One of Hudbay’s latest attempts to keep 777 mine alive has ended in failure.
The project, located around the 690 level of 777 mine or Zone 88/South 3, was commonly referred to by Hudbay employees in the know just as “690”. Some employees working on the project were told to keep quiet about the work while the project was considered ongoing. The potentially mineable deposit not previously touched by the company, was thought to be located around that area.
In a comment sent to The Reminder, a Hudbay spokesperson confirmed the existence of the 690 project and said while an effort was made to use the project to extend the mine’s lifespan, for the time being, it’s proven all for nought.
“Earlier this year, the 777 geology team completed some additional infill drilling on Zone 88/South 3,” confirmed a Hudbay spokesperson in a comment sent to The Reminder.
The spokesperson said the purpose of the program was to search for a way to increase the inferred resource of 777 in an attempt to extend the lifespan of the mine past its current closure date - last listed as the second quarter of 2022, possibly in April.
“The purpose of this drill program was to upgrade the confidence of the inferred resource so that an economic assessment could be completed and determine if there was an opportunity for a possible modest extension of mining prior to closure,” said the spokesperson.
“This was part of our commitment to leave no stone unturned at 777 mine.”
The project, which initially showed some promise, has sadly proven to be a dead end for Hudbay. The zone has been deemed too small and too costly to justify further development.
“Unfortunately, due to the small size of the zone and extensive development requirements, it was determined to be not economic and 777 mine will close as planned in Q2 2022,” said the spokesperson.
“There are no further updates on the Flin Flon operations.”
It is unclear if there are other projects similar to 690 ongoing at 777 mine. Other attempts to extend the lifespan of the mine, including mining reserves with remnants, have also proven either unsuccessful or too costly to pursue.
