Bunker Hill Produces First Concentrate on Schedule for Shipment to Trail Smelter
Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (BNKR) has announced the production of concentrate from its historic Bunker Hill Mine in Idaho’s Silver Valley, marking the first product shipped from the site in 45 years. The company is currently in a ramp-up phase, with commercial production defined as achieving 90 days at greater than 65% of 1,800 tons per day (tpd) throughput with associated operating stability, expected by the end of 2026.
The facility features a newly built 1,800 tpd processing facility, described as the largest and most modern in the Silver Valley. The mine historically produced 165 Moz of silver and 4.5 Mt of base metals before its closure in 1981. The operation currently employs over 200 local staff. Bunker Hill Mining Corp. plans to expand production capacity to 2,500 tpd in the future, with 2027 and 2028 operating guidance to be issued once commercial production is achieved.
Exploration efforts are ongoing to expand the mine plan, with 16 core holes completed for a total of 5,960 feet. All holes hit visible galena mineralization within and outside the modeled vein zone. An additional 28 drill holes totaling approximately 14,000 feet are planned, including 16 holes from the current station on the 8 Level and 12 holes from a new drill station on the 7 Level to test the up-dip projection of the vein. Samples are analyzed at SVL Lab in Smelterville, Idaho, using microwave digestion and ICP-OES, with overlimit samples assayed by fire assay with gravimetric finish for silver.
Sam Ash, President and CEO, stated, “This is a defining moment for both the new Bunker Hill and the communities of Kellogg and Wardner... we are now firmly back in business, employing world-class local labour, and supplying these critical metals safely into the US domestic supply chain at a vital time for our country.” He added, “Over the past six years, our team... has transformed Bunker Hill from a dormant, unloved asset, lying forgotten in an EPA Superfund Site into a modern mining operation... capable of feeding its newly built 1800tpd processing facility.”