Pine Grove Permitting Progresses
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goldcliff Resource Corporation (“Goldcliff” or “the Company) (TSX-V:GCN) (OTCBB PINKS:GCFFF) and joint venture partner Lincoln Mining Corp are pleased to provide an update on the ongoing mine permitting process at the Pine Grove gold project in Lyon County, Nevada. The Pine Grove project is being permitted as a 3,000 ton per day open pit/heap leach operation with the possibility of underground mining in the future. The main process plant will be a simple heap leach with solutions reporting to carbon columns and gold being recovered from the carbon off site. In addition to the heap leach process, the partners are planning a 200 ton/day milling and gravity recovery operation designed to recover gold from expected high grade zones. Historic production from Pine Grove in the 1880s and 1890’s indicates an average recovered grade in excess of one (1) ounce per ton of gold.
The goal of the partners is to have Pine Grove ready for production, subject to permitting approvals and a positive feasibility study, by H2 2020. While Nevada is considered the most mining friendly jurisdiction in the United States, the permit process remains lengthy and detailed. The lead agency is the US Forest Service. State and County agencies which are involved in the process have also been consulted.
A Plan of Operations is progressing under the guidance of Welsh Hagen Associates and Kappes Cassiday and Associates. Upon submission to the regulatory authorities, expected in August, the partners will be instructed on the information and detail that must be included in its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Since 2009 Lincoln has had Stantec Consulting Services Inc. conducting environmental baseline studies at the project site. These studies have included wildlife surveys, botanical surveys, cultural surveys, geochemical characterization studies of potential waste and mineralization, jurisdictional water studies, seeps and springs survey, and meteorological data collection. A hydrological study is planned once exploratory water wells are completed. This study will include a conceptual site model. In addition, archaeological and cultural resource studies are ongoing.
The partners are presently awaiting US Forest Service approval and final Bonding determination for geotechnical work which includes water well exploration drilling, condemnation drilling, auger drilling and various test pits for engineering purposes. Oriented core drilling is also planned to determine pit wall stability parameters.
Goldcliff employs the phased production business model which focuses on near term cash flow which will then fund full asset development. Given the long lead time nature of permitting it is prudent for the partners to focus resources on this activity. A drill program on the Wilson deposit and reconnaissance sampling of an area of prospective geology, both undertaken in late 2016 (see Goldcliff News Releases dated Jan 12, 2017 and Feb 9, 2017) clearly demonstrate that the known resource mineralization is open and untested and that other areas of the property also contain resource grade mineralization. Resource expansion and exploration potential at Pine Grove are excellent and will be tested once permitting work is well advanced.
Paul Saxton, P. Eng. Director of Goldcliff is a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.
For further information, please contact George W. Sanders, President, at 250-764-8879, toll free at 1-866-769-4802 or email at info@directroyalty.com.
GOLDCLIFF RESOURCE CORPORATION
Per: “George W. Sanders”
George W. Sanders, President
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