Hecla Mining Company Nov. 24 reported that its 2025 exploration has confirmed high-grade silver expansion areas at its Keno Hill mine in the Yukon and flagship Greens Creek operation in Alaska.
Since acquiring Keno Hill in the fall of 2022, Hecla has been steadily building reserves and ramping the mill up to commercial operations. The combination of the mill running at about 70% of its commercial capacity, the high-grade nature of the ore, and strong silver prices is helping to transform Keno Hill into a cash-generating asset for Hecla.
Going into 2025, Keno Hill hosted 2.64 tons of proven and probable reserves averaging 24.3 ounces per ton (64.3 million oz ) silver, 0.01 oz/t (17,000 oz) gold, 2.4% (126 million lb) zinc, and 2.4% (128 million lb) lead.
Hecla reports that its 2025 exploration has confirmed the continuation of high-grade silver mineralization below the current reserves within the Bermingham Mine area of Keno Hill.
Highlights from 2025 drilling at Bermingham Deep include:
• 12.5 feet (3.81 meters) averaging 40.4 oz/t silver, 0.01 oz/t gold, 3.8% zinc, and 3.1% lead from a depth of 1,868 feet (569 meters) in hole K-25-0933.
• 1.8 feet (0.55 meters averaging 13.6 oz/t silver, 0.3% zinc, and 0.2% lead from a depth of 1,937 feet (590.3 meters) in hole K-25-0933C.
• 2.7 feet (0.82 meters) averaging 13.7 oz/t silver, 3.7% zinc, and 0.2% lead from a depth of 2,177 feet (663.5 meters) in hole K-25-0933C.
Hecla says the highest-grade mineralization in Bermingham Deep occurs where multiple veins intersect – the same geological setting that has historically produced the richest zones in the Yukon’s famed Keno Hill Silver District – creating opportunities for additional high-grade discoveries below the current reserves.
“The discovery is particularly significant as it demonstrates the mineralized system remains open down plunge, with substantial untested space remaining in favorable host rock,” the company wrote.
Hecla Mining Company
At Greens Creek, the company reports that its 2025 surface and underground drill program demonstrates the potential for near-mine resource expansion through systematic testing of mineralized horizons beyond currently defined deposits.
Going into 2025, Greens Creek hosted 10.45 tons of proven and probable reserves averaging 9.9 oz/t (103.7 million oz) silver, 0.08 oz/t (865,000 oz) gold, 6.2% (1.2 billion lb) zinc, and 2.3% (481million lb) lead.
Underground exploration drilling at Greens Creek continues to illustrate the strong potential for near-mine discoveries that will continue Hecla’s long history of replenishing reserves and extending the life of this largest silver-producing operation in North America.
Toward this ongoing resource expansion, assays received during the third quarter continue to encounter higher-grade mineralization in extensions of the Gallagher and Northern 200 zones.
Highlights from 2025 underground drilling into Northern 200S and Gallagher extensions include:
Hecla Mining Company
• 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) averaging 11.5 oz/t silver, 0.02 oz/t gold, 2.2% zinc, and 0.9% lead in hole GC6649 (Northern 200S).
• 9.1 feet (2.8 meters) averaging 3.4 oz/t silver, 0.04 oz/t gold, 3.1% zinc, and 7.1% lead in hole GC6652 (Gallagher).
• 4.7 feet (1.4 meters) averaging 3.1 oz/t silver, 0.03 oz/t gold, 0.8% zinc, and 1.7% lead in hole GC6667 (Gallagher).
Hecla says the mineralized horizon within the Gallagher Zone extension remains open down-dip to the west and is planned for further testing in 2026. Additionally, mineralization intercepted higher in these 2025 holes suggests potential connectivity with the main body of the Gallagher resource, creating the opportunity to expand this resource area.
While third quarter intercepts in the extension of North 200 South are narrow – such as 0.9 feet (0.3 meters) averaging 1.1 oz/t silver, 6.6% zinc, and 10.3% lead in hole GC6648 – the company says they demonstrate that the mineralized horizons continue beyond their currently defined extents and illustrate the strong potential for near-mine exploration to continue making impactful discoveries that support Greens Creek’s mine life extension objectives.
Hecla says geophysical surveys and surface drilling have significantly added to its understanding of the geology, alteration, and structural controls in underexplored areas at Greens Creek. The company plans to integrate these new geological insights into the district geological model, which will guide the targeting of its 2026 exploration at the 9-million-oz-per-year silver mine in Southeast Alaska.
Author Bio
Shane Lasley, Publisher
Over his more than 18 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.