Terrane Metals Corp.
HOME      CONTACT US      QWIKREPORT    


Berg Copper-Molybdenum-Silver Deposit

Terrane Metals' second significant asset is the Berg Project located in west-central British Columbia, Canada, some 84 km southwest of Houston, BC and 22 km northwest of Imperial Metals' Huckleberry Mine. From 1965 to 1980, Kennecott Exploration Ltd and Placer Dome Inc completed 119 diamond drill holes totaling 20,128 metres on the property and developed a significant copper / molybdenum resource. The Joint Venture partners also completed numerous metallurgical tests, environmental studies, and financial analysis on the Berg Project. Development plans envisaged an open pit mining operation. The Project was shelved in the early 1990's due to declining metal prices and the two Joint Venture partners shifting their attention to other parts of the world.

In 2006, Terrane Metals obtained 100% ownership of the Berg Project and reactivated the property to evaluate the potential of bringing the Project to commercial production. Key highlights include:

Key Highlights:
  • July 2006 -- Terrane acquires Placer Dome's share of the Berg JV
  • September 2006 -- Terrane acquires Kennecott's share of JV to become 100% owner of the Berg Project
  • May 2007 -- Initiated Environmental Baseline Study as well as Public and First Nations consultation programs
  • May-October 2007 -- Completed 11,289 metres of diamond drilling in 29 core holes aiming to verify and expand the historic resource
  • December 2007 -- Created new 3-D geological model; Completed preliminary metallurgical test-work
  • April 2008 -- Announced First NI 43-101 Compliant Resource Estimate with contained metals of 2.5 Billion lbs Copper, 299 Million lbs Molybdenum, 25 Million ozs Silver

BERG MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE (1)

At 0.30% Copper Equivalent Cutoff Grade

Category

Tonnes (millions)

Cu
(%)

Mo
(%)

Ag
(g/t)

Cu lbs (millions)

Mo lbs
(millions)

Ag ozs (millions)

Indicated

372.5

0.31

0.036

2.1

2,524

299

25.4

Inferred

140.9

0.25

0.039

2.2

771

122

9.7


Note:
(1) Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
(2) Copper equivalent grades are calculated using four-year rolling average metal prices of US$2.43/lb Cu, US$27.43/lb Mo, US$10.23/oz Ag and take into account forecast metallurgical recoveries into separate copper and molybdenum concentrates.
Forecast Project Milestones
  • Q2/Q3 2008 -- Stage 2 -- 10,000 metre Diamond Drilling program to upgrade and expand the Berg resource
  • Q4 2008 -- Stage 2 Metallurgical Test-work including pilot plant and evaluating copper / molybdenum separation


    2007 Exploration and Development

    The Berg Deposit is a classic calc-alkaline porphyry deposit. Copper-molybdenum-silver mineralization is hosted in andesite and quartz diorite and forms a semi-continuous, 2000 metre long and 300 metre wide zone around a circular monzonite stock. Previous operators focused on two zones - South and Northeast.

    The 29 hole -- 11,289 metre core drilling program was designed to test for continuation of the historic resource laterally and at depth and to provide modern data for the NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate. The average hole depth for the 2007 drilling was 390 metres; approximately 220 metres deeper than the historic drill holes. All of the drill holes intersected long widths of copper and molybdenum porphyry-style mineralization. Some examples include Hole 146 from the Northeast Zone which intersected 509 metres of 0.25% Cu, 0.047% Mo, 4.7 g/t Ag and Hole 138 from the South Zone intersecting 124.1 metres of 0.41% Cu, 0.055% Mo (0.092% MoS2), 12.7 g/t Ag.

    Click here to view drill plan, sections and assay results

    The 2007 drilling program at Berg for the first time outlined thick panels of molybdenum-rich stockwork mineralization within the much broader porphyry-style zones. In the South Zone all five widely-spaced drill holes intersected the molybdenum-rich stockwork, defining a 50 to 120 horizontal metres wide zone localized at the monzonite-andesite contact over a vertical distance of 500 metres. In the Northeast Zone molybdenum-rich mineralization was again intersected in all 10 holes drilled in the vicinity of the monzonite-andesite contact. Here the molybdenum-rich zone has a horizontal width ranging from 100 metres to 140 metres and has been intersected over a vertical distance of 420 metres.

    BERG SOUTH ZONE
    MOLYBDENUM-RICH PANEL

    Drill Hole
    (BRG07-)

    Interval
    (m)

    Mo
    (%)

    Cu
    (%)

    CuEQ
    (%)

    138

    139.3

    0.055

    0.38

    0.97

    including

    21.3

    0.081

    0.34

    1.15

    142

    82.3

    0.032

    0.55

    0.87

    143

    158.5

    0.050

    0.29

    0.79

    including

    33.6

    0.068

    0.31

    0.98

    144

    64.0

    0.060

    0.26

    0.84

    including

    24.4

    0.097

    0.23

    1.16

    145

    283.4

    0.054

    0.29

    0.82

    including

    33.5

    0.085

    0.32

    1.14


    BERG NORTHEAST ZONE
    MOLYBDENUM-RICH PANEL

    Drill Hole
    (BRG07-)

    Interval
    (m)

    Mo
    (%)

    Cu
    (%)

    CuEQ
    (%)

    146

    360.0

    0.057

    0.25

    0.82

    including

    90.9

    0.085

    0.30

    1.12

    149

    54.7

    0.068

    0.46

    1.13

    including

    22.9

    0.084

    0.30

    1.13

    150

    205.6

    0.052

    0.44

    0.97

    including

    38.1

    0.062

    0.30

    0.95

    154-160

     

    assays

    pending

     


    *The copper equivalent (CuEQ%) calculation uses metal prices of US$1.50/lb copper, US$14/lb molybdenum, and US$7/oz silver and is based on in-situ metal content.

    While the drill holes were wide-spaced, the geometry of the molybdenum-rich panels and grade distribution within them offers a number of higher grade-lower tonnage development scenarios for the Berg Project.

    The Berg Project is ideally situated near infrastructure associated with the Huckleberry Mine and has the potential to be a significant producer of copper and molybdenum. Terrane Metals will continue to advance the project in 2008 with a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate, investigate mine development scenarios, and continue developing and expanding the resource with diamond drilling. Terrane is committed to the highest level of environment stewardship and community consultation.  




Adnet Communications Inc.