Supergene alteration may have further changed the nature of the mineralogy in the veins. Much of the supergene zone may have been removed due to glacial erosion. In general, common gangue minerals include (manganiferous) siderite and, to a lesser extent, quartz, and calcite. Silver predominantly occurs in argentiferous galena and argentiferous tetrahedrite (freibergite).
In some assemblages, silver is also found as native silver, in polybasite, stephanite, and pyrargyrite. Lead occurs in galena and zinc in sphalerite, which can be either an iron-rich or iron-poor variety. Other sulphides include pyrite, pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite, and chalcopyrite. The Keno Hill mining camp has long been recognized as a polymetallic silver-lead-zinc vein district with characteristics similar to other well-known mining districts in the world.
