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Aurizon Mines Ltd. (TSX:ARZ; NYSE Amex:AZK) - Canadian based gold producer, exploration and development company.
Aurizon Strategy
Build an experienced team and strong foundation to become an intermediate gold producer with an attractive pipeline of exploration and development projects in mining friendly, politically stable jurisdictions.
Aurizon's Assets
In addition to Casa Berardi, Aurizon owns the Joanna Gold Project and the Kipawa Exploration Property. Aurizon's combined property holdings cover in excess of 300 square miles of prospective geology in the Abitibi area of Quebec.
- Casa Berardi - Gold - Commenced commercial gold production in second quarter 2007. Produced 159,261 ounces of gold in 2009 and based on the 2010 mine plan, it is estimated that gold production will be approximately 145,000 - 155,000 gold ounces. The slight decrease in gold production for 2010 is attributable to lower average gold grades included in the 2010 mine plan.
- Joanna - Gold - Advanced exploration with a final feasibility study underway and expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, 2010.
- Kipawa - Gold/Rare Earth - Early stage Exploration with an exploration drilling program to test gold targets to commence shortly
- Experienced management team
Aurizon's Projects - Decription and History
Casa Berardi Mine - Quebec
The Casa Berardi mine is situated 95 kilometres north of La Sarre, Quebec and straddles a 37 kilometre section of the Casa Berardi fault. Between 1988 and 1997, approximately 690,000 ounces of gold were produced from two underground mines, approximately 5 kilometres apart, in the central portion of the property. Aurizon acquired a 100% interest in the property in 1998 and conducted deep exploration drilling in the area of the West Mine, which was successful in discovering several new gold zones. Of particular importance was the discovery of Zone 113, in the West mine area, which contains high grade gold mineralization in quartz veins and forms the core of the current mining operation.
From 2004 to 2006, Aurizon developed new underground infrastructure, constructed surface facilities, and rehabilitated the milling facility and fleet of mining equipment, resulting in the commencement of production in November, 2006. Since then to December 31, 2009, Casa Berardi has produced 495,291 ounces of gold, and cumulatively has produced 1.2 million ounces of gold.
In September 2007, Aurizon granted Lake Shore Gold Corp. ("Lake Shore"), an option to earn a 50% interest in 227 mineral claims east and west of the perimeter of the mining leases comprising the Casa Berardi Mine ("Casa Berardi Exploration Property"). Lake Shore may earn its 50% interest by spending $5 million over a five year period. As at December 31, 2009, Lake Shore had spent approximately $3.5 million towards the earn-in commitment. The optioned ground covers an area of 11,594 hectares along a 30 kilometre section of the Casa Berardi fault.
Apart from the approximate two kilometre area explored by Aurizon to a depth of 1,000 metres, the large land position has not been systematically explored to depth and, accordingly, holds significant exploration potential.
Joanna Gold Property - Quebec
The Joanna Gold Project is located along the Cadillac Break, 20 km east of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec just off Highway 117 and two kilometers north-east of the Rouyn-Noranda airport . The Rouyn-Noranda mining district is well known for its base metal deposits associated with volcanic rocks and several gold deposits in the immediate vicinity of the Cadillac Break (fault) have been defined over the years.
The Joanna Gold Project comprises 155 claims and is divided into six sectors based on different ownership agreements. There are currently two major deposits identified to date, the Hosco deposit and the Heva deposit. Both deposits are accessible via gravel roads less than one kilometre from Highway 117.
The Hosco and Heva deposits are finely disseminated sulphide deposits with minor quartz veining located within a sedimentary basin on both sides of a branch of the Larder Lake Cadillac fault. The gold is associated with sulphides, primarily arsenopyrite. The mineralized corridor extends along a 2,200 metre east-west trend and can be followed down to a depth of 400 metres.
Following the optioning of the Joanna project in 2006, Aurizon carried out surface diamond drilling which resulted in the identification of large mineralized zones. Aurizon then evaluated the potential to mine lower grade and higher tonnage material with different mining methods including by open pit. This study was followed by infill drilling with the objective of confirming the grade and continuity of the new mineral
resources.
The Hosco mineralization follows multiple distinct zones dipping between 50 and 60 degrees to the north with a western plunge. Mineralization is restricted to a 100 to 190 metre wide lower grade halo of 0.5 to 2.0 grams of gold per tonne. Mineralized zones along this corridor plunge to the west, and are usually narrower and less continuous in the western block and wider and more continuous in the eastern block.
Kipawa Gold Property - Quebec
The Kipawa gold project is an early stage exploration project located approximately 100 kilometres south of Rouyn-Noranda, halfway between the Elliot Lake camp and the Abitibi gold belt camp, and was initially acquired on the basis of a Government regional stream sediment survey. The project consists of three non-contiguous claim blocks totalling 1,485 claims.
Exploration programs performed in 2007 to 2009 included regional till sampling, prospecting, geophysics, soil geochemistry, and limited diamond drilling. These programs lead to the discovery of gold and rare earth elements (REE) mineralization. Mineralization occurs along the contact between a syenite intrusive and altered hosted rocks.
An initial drill program intersected a broad rare earth mineralized envelope within a minimum true thickness averaging 61 to 104 metres.
Company History
Click here to view History in PDF format
The head office and registered and records office address of Aurizon
is located at Suite 3120, Park Place, 666 Burrard Street, Vancouver,
British Columbia, V6C 2X8, Canada.
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