Rockcliff Metals (CSE: RCLF) has released an updated resource for its wholly owned Rail deposit in central Manitoba, doubling both the total resource tonnes and contained copper-equivalent metal at the 20-sq.-km property.
The deposit's indicated resources have increased to 1.17 million tonnes grading 3.52% copper-equivalent for a total of 90.7 million lb. contained copper-equivalent metal, compared to 820,000 tonnes at 3.9% copper-equivalent containing 70.3 million lb. of metal previously. In addition, the company has issued a new high-grade inferred resource of 728,000 tonnes grading 4.09% copper-equivalent, for a further 65.6 million lb. copper-equivalent.
The previous resource estimate for the property was completed in 2010 and Rockcliff plans to complete a preliminary economic assessment for Rail in the first half of this year.
"We are very pleased that the successful drill programs at Rail have added substantially to the Rail indicated classification tonnage," Alistair Ross, the company's president and CEO, said in a news release. "The high-grade Rail deposit remains open along strike and at depth and several additional nearby copper targets remain untested."
Last year, the company completed over 30,000 metres of drilling across the Rail, Tower and Talbot properties within Manitoba's Flin Flon-Snow Lake greenstone belt; a further 70,000 metres is planned for 2020.
With a lease on the 1,000 tonne per day Bucko mill and processing facility within trucking distance, Rockcliff plans to make potential production decisions for the deposits at the end of the year.