Resource World Magazine

PRAIRIE PROVINCES HOST AN ABUNDANCE OF VALUABLE COMMODITIES centrator and zinc production facilities. It produces zinc, copper, gold and silver. The company also has several development properties, including its flagship Lalor gold-zinc-copper project, which is now being brought into first-phase production and is expected to start adding profit from April onwards. On March 27, the company announced an increase in the project's resource base, with proven and probable copper equivalent reserves of just below 3.6 million tonnes compared with 3.2 million tonnes in 2012. Proven and probable precious metal (gold and silver) equivalent now stands at around 4 million ounces. Trevali Mining Corp. [TV-TSX; 4TI-FSE; TREVF-OTCQX] holds the Ruttan copper-zinc project located 21 km east of Leaf Rapids Village, Manitoba. The project contains the Ruttan Mine that was operational from 1973-2002 and achieved a historic output of around 55 million tonnes, grading 1.23% copper and 1.41% zinc. Effective January 2009, and at a 1% copper equivalent cut-off, the project has a NI 43-101-complaint inferred resource of 19.75 million tonnes at 1.17% copper and 1.47% zinc (510 million lbs of copper and 640 million lbs zinc contained). The project remains open for expansion to depth (beneath previous mine workings) and in the hanging and footwall zones. Vale SA [VALE-NYSE] runs the Birchtree (underground) and Thompson (underground and open-pit) mines in Manitoba. Nickel, copper and cobalt are produced, with some of the processing and smelting work undertaken at Thompson, although Vale aims to close this unit by end-2015 as part of its business realignment. On October 18 and 19, 2012, the Thompson Citizen and the Winnipeg Free Press respectively reported that Birchtree will be placed on care and maintenance effective August 2013 unless nickel prices and market dynamics revive. Vale is also delaying its decision on how to proceed with development of its 1-D iron ore project in Manitoba, although the company stressed that exploratory work will continue. DIAMONDS Shore Gold Inc. [SGF-TSX] is focused on advancing its flagship Star-Orion South diamond project in the Fort à la Corne region, central Saskatchewan. The project has a NI 43-101-compliant resource of 151.7 million tonnes, grading 14 carats per hundred tonnes for a total of 20.5 million indicated carats. On January 31, the company announced it had responded to 82 comments and requests for information received from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment relating to its revised Environmental Impact Statement for StarOrion. The responses mark another key step towards a fully compliant and permitted project, the company said. GOLD Auriga Gold Corp. [AIA-TSXV] has three properties in Manitoba, with its attention currently centred on its Maverick gold project, located 65 km from Flin Flon. The project contains the past-producing Puffy Lake gold mine and mill that produced 28,000 ounces gold from 1988-1989. Auriga's preliminary economic assessment estimates the recovery of 348,000 ounces gold over 7.5 years at Puffy Lake. Meanwhile, further exploration – in-fill and step-out drilling – is planned for 2013. Claude Resources Inc. [CRJ-TSX] operates the Seabee gold mine in northern Saskatchewan, located in the La Ronge mining district around 125 km northeast of La Ronge. The company reported 48,672 ounces gold sold in 2012 at an average price of $1,660/oz. Revenue stood at $80.8 million, while net profit stood at $5.6 million. On February 4, Claude announced it had completed the property's shaft extension, which it hopes will lower diesel consumption, reduce maintenance costs and improve ventilation. Future exploration will continue to focus on expanding on-property and sat- La Ronge Gold Corp. Geologist James Foster, right, holds a piece of core from hole PR12-151 from the 2013 drill program that assayed 4.08 m of 633.61g/t Au starting at 203.78 m including 2.30 m of 1,123.25 g/t Au And 0.60 m of 4,279 g/t Au. Photo courtesy La Ronge Gold Corp. M AY 2 0 1 3 www.resourceworld.com 17

• Cover