Heap Leaching in Extreme Northern Climates, an Overview of the Brewery Creek Mine, Yukon, Canada

"Viceroy Resource Corporation of Vancouver, B.C., has recently developed and brought into production the Brewery Creek Mine, an open-pit heap leach gold mine, located 55km east of Dawson City in Yukon, Canada. Mineable reserves are 15.2 million tonnes of ore grading 1.45 grams/tonne, containing 22 tonnes (707,315 oz) of gold. Ore processing employs the heap leach technology using run-of-mine ore. Highlights of 1996 activity included construction of a 158,000 m2 of leach pad, placing 1.9 million tonnes of ore at a grade of 1. 46 gpt to the leach pad, construction and successful commissioning of the ADR plant, and pouring of the first gold bar on November 15th.Permitting of this mine has drawn significant attention because of the innovated heap leach technology; although this technology has been proven in other jurisdictions, it has not been used at such extreme northern sites where winter temperatures routinely reach -45°C for extended periods.ABSTRACT ONLY"