Ruby Mine Mining Plan The Ruby mining plan antici

Ruby Mine Mining Plan

The Ruby mining plan anticipates that much of the first season will be engaged in determining the exact locations of the targeted channels with exploration drifting (tunneling) and establishing Development Headings in these channels.

The Deep Rock Creek Project will lag behind the Lawry Shaft Project since the new tunnel and winze will not be completed until late in Year 1.

The initial work in the first month will concentrate on getting the Ruby Mine facilities and equipment into good working order.

The Pilot and Mount Vernon Channel targets are projected to lie in the near vicinity of the existing Lawry Shaft workings, so active exploration tunneling ("drifting") with air-powered slushers and trackless loaders ("LHD's") is expected to be underway in the second month of activity.

Construction of the 1,500 foot Deep Rock Creek Project access tunnel can also begin very quickly. This tunnel will be a tracked haulageway. The rate of progress will be limited by the amount of time required by the maintenance program in the Ruby Tunnel beyond the "Daylight Turn" where the Deep Rock Creek Access Tunnel begins. This maintenance will be required prior to constructing the Big Bend Raise to the Black Channel workings.

A "herring bone" drift pattern is planned for ore development in the channels. A central tunnel (known as a "drift") will be driven following the gut (deepest part) of the channel. This drift will be continued until the end of the channel is reached and the length of the ore body has been defined. Regularly spaced crosscuts (known as "crosscut drifts") will be driven out on each side of the central drift to determine the width of the channel.

The ore material mined from these development drifts will be washed in the placer plant. Careful records of the gold recovery will also provide a grade for the ore "blocked out" in this process, thereby developing a proven ore reserve to be mined in the production phase of the mining plan.

The Ruby Mine typically experiences considerable snow fall, and a decrease in activity is planned for during the winter months of Year 1. It is expected that the Ruby will operate year-round once the operation is well established.