Owners: Imperial Metals Corporation - 50%, Japan Group - 50%

 

Huckleberry is an open pit copper/molybdenum mine located in west-central British Columbia, owned by Huckleberry Mines Ltd. Imperial holds a 50% interest in Huckleberry Mines Ltd. The other 50% is held by the Japan Group comprised of Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Dowa Mining Co. Ltd. and Furukawa Co.

 

 

Huckleberry Annual Production

 

Huckleberry recoveries continued to be excellent throughout 2012. Annual copper production of 35.1 million pounds exceeded the 2012 forecast by 6.4%. In 2013 copper production is estimated to be 40.0 million pounds, of which 50% is allocable to Imperial. (1) represents Huckleberry mine total production of which 50% is allocable to Imperial

 

Construction of a new tailings storage facility (TMF3), begun in early 2012, was completed in the 3Q2013. With the TMF3 now in service, the focus is on removing tailings and waste rock from the old Main zone pit, so ore can be released from the expanded Main Zone Optimization pit in 2014. 

 

 

Exploration at Huckleberry

 

In 2013 Huckleberry continued with a strategy of drilling both deep and shallow targets in the mine site area, using historical drilling and geophysical data as guides. In February 2013 a comprehensive geophysical model of the mine site area was completed, incorporating data from historical magnetometer and IP surveys with data from Titan-24 DC-IP/MT surveys conducted in 2011 and 2012. 

 

Regional work in 2013 included a soil sampling program on the Huckleberry North claims, directed towards developing new geophysical or drill targets for 2014/2015.

 

 

Geological Setting

 

The Huckleberry mine is a typical porphyry copper/molybdenum deposit. It is characterized as a calc-alkalic copper/molybdenum type mineralization. These deposits are typically hosted in intrusive rocks, usually of granodioritic or quartz monzonitic composition, and in volcanic rocks surrounding intrusives.

 

 

Huckleberry Mill Infrastructure

 

Ore from the pit is delivered to a 42"x 65" gyratory crusher and after crushing is conveyed to a stockpile. Ore from the stockpile is ground in two stages prior to flotation, firstly in a single 10,000hp semi-autogenous (SAG) mill, and secondly in two 5,000hp ball mills. A bulk copper concentrate is floated from the ball mill product. The bulk copper concentrate is then reground in a 1,500hp regrind mill, and then floated again to produce a final copper concentrate grading approximately 27% copper. Molybdenum concentrate is floated out of the copper concentrate.

 

Both final concentrates are thickened and dewatered prior to shipment. A Grinding Improvement Project (SAG pebble circuit) was completed by mid-2000. This circuit consists of a vibrating screen that removes critical size rocks from the SAG mill discharge conveyors then transports this material to a pebble crusher where the rocks are crushed and then returned to the SAG mill. Final copper concentrate is trucked to the Port of Stewart, British Columbia and then shipped by bulk carrier to Asia. The molybdenum concentrate is trucked to and sold in Vancouver under long term contract. 

 

Huckleberry Mine

PO Box 3000

Houston, BC V0J 1Z0

604.517.4700 | fax 604.517.4701 

 

Imperial Metals Corporation

580 Hornby Street, Suite 200

Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3B6

 

General Inquiries

604.669.8959 | inquiries@imperialmetals.com

 

Shareholder Communications 

604.488.2657 | investor@imperialmetals.com