Cliff’s Green Hill mine in production

Toronto-based Cliff Resources (TSE) is putting one of North America’s biggest placer gold mining operations through its paces as it attempts to locate additional reserves along the Olinghouse mining district.

Part of a 33-claim block covering the centre of the Olinghouse district near Reno, Nev., the Green Hill mine is currently operating at a rate of 6,000 tons per day.

With construction of a 10-cu-yd dragline now complete, output is gradually being increased to a planned 8,500 tons per day (20,000 oz annually).

In a joint venture with Canaustra Gold Exploration (VSE), Cliff is spending $500,000 to explore an adjoining property where reserves stand at one million tons grading 0.045 oz gold per ton.

In the first stage of the program, Cliff has processed a 30,000-ton bulk sample taken from a zone of brecciated dike material at the Green Hill claim block adjacent to the open pit.

A 60-ft deep-by-350-ft long trench along strike of this major structural feature recently recovered 309 oz gold.

Using gravity separation methods, recovered grade of a mineralized zone averaging 5 ft was approximately 0.10 oz undiluted, Cliff says.

In other news, a 30-hole program is scheduled to start this month at the company’s Sleighville property in Sierra Cty., Calif. The program is designed to test selected locations on the 3,000-acre property where gold values were reported in large Tertiary and Eocene channel systems.

Reconnaissance techniques have been completed on the West Picacho and Laguna properties near Yuma, Ariz. where Cliff has the right to earn a 70% interest.