Land, Location, and Climate
The KSM Project comprises four discrete claim blocks. The claim blocks are referred to as:
- the KSM claims
- the Seabee claims
- the Tina claims
- the Treaty Creek Switching Station claims
These four claim blocks include 79 mineral claims (cell and legacy) and 2 mining leases with a combined area of 40,784.97 ha and 100% owned by KSM Mining ULC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seabridge Gold Inc. The original KSM claim group consisted of two contiguous claim blocks known as the Kerr and Sulphurets (or Sulphside) properties. Most of the lands covered by these claims are now contained within mining leases. There are also 17 KSM placer claims held by KSM Mining ULC overlaying part of the KSM mining leases. The placer claims secure rights in a historically designated placer district.
Property holdings were expanded around the original KSM claims through staking and purchase of several claim groups. These groups include the Seabee group, acquired by staking, the Tina and BJ groups purchased in 2009, the New BJ group purchased in 2011, and the Treaty Creek Switching Station claims purchased in 2018. The Seabee, Tina, and Treaty Creek Switching Station claims were acquired to secure infrastructure locations for the project.
The KSM Properties are in northwest BC at an approximate latitude of 56.50 N and a longitude of 130.30 W. Located about 950 km northwest of Vancouver, 65 km north-northwest of Stewart, and 21 km south-southeast of the Eskay Creek Mine (production ceased in 2009), this area has been the site of mining and exploration for decades.
KSM is in the rugged Coastal Mountains of northwestern BC, with elevations ranging from 520m to over 2,300m. The climate is temperate, typical of the northern coastal rainforest, with sub-arctic conditions at high elevations. Precipitation is high with annual totals in the range of 801 mm to 1,295 mm of rain and 572 cm to 1,098 cm of snow. The length of the snow-free season varies from about May through November at lower elevations and from July through September at higher elevations. At nearly 640 North, temperatures are often below freezing but between late May and August +20.0C temperatures are common. Winter temperatures can be less than -50.0C over short periods and gale-force winds are not uncommon.
Notes
The scientific and technical information in respect of the KSM Project herein was derived from the technical Report entitled KSM (Kerr – Sulphurets – Mitchell) Prefeasibility Study and Preliminary Economic Assessment dated effective August 8, 2022. This information was prepared by leading consulting firms and their Qualified Persons (as defined in NI 43-101), all of who are independent of Seabridge and are listed below along with their areas of responsibility:
(i) Tetra Tech, Inc. under the direction of Hassan Ghaffari P.Eng (surface infrastructure, capital estimate and financial analysis), John Huang P.Eng. (metallurgical testing review, permanent water treatment, mineral process design and operating cost estimation for process, general and administrative (“G&A”) and site services, and overall report preparation)
(ii) Wood Canada Limited, under the direction of Henry Kim P.Geo. (Mineral Resources)
(iii) Moose Mountain Technical Services under the direction of Jim Gray P.Eng. (open pit Mineral Reserves, open pit mining operations, mine capital and mine operating costs, MTT and rail ore conveyance design, tunnel capital costs)
(iv) N. Brazier Associates Inc. under the direction of W.N. Brazier P.Eng. (Electrical power supply, energy recovery plants)
(v) ERM Consultants Canada Ltd. under the direction of Rolf Schmitt P.Geo. (environment and permitting)
(vi) Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. under the direction of David Willms P.Eng (design of surface water diversions, diversion tunnels, tailing management facility, water treatment dam and RSF and tunnel geotechnical)
(vii) BGC Engineering Inc. under the direction of Derek Kinakin P.Geo., P.L.Eng., P.G. (rock mechanics, geohazards and mining pit slopes)
(viii) WSP Golder Inc., under the direction of Ross Hammett P.Eng (Block Cave mining)
Notes
The scientific and technical information in respect of the KSM Project herein was derived from the technical Report entitled KSM (Kerr – Sulphurets – Mitchell) Prefeasibility Study and Preliminary Economic Assessment dated effective August 8, 2022. This information was prepared by leading consulting firms and their Qualified Persons (as defined in NI 43-101), all of who are independent of Seabridge and are listed below along with their areas of responsibility:
(i) Tetra Tech, Inc. under the direction of Hassan Ghaffari P.Eng (surface infrastructure, capital estimate and financial analysis), John Huang P.Eng. (metallurgical testing review, permanent water treatment, mineral process design and operating cost estimation for process, general and administrative (“G&A”) and site services, and overall report preparation)
(ii) Wood Canada Limited, under the direction of Henry Kim P.Geo. (Mineral Resources)
(iii) Moose Mountain Technical Services under the direction of Jim Gray P.Eng. (open pit Mineral Reserves, open pit mining operations, mine capital and mine operating costs, MTT and rail ore conveyance design, tunnel capital costs)
(iv) N. Brazier Associates Inc. under the direction of W.N. Brazier P.Eng. (Electrical power supply, energy recovery plants)
(v) ERM Consultants Canada Ltd. under the direction of Rolf Schmitt P.Geo. (environment and permitting)
(vi) Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. under the direction of David Willms P.Eng (design of surface water diversions, diversion tunnels, tailing management facility, water treatment dam and RSF and tunnel geotechnical)
(vii) BGC Engineering Inc. under the direction of Derek Kinakin P.Geo., P.L.Eng., P.G. (rock mechanics, geohazards and mining pit slopes)
(viii) WSP Golder Inc., under the direction of Ross Hammett P.Eng (Block Cave mining)