Site overview

The second set of coordinates for this site (905) falls approximately 260 metres west of the main Sedefche deposit coordinate (904), both within the Zvezdel–Pcheloyad ore field of Momchilgrad Municipality, Kardzhali Province. This location corresponds to the documented North ore body of the Sedefche deposit (also referenced in literature as Ralitza Dere), a satellite or northern extension of the main Sedefche gold-silver ore system. Both the main and northern ore bodies have been subjected to Bulgarian state exploration under Gorubso-Kardzhali, and both are included within the concession area and the Velocity Minerals option agreement.

The Sedefche deposit as a whole has been advanced to the feasibility and permitting stage; no commercial mining production has been identified in the consulted sources.

Set very close to the main Sedefche workings, this location forms part of the same open mountain exploration landscape, where mining activity reads as dispersed across the hillside.

Map

Map markers and directions links are provided for location reference only and do not indicate public access or permission to enter a site.
No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.

History

The North ore body of the Sedefche deposit, also referenced in mineralogical literature under the sub-locality name Ralitza Dere, lies within approximately 260 metres of the main Sedefche ore body in Momchilgrad Municipality, Kardzhali Province. Both occurrences form part of the same Sedefche gold-silver deposit within the Zvezdel–Pcheloyad ore field of the Eastern Rhodopes.

The North ore body has been documented in mineralogical records as a distinct structural sub-locality of the Sedefche system, with recorded minerals including silver-bearing tetrahedrite in the Ralitza Dere section. The broader Sedefche deposit, encompassing both the main and north ore bodies, was the subject of extensive exploration by Gorubso-Kardzhali A.D., including 45 surface trenches, 41 exploratory shafts and pits, and 122 drill holes. Historical Bulgarian-registered gold and silver resources cover the deposit as a whole, calculated under the national classification scheme and published in the 2006 Dragiev geological report for the Momchil Prospecting Licence area.

A mining concession for the Sedefche deposit has been issued. In 2019, Velocity Minerals Ltd. entered a definitive option agreement to acquire a 70% interest from Gorubso-Kardzhali, with the concession area encompassing both the main and north ore bodies. The processing facility designated for the deposit is the Gorubso-Kardzhali CIL gold plant in Kardzhali. No commercial ore production at the North ore body or the Sedefche deposit as a whole has been identified in the consulted sources.

Timeline

Exploration

North ore body included in Gorubso exploration and Bulgarian resource calculation

The North ore body of the Sedefche deposit (Ralitza Dere sub-locality) was incorporated within the broader Gorubso-Kardzhali exploration programme and the 2006 Bulgarian resource and reserve recalculation for the Sedefche Au-Ag system under the Momchil Prospecting Licence.
2019
Legislation

North ore body included in Velocity Minerals option agreement

The concession area optioned by Velocity Minerals Ltd. from Gorubso-Kardzhali in October 2019 encompasses the Sedefche deposit as a whole, including the North ore body at Ralitza Dere. The deposit remains at the exploration and pre-production stage.

Sources and records

Mindat.org locality record: North ore body, Sedefche deposit, Sedefche, Momchilgrad Municipality, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria
Mindat.org locality record: Ralitza Dere, Sedefche deposit, Sedefche, Momchilgrad Municipality, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria
Velocity Minerals Ltd. news release, 7 October 2019 (GlobeNewswire): Sedefche gold project option
Dragiev, H. (2006): Momchil Prospecting Licence, Zvezdel–Pcheloyad Ore Field geological report (Bulgarian government submission)
Mindat.org locality record: Momchilgrad Municipality, Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria
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