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Lucky Friday is a long-lived, deep underground silver, lead, and zinc mine located in the Coeur d’Alene Mining District in northern Idaho, one mile east of Mullan and adjacent to U.S. Interstate 90. The mine holds current proven and probable silver reserves of 78.9 million ounces, as well as 470,200 tons of lead and 143,140 tons of zinc in proven and probable reserves. There are an additional 125 million ounces of silver measured and indicated resources and 41.1 million ounces of silver inferred resources.
Despite the Lucky Friday being in operation since 1958, it’s a new mine in many ways: a new team, new equipment, a new strategy, and new engineering. And the deeper we go, the grade seems to be getting better and better.
Upon completion of rehabilitation and enhancement of the 6,100-foot Silver Shaft in 2013 – the main access to the mine – Hecla work crews resumed sinking of the #4 Shaft project. It’s the largest capital project in Hecla’s long history, is expected to provide deeper access to higher-grade material, and should extend Lucky Friday’s
Lucky Friday Mine, Idaho, USA
operational life and increase silver production to approximately
5 million ounces in 2018. In 2014 we saw a lot of progress on the project, with our contractors currently at the 7580 level, where one of the shaft’s loading pockets will be. The plan is to continue sinking until we reach the 8800 level, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2016. We expect that will be followed by nine months of construction: equipping the shaft with guides and conveyances, and installing ore and waste bins, chutes, loading pockets, and power, piping, and pumping systems – all the construction activities that are needed to complete the shaft.
Additional plans for 2015 at Lucky Friday include advancing our environmental, safety, and health management systems, continuously improving our performance, and testing two electric-powered (via electric cable connection) vehicles at the mine, with an eye toward reducing both diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions, as well as decreasing the heat generated by operating machinery deep underground.
strength through perseverance
LUCKY FRIDAY BY THE NUMBERS
acquired:
100% in 1958
2014 production:
silver – 3.2 M oz
production to date:
silver – 155.4 M oz
lead – 1.0 M tons
zinc – 180,363 tons
total revenue from 1981 to date:
$1.1 billion
mine life:
25+ years
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