What is Thor and Why is it Such a Valuable Mining Asset?
The Thor project is a collection of 27 historic Crown grant mining claims, and over 3,172 hectares of mineral cell claims, all 100% owned by Taranis Resources Inc. Five small historic precious and base metals mines have been amalgamated into Thor; Broadview, Great Northern, True Fissure, Blue Bell, and St. Elmo. These operated between 1898 and 1973, and were handicapped by the terrain, logistical problems, and archaic metallurgy. The mines constituting Thor were classified as strategic metal reserves at the time of WWII. It was long theorized among the original explorers of the deposit that all of the mines were situated on a single horizon, and Taranis Resources has confirmed this through mapping, geophysics, and drilling.
New technologies and mining methods will enable Taranis to fully develop the Thor deposit in a way once thought to be science fiction (Newton Emmens, "The Mining World" May 7, 1910). Early and extensive test work has confirmed the effectiveness of gravity processing as a viable method of pre-concentrating ore onsite without the use of chemicals, large amounts of water, and extensive infrastructure. Compared to historical applications of hydrometallurgy or removal of high-grade ore for off-site processing, this relatively simple method will reduce environmental impact, and improve project economics.
Taranis Resources is proud to explore and develop in British Columbia. Compared to global mining jurisdictions, the area is politically stable and has a long history of mining activity. The majority of the deposit is accessible using open pit methods, with large amounts of ore located directly at surface that reduces the cost of ore extraction! The efficiency of modern mining techniques coupled with the proximity of ore at surface make it an outstanding investment opportunity, with broad exposure to six different metal prices on account of its polymetallic ore.
Thor has numerous parallel horizons that extend 2-4 km along its northwesterly strike. Primary mineralization is found within a tabular unit called the Combined Metals Unit ("CMU") that contains tetrahedrite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite and sphalerite. The chief metals of interest are silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper, but other elements such as indium are also found in the polymetallic ore.
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The Thor deposit occurs within the historic Silver Cup Mining District which includes a number of other mines including the Silver Cup, the Nettie L., and more that were mined extensively in the early 1900's. Thor remains the only Resource that has not seen extensive mining, and the Resource remains intact in the ground making it a very attractive near-term project. There are a number of processing opportunities in the area that are currently being evaluated. One of the crucial aspects of any ore deposit is the continuity of the mineralization. At Thor, the sulfide mineralization is tabular in geometry and is known to extend for 2+ km. A portion of the deposit was drilled-off on 40 m spaced sections and constitutes all of the Resource included in the NI 43-101 completed by by RPA in 2013. |
The Thor project is located in Southeast British Columbia
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Since acquisition of Thor in 2006, Taranis has drilled over 250 holes and conducted extensive exploration surveys, outlining a deposit 2+ km in length |
Rugged terrain and a wide variation in climate characterize the Kootenay Region of British Columbia. Historic mining activity at Thor encountered considerable challenges.
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