The Lee Smith Mine – A Long Life Asset for the Jerritt Canyon Complex
We mobilized into Lee Smith in late 2009 for Yukon-Nevada Gold and started production in March 2010. Jerritt Canyon Gold purchased the entire Jerritt Canyon Complex out of bankruptcy from Veris Gold mid-year 2015. Jerritt Canyon Gold has now been purchased by First Majestic Silver. SMD is proud to be First Majestic Silver’s mining partner at the Lee Smith Mine.
Mining here is typically completed with 15’ x 15’ development and virtually all ore is mined as drift and fill. The ore is fairly tabular and dips at around 30 degrees, making mining methods other than drift and fill infeasible. Benching can be completed on a limited basis in thicker areas of the deposit. Long-hole open stoping is very limited.
At the end of 2020, our crews have mined 109,000 feet of development, 4,190,000 tons of ore and placed 3,400,000 tons of backfill.