Barkerville Clarifies Technical Disclosure
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/12/12 -- Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: BGM)(FRANKFURT: IWUB) (the "Company" or "Barkerville") announced today that, as a result of a review by the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC"), the Company is issuing the following news release to clarify its technical disclosure.
On June 28, 2012, the Company issued a news release reporting an indicated resource and geological potential at its Cow Mountain Property (the "Original News Release"). On July 4, 2012, the Company received a technical disclosure review letter from the BCSC asking the Company to provide additional information to the BCSC to support the indicated resource estimate and exploration target disclosed in the Original News Release. In an effort to provide a timely response to the BCSC, the Company's qualified person, Mr. Peter T. George, provided a draft technical report to the BCSC immediately, which was not complete and not due under NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") until 45 days after the Original News Release (August 13, 2012).
Upon review of the incomplete draft technical report, the BCSC expressed concerns about certain of the methods, parameters and assumptions that were used to estimate the mineral resources and potential exploration targets at Cow Mountain, as well as the estimates themselves. The BCSC expressed concern that the disclosure in the Original News Release of a 10.6 million ounce indicated gold resource (69 million tons grading 0.154 ounces per ton) and 65 to 90 million additional ounces in "potential" is inadequately supported in the draft technical report and estimated in a manner that appears contrary to normal industry practice and therefore could be construed as misleading.
A summary of the concerns of the BCSC regarding the resource estimate disclosed in the Original News Release include: (i) the drill-hole assays were not composited before estimating resource grade; (ii) the estimates do not apply grade capping, despite most of the gold in the reported 2011 drill intersections being in thin high-grade intersections; (iii) the resource appears to be unconstrained by the geological model of the gold hosting structures; (iv) failure to cap and use of an unconstrained bulk-tonnage resource model is likely to have resulted in material overestimation of grade and tonnage of the resource; and (v) no external cut-off grade.
A summary of the concerns of the BCSC regarding the exploration target relate to what was initially perceived as a lack of local data used to estimate potential ton and grade ranges along strike for such geological potential. For example: (i) using the indicated resource as a basis for the quantity and grade of potential exploration targets in other locations along strike; (ii) grade ranges of estimates of potential set an apparent arbitrary +/- 15% above and below average grade of the resource; and (iii) tonnage ranges apparently arbitrary based on percentages above and below the resource tonnage.
The Company has indicated it will file a complete draft NI 43-101 compliant technical report with the BCSC as soon as possible to respond to the BCSC's specific concerns, and is working diligently with Mr. George to provide the same. The Company, in discussion with Mr. George, is confident that the supporting appendices to his draft technical report; which had not been completed and provided to the BCSC in the first instance; will adequately address the recent comments from the BCSC.
The BCSC has suggested that the Company complete an audit of the resource estimate and exploration target and, predicated on the Company's prior receipt and review of the final technical report from Mr. George, and in further consultation with the BCSC at that time, the Company may immediately determine to engage a further qualified person for that purpose.
Until this ongoing technical disclosure review by the BCSC is resolved, the Company cautions investors not to rely on either the indicated resource estimate or the "geological potential" disclosed in the Original News Release.
The Company confirms that it will file on SEDAR a technical report supporting its Cow Mountain estimates within the required 45-day period following the June 28, 2012 news release, and that it will promptly announce any material changes to its estimates that result from the audit or preparation of the report.
About Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd.
Since the mid-1990s the Company has focused on exploration and development of gold projects in the Cariboo Mining District in central B.C. The Company's mineral tenures now cover over 117,691.14 hectares, encompassing seven past producing hard rock mines and three NI 43-101 gold deposits, including the QR Mine & Mill. The QR Property was acquired in February 2010 and includes a 900 tonne/day gold milling facility and a permitted gold mine located approximately 110 kilometers by highway and all-weather road from the Barkerville Gold Camp. Mining operations commenced at QR in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 and the Company began pouring dore gold in September 2010 and continued until December 2011. In November 2010 the Company acquired a second permitted mill currently on care and maintenance in Revelstoke, B.C. for relocation to the Barkerville Gold Camp near Wells, B.C. and upgrade to a +3,000-tonne/day facility subject to all necessary government approvals. In November 2010 the Company and the Lhtako Dene First Nation also signed a Project Agreement in relation to its Bonanza Ledge and Cariboo Gold Projects. The Company has completed significant drilling and exploration programs and together with the historical data is compiling all information to determine geologic models and updated technical reports to continue with exploration and development of the Cariboo Gold projects.
The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by the author Peter T. George, P.Geo, and the Company's Chief Geologist Jim Yin, PhD, P.Geo, both qualified people as defined in National Instrument 43-101.
This news release has been prepared on behalf of the Board of Directors which takes full responsibility for its contents.
J. Frank Callaghan, President and CEO
Certain information in this news release is forward-looking within the meaning of certain securities laws, and is subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, information with respect to the Company's beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions, including the listing and trading of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange. The words "may", "could", "should", "would", "suspect", "outlook", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "plan", "target" and similar words and expressions are used to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release describes the Company's expectations as of the date of this news release.
The results or events anticipated or predicted in such forward-looking information may differ materially from actual results or events. Material factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from such forward- looking information include, among others, the Company's ability to engage and retain qualified key personnel, employees and affiliates, to obtain capital and credit and to protect its property rights.
The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on the Company's forward-looking information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.
THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:
Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd.
604 669-6463 or Toll Free: 1-800 663-9688
604 669-3041 (FAX)
www.barkervillegold.com