Bond Resources gets permit for historic Mary K mine

According to Bond, this permit clears the way for underground mining operations and exploration drilling to proceed.

In parallel, the Resource Protection & Assistance Bureau of Idaho also approved the company’s reclamation plan for Mary K, which requires best management practices to design the site for minimum erosion and pollution and strict maintenance of State water quality standards.

This plan is key, as the miner has been allowed to temporarily withdraw water from a nearby stream, to use it for exploration drilling and the establishment of the portal on the 400-foot level.

The Mary K mine project is located 1.6 miles southeast of the small town of Elk City, an area that sits in a metamorphic complex that is adjacent to the Idaho Batholith.

The mine was shut down in 1942 and never re-opened. Records found by Bond indicate that only 2,000 tonnes of mineralized gold material was mined with an average reported grade of 0.65 ounces per tonne.

“We believe there is still significant gold potential on the property,” the company said when it started exploring the property.