TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan. 11, 2016) - Rubicon Minerals Corporation (TSX:RMX)(NYSE MKT:RBY) ("Rubicon" or the "Company") provides a revised geological model and updated mineral resource statement1 for the F2 Gold Deposit at the Phoenix Gold Project (the "Project"). A technical report documenting the new mineral resource statement will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). In addition, the Rubicon Board of Directors (the "Board") has retained BMO Capital Markets and TD Securities as financial advisors to assist the Board in evaluating strategic alternatives available to the Company, including merger and divestiture opportunities either at the corporate or asset level, obtaining new financing, and capital restructurings to maximize shareholder value. There can be no assurances that any transaction will result from these matters and the Company will make updates when circumstances warrant.
News Release Summary:
- The 2016 revised geological model ("2016 SRK Geological Model") and updated mineral resource statement ("2016 SRK Resource Estimate") (see Table 1 below) prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. ("SRK") and reviewed by other independent consultants, considers information from of 94,600 metres ("m") of core drilling, from mineralized underground workings, and trial stoping that were not previously available;
Table 1: 2016 Mineral Resource Statement, Phoenix Gold Project, Ontario, SRK, January 6, 20162at 4.0 grams per tonne of gold ("g/t Au") cut-off grade
| Resource Category | | Quantity
(000'tonnes) | | Grade
(g/t Au) | | Contained Gold
(000' ounces ("oz.")) |
| Indicated | | 492 | | 6.73 | | 106 |
| Inferred | | 1,519 | | 6.28 | | 307 |
| Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate. Samples have been capped where appropriate. Underground mineral resources reported at a cut-off grade of 4.0 g/t Au of gold per tonne assuming a gold price of US$1,125/oz. and a gold recovery of 92.5%. |
- The 2016 SRK Resource Estimate represents a significant decrease in tonnes and ounces compared to the 2013 mineral resource estimate3 ("2013 SRK Resource Estimate")(see Table 2 below);
Table 2: Comparison between 2013 and 2016 Quantities and Grades Reported at 4.0 g/t Au 4
| Classification | | Quantity (000't) | | Grade (g/t Au) | | Contained Gold (000'oz) |
| 2013 | | 2016 | | Change | | 2013 | | 2016 | | Change | | 2013 | | 2016 | | Change |
| Indicated | | 4,120 | | 492 | | -88 | % | | 8.52 | | 6.73 | | -21 | % | | 1,129 | | 106 | | -91 | % |
| Inferred | | 7,452 | | 1,519 | | -80 | % | | 9.26 | | 6.28 | | -32 | % | | 2,219 | | 307 | | -86 | % |
- The 2016 SRK Geological Model demonstrates that the F2 Gold Deposit is more geologically complex and the high-grade gold mineralization is less continuous than previously understood;
- The new drilling and recent trial stoping information has significantly changed the understanding of the variable spatial distribution of the gold mineralization. East-west (mine grid) trending cross-cutting shear structures ("D2 structures") have been interpreted as the main control on the distribution of later stage higher-grade gold mineralization. This is the key factor contributing to the limited continuity of the gold mineralization compared to previous understanding;
- The decrease in reported mineral resources are mainly the result of the new drilling information, changes in modelling approach and restrictions to the depth of the interpreted extent of the gold mineralization;
- Rubicon has suspended activities related to the Phoenix Project Implementation Plan ("PPIP")
- A technical report will be filed within 45 days of this news release to support the technical disclosure herein;
- Rubicon remains engaged in ongoing discussions with its lenders;
- In 2015, the Company produced 4,906 ounces of gold from 57,793 tonnes of mineralized material; and
- Estimated cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2015 was approximately C$22.4 million(excluding C$4.5 million in restricted cash).
"The revised geological model prepared by SRK indicates that the gold mineralization in the upper-levels of the F2 Gold Deposit is less continuous compared to the geological model for the 2013 mineral resource estimate," stated Michael Winship, interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Rubicon. "The revised model has significantly decreased the tonnes, grade and ounces in the F2 Gold Deposit. The revised model suggests that more exploration is required at depth and along strike in order to develop an economic mining operation at thePhoenix Gold Project. The Board has retained financial advisors to evaluate strategic alternatives with the goal to maximize shareholder value."
2016 SRK Geological Model
Rubicon conducted trial stoping throughout 2015, allowing the Company to develop the F2 Gold Deposit and process mineralized material. As reported in the Company's November 3, 2015 news release, Rubicon suspended underground activities to enable SRK, the Company, and its other independent consultants to conduct further analysis on a revised geological model. The geology was more complex than previous understandings, as revealed though trial stoping.
The 2016 SRK Geological Model benefits from information that was not previously available, including approximately 94,600 m of infill core drilling within a concentrated shallow area of the deposit, and a considerable amount of underground development and limited trial stoping, which exposed the gold mineralization. The new geological information has highlighted the complexity of controls on the distribution of the gold mineralization, its grade, and its continuity. In particular, the distribution of the higher-grade mineralization is controlled by the intersection between the east-west trending D2 structures and the north-trending high-titanium basalt unit. The new data shows that the high-grade gold mineralization is less continuous than indicated in the 2013 SRK Resource Estimate, which was based upon less widely-spaced drilling data that was drilled sub-parallel to the D2 structures. See Figure 2 at the end of this news release for a conceptual diagram of the revised geological understanding of the high-grade mineralization compared to 2013.
The 2016 SRK Geological Model is more restrictive, reducing the volume of gold mineralization. Therefore, this resulted in a significant decrease in tonnes, grade, and ounces in the upper-levels of the deposit. SRK's geological modelling approach limited the depth and strike extensions of the modelled gold mineralization, further reducing the mineral resources. The Company believes additional exploration (drilling, development, sampling, trial stoping, etc.) is required to better understand the geology of the F2 Gold Deposit.
2016 SRK Resource Estimate
The 2016 SRK Resource Estimate5 is based on a total of 450,175 m of core drilling in 1,381 drill holes carried out from February 2008 to November 2015. The mineral resource model covers a strike length of approximately 1,200 m and depths of 1,350 m and remains open along strike and at depth. At the reporting cut-off grade of 4.0 g/t Au, the indicated mineral resource is 0.492 million tonnes, grading 6.73 g/t Au, and contains 0.106 million ounces of gold and the inferred mineral resource is 1.519 million tonnes, grading 6.28 g/t Au, and contains 0.307 million ounces of gold.
The mineral resources were evaluated using a geostatistical block modelling approach constrained by gold mineralization domains interpreted from the drilling information. Block gold grade was interpolated using ordinary kriging. The block model was classified in accordance with CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (May 2014). The mineral resources are sensitive to the selection of reporting assumptions. The sensitivity of the global quantities and grade estimates to the selection of cut-off grade is summarized as grade tonnage data in Table 5 and classified mineral resources reported by underground level are tabulated in Table 6, at the end of this news release.
Quelle: http://www.rubiconminerals.com/News/News/Details/2016/Rubicon-Updates-Mineral-Resource-Statement-for-the-Phoenix-Gold-Project-And-Evaluates-Strategic-Alternatives/default.aspx
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