The Richest Gold Producer in the Americas

Located near Lake City, Colorado, the Golden Wonder is an extremely high-grade telluride (epithermal) gold deposit. As one of only two commercial gold producers in Colorado from 1998-2007 the mine was one of the highest grade gold producers in modern history with an average ore grade of 16.01 ounces (453.87 grams) per ton over an eight year period. Over 134,000 ounces of gold were produced at an average cost below $100 per ounce. Efforts are currently underway to re-establish the mine’s reserves and return it to commercial production.

Exceptional Ore Grades Cover Large Portion of LKA’s Exploration Cost
Even now, as LKA crews are engaged in probing the fracture system of the caldera in search of yet another highly enriched ore shoot, even the average grade of extracted vein material has exceeded 1.5 ounces (42.5 grams) per ton. This vastly exceeds industry averages of less than 0.2 ounces (5.7 grams) per ton and has enabled LKA to cover a substantial portion of its exploration costs. If experts are right in their assessment of this deposit, there may be multiple, highly enriched ore shoots awaiting discovery. Less than ten percent of LKA’s property has been examined to date.
(Golden Wonder Production & Shipments)

Recent Surface Discoveries by Kinross Gold USA Could Be A Game Changer

During an extensive surface evaluation of LKA’s mining claims, Kinross geologists identified six areas (targets) possessing geochemical characteristics remarkably similar to those found at the site of the original bonanza-grade ore shoot at the Golden Wonder mine. For more information look at free pokies online nz.

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Four drill sites have already been permitted to test these recently discovered targets (potential high-grade ore bodies). Drilling from one site has already started.

Excerpts from some highly respected American and Canadian geologists:

“…Clay mineralogy from soil samples defines a mappable dickite zone that is interpreted to represent strataform alteration developed along the base of a flow breccia carapace in the rhyolite dome. This low pH, high temperature alteration clay suggests there is hydrothermal fluid upflow along the inferred northeast extension of the

Golden Wonder structure up to 500 meters northeast of the current mine workings. High level,opaline quartz + alunite alteration developed in andesitic lithologies in the Horse Creek area suggest the mineralized zone extends over 1,000 meters northeast of the Golden Wonder mine. Both of these drill target areas represent the opportunity to explore and discovery bonanza grade gold mineralization, along with exploring the immediate extension of gold mineralization in the Golden Wonder mine.”

Jeffrey A Cary, M.Sc. for Kinross Gold USA

“The fact that high-grade gold was discovered at the boiling zone elevation on both sides of the canyon that separates the Golden Fleece from the Golden Wonder and these are the only two exposures of the boiling zone, strongly suggests that gold mineralization occurs semi-continuously along the boiling zone elevation within the northeast-trending ore structure for several miles. I postulate that the boiling zone below the surface contains additional ore bodies, possibly several. The very high grade multi-ounce per ton nature of the Golden Wonder ore means that new ore bodies, of even limited size, can contain large volumes of gold, possibly much more than the 140,000 ounces produced at the Golden Wonder to date. Telluride systems, such as the Golden Wonder, can be multi-million ounce in ultimate size….”

Rauno Perttu – Project Geologist for LKA Gold

“……The Golden Wonder Mine mineralization could also be related to a bigger hydrothermal system potentially linked with the Eureka Graben fracture system which played an important role in the location of some other gold veins known to the W-SW of Lake City area (Sunnyside, Idarado). Major Gold-Tellurides deposits are known elsewhere in the world (Cripple Creek in Colorado, 24 M oz district – Golden Sunlight & Zortman-Landusky in Montana, 4.1 M oz – Emperor in the Fiji, 10 M oz – and Porgera in Papouasie New-Guinea, 10 M oz). Golden Wonder area may not necessarily contain such a resource but the potential grades of that kind of structure and the fact that these mineralization types occur in complex systems of veins, breccias and disseminations gives a lot of exploration opportunities.”

Marie France Bugnon, Geologist, M.Sc. Manager, Exploration-Cambior, Inc.

“…..The Golden Wonder deposit is a member of the “telluride gold” class of ore deposits. Other members of the telluride gold class, such as Cripple Creek and Red Mountain in Colorado and Kalgoorlie in Australia, have produced multi-million ounce gold deposits with vertical extents of over 1500-2500 feet.”

Clyde L. Smith, Ph.D., P.Eng,
Consulting Geologist

” ……Obviously, the Golden Wonder rhyolite (host) has a quite significant, albeit unknown aerial extent. Likewise, the vertical limits of the rhyolite are totally unknown, and as has been pointed out in this report, it is expected that it would extend downward along its vent source to the original magma chamber from which the rhyolitic magma was derived. A number of mineralized vein structures have been recognized on Gold Hill above and for a considerable distance to the east of the Golden Wonder mine. At the time of the author’s initial geological studies on this area in the 1960’s, it became apparent that mineralization was widespread throughout  a broad area beyond the recognized Golden Wonder vein structure. Evidence suggests the vein structure continues downward to a still undetermined depth. 

Delmer L. Brown, Geologist, M.Sc. for LKA Gold 

Inspecting a New High-Grade Vein

Drilling a New Round

Blasting a Round in New Rich Vein

Recent Events

August 28, 2020 – LKA reports on the completion of Hole #1 in Phase II surface drilling program.
February 28, 2017 – Kinross reports that early drilling results confirm extension of Golden Wonder structure 136 meters beyond current workings.
December 6, 2016 – Kinross commences drilling program to test multiple targets with geochemical signatures remarkably similar to original bonaza-grade ore body.
September 21, 2016 – Kinross identifies up to six new potential ore bodies from surface exploration work. Four sites permitted for drilling in late 2016.
July 15, 2015 – Kinross Gold USA commences detailed surface exploration over a wide area centered around Golden Wonder claims.
March 9, 2015 – LKA Reports Drilling Progress. Initial vein intercepts average 10.86 Oz Gold Per Ton
April 17, 2014 – Golden Wonder gold grades exceed anything seen thus far in current exploration program, 5.5 oz (156 grams) per ton.
May 21, 2013 – Q-1 Gold shipments up 90% over year-ago period
February 28, 2013 – 2012 Gold sales increase 100% over previous year
November 20, 2012 – LKA reports gold sales (exploratory mining) up 140%
November 7, 2012 – Golden Wonder gold sales up 24% over previous quarter
August 13, 2012 – LKA reports profitable 2nd quarter. Gold deliveries up 337%
March 29, 2012  – Gold sales from exploration program exceed $1.27 million in 2011.