Stuhini Exploration engages Tetra Tech to assess Ruby Creek Project viability, British Columbia
Stuhini Exploration Ltd. [TSXV: STU; OTCQB: STXPF; WKN: A2PLBV] has engaged Tetra Tech Canada Inc. to complete a conceptual-level economic viability assessment of the molybdenum deposit at the company’s 100%-owned Ruby Creek Project, located near Atlin, northern British Columbia.
The engagement marks the first step to advance the economic assessment of Ruby Creek and, contingent on market conditions, to prepare a preliminary economic assessment (PEA).
“With molybdenum increasingly recognized as a critical metal in both industrial and green energy applications, we believe Ruby Creek stands out as one of the more compelling undeveloped molybdenum assets in North America,” said Meredith Eades, president and CEO of Stuhini. “Engaging Tetra Tech is an important milestone in understanding the deposit’s viability and advancing this part of our portfolio. It also reflects our broader strategy to unlock value on both the development and discovery fronts at Ruby Creek.”
A PEA is a scoping-level technical study that provides an early-stage evaluation of a mineral project’s potential economic viability. It often incorporates inferred mineral resources to estimate capital and operating costs, revenue forecasts, and development scenarios, helping companies assess whether to advance the project to more detailed studies.
Tetra Tech’s assessment will draw on a robust historical archive, including a 2006 feasibility study, approximately 74,000 metres of drilling, extensive metallurgical and environmental work, and an existing British Columbia Mines Act permit (currently in care and maintenance). Combined with updated market pricing and cost inputs, the study will provide a refreshed look at the development potential of what the company believes is one of Canada’s most compelling undeveloped molybdenum assets.
The Ruby Creek molybdenum deposit is a porphyry-style system with a 2022 NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate of 433 million pounds of molybdenum in the Measured and Indicated category (369.4 million tonnes at 0.053% molybdenum) and 43.7 million pounds in the Inferred category (41.9 million tonnes at 0.047% molybdenum).
Located in the prolific Atlin mining district of northwestern British Columbia, the Ruby Creek deposit sits within a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction, is fully road accessible and benefits from proximity to a growing hydroelectric infrastructure initiative led by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation.
The project has seen more than 30 years of exploration and development, including approximately 74,000 metres of drilling; a historic 2008 feasibility study; a 2022 updated mineral resource estimate and mineralization remains open in three directions and at depth, including 45 metres grading 0.23% molybdenum at the bottom of hole AD-417.
The deposit is part of the larger 29,734-hectare Ruby Creek project, which is 100%-owned by Stuhini and hosts 48 documented mineral occurrences, including other zones prospective for gold, silver and tungsten.
Molybdenum is recognized as a critical mineral in Canada and increasingly monitored in global supply chain risk assessments due to its strategic importance in industrial resilience and the energy transition.