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Canada
New Afton Mine

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 Location:
10 km W from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

  Address:
4050 West Trans Canada HWY
Kamloops
British Columbia, Canada
V1S 2A3
Phone250 377-2700
EmailEmail
WebsiteWeb
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  • Geology
  • Mining
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  • Production
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  • Fleet
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  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Block caving
Processing
  • Filter press plant
  • Dewatering
  • Inline Pressure Jig
  • Centrifugal concentrator
  • Gravity separation
  • Flotation
  • Magnetic separation
Mine Life2030
Latest NewsNew Gold Reports Fourth Quarter And Full Year 2021 Results; Provides 2022 Operational Outlook And Updated Mineral Reserves And Mineral Resources     February 23, 2022


Owners

Source: p. 14
CompanyInterestOwnership
New Gold Inc. 100 % Direct
New Gold Inc. directly owns the asset New Afton.

Deposit Type

  • Porphyry

Source: Source p.53,63-66

Summary:

The New Afton deposit is a silica-saturated, copper-gold alkalic porphyry-style deposit. The porphyry intrusive bodies can comprise stocks, plugs, dikes, and dike swarms with a footprint of typically less than one square mile in area.

Mineralization results from late stage hydrothermal activity driven by remnant heat from the porphyry intrusion. Thermal gradients within these systems give rise to broadly concentric, although often complexly intermingled, zones of alteration and mineralization. The distribution of alteration and mineral facies are largely influenced by dikes, veins, and fracture systems which concentrate and control fluid flow.

The principal host rock for the New Afton deposit comprises crystalline and polymictic fragmental volcanics belonging to the Triassic Nicola Formation and lesser monolithic intrusive breccias. These rocks have been altered and mineralized by a monzonite intrusive consisting of a fault controlled elongated stock and related dike swarm. The monzonite is generally weakly mineralized to unmineralized and is interpreted as the causative intrusive phase that is less susceptible to the introduction of sulphide mineralization. Its geometry is best described as a narrow, elongated stock that remains open at depth and pinches down plunge to the west.

The primary mine site host lithologies are described by New Afton geologists as follows:
Polymictic Fragmental Volcanic Breccia: Comprising poorly sorted, variably coloured, massive to phyric, angular to sub-rounded, lapilli to block sized clasts of porphyritic diorite, andesite, basalt, picrite, and aphyric volcanics within coarse-grained crystal-rich matrix. Clast rock types are commonly porphyritic diorite, andesitic flows, mafic volcanics, picrite and aphyric volcanics within ash to coarse grained crystal dominated matrices.

Monomictic Volcanic Breccia: Contains subangular crystal-rich clasts of diorite or monzonite or Nicola Group volcanic rocks and are commonly located on the margins of intrusive bodies.

Crystalline Volcanic Rocks: Crystal tuffs and andesite flows dominated by very fine and fine to medium grained subhedral to anhedral, broken and or embayed phenocrysts of plagioclase ± pyroxene ± hornblende. Contains less than five percent by volume of coarse ash to lapilli sized lithic fragments within a variably altered fine grained to ash matrix.

Copper-gold-silver mineralization occurs as disseminations and fracture-filling sulphide grains occurring in three roughly tabular east-west striking, steeply dipping bodies. The Main Zone, as its name suggests, is the principal zone of mineralization. Present mining operations are located within the Main Zone. It is flanked to the east and south by two smaller bodies called the HW Zones.

The mineralization at New Afton is grouped into three broad categories: hypogene, secondary hypogene, and supergene. The term describing secondary hypogene mineralization has changed over time from mesogene to secondary hypogene and is now thought of as late hypogene/epithermal assemblage. Secondary hypogene has been retained for consistency in order to minimize confusion. Hypogene was originally ascribed to primary copper sulphide mineralization that had not undergone significant oxidation. Presently, hypogene refers to chalcopyrite and accessory bornite mineralization which forms the core of the deposit and is dominated by biotite alteration. This is noted to typically occur along the northern margins of the monzonite stock in the Main Zone and discontinuous monzonite dykes in the HW Zones. For logging purposes, hypogene mineralization is defined as having greater than 1% sulphides, or 0.5% sulphides in bornite-dominant zones.

Secondary hypogene is a later overprint of mineralization upon primary sulphide mineralization by tennantite-enargite + tetrahedrite with possible bornite and chalcocite. The secondary overprint is associated with pervasive kaolinite-rich argillic alteration localized along narrow fault zones and is responsible for the introduction of the deleterious elements: arsenic, antimony, and mercury. It is thought to be related to late-stage, lower temperature low-pH fluids that ascended along high-angle structures and remobilized copper from primary sulphides to form sulphosalts and high-sulphidation state sulphide minerals. Secondary hypogene mineralization appears as sooty steel grey to bluish grey reaction rims on chalcopyrite blebs and stringer fractures. The distribution of secondary hypogene mineralization is very narrow and discontinuous and commonly restricted to faults such as the HW, J, E and D faults, particularly where they intersect.

The supergene mineralization type consists of native copper and chalcocite that formed through oxidation of primary sulfides within the uppermost portion of the deposit that were exposed to weathering and erosion during the Eocene to Quaternary. The domain is roughly conical in shape and centered below the New Afton pit, limited to the east by the M fault. The supergene domain is defined for logging purposes as having 0.5% or greater native copper, or, in the absence of native copper, intervals of strong oxidation with a threshold assay of 0.2% Cu.

The mineralized zone, as it is delineated to date, is a sub-vertically dipping, generally continuous, tabular body extending downwards from the base of the existing pit. The body plunges to the southwest at an angle of 50°, extending 1,570 m from surface to the lowest drill hole intercept. The Main Zone measures approximately 220 m across strike at its widest point, and it tapers with depth and along strike. Two smaller satellite bodies are located on the hanging wall side of the Main Zone, bringing the maximum width of mineralization subtended by all bodies to just over 470 m.


Mining Methods

  • Block caving

Source: p.146,151,180-181

Summary:

New Afton is an operating block cave mine. As of the year-end 2019, the mine operated at a rate of approximately 15,600 tpd. Ore is all from the B1 and B2 Caves with development underway towards the B3 and C Zones. Ore is transported from the drawpoints on the extraction level, by a load haul dump unit (LHD), to an ore pass. The ore is then re-handled on the haulage level by an LHD and loaded into a haul truck for transport to the underground gyratory crusher. The crushed ore is conveyed to surface.

There are four general zones at the mine, located beneath and to the west of the Afton open
pit. Production is coming from the B1 and B2 Zones (Lift 1) where there are two panel caves (west and east) in operation.

New Afton is a block cave mine which utilized an undercut with an apex level and an undercut level for Lift 1. The Lift 1 extraction level at New Afton employs straight-through drawpoints. This layout was selected for simplicity, ease of development, geotechnical, ventilation, and access reasons. The extraction level consists of a west and east cave with six and five strike drives respectively separated by a central pillar.

Lateral development is advanced using standard hard-rock development techniques. Mine development totalled 1,427 m in 2017, zero in 2018, and 3,203 m for year-end 2019. Development in 2018 was curtailed by New Gold as a cost saving measure. In 2019, development towards the B3 and C Zones was re-started. The advance rates used are 75 m per month for single headings and 110 m per month for the main ramps to the C Zone. Large heading sizes are 5.8 m to 6.0 m high by 5.8 m wide while small heading sizes are 4.3 m to 5.0 m high by 4.2 m to 4.5 m wide. RPA considers these advance rates to be achievable and within industry norms.

Vertical raises are used as a means of ventilating between multiple levels and as ore passes between the extraction and undercut levels down to the haulage level. Vertical development has been completed with raise bore machines. Primary ventilation raises were bored to a 3.5 m diameter and secondary ventilation raises as well as ore passes were bored to 2.4 m diameter.

B3 development consists of two ventilation raises and two ore passes. The raises were completed in 2019, with the truck loading chutes to be installed in the ore passes in 2020.


Crushing and Grinding
Flow Sheet: Source
Source: Source p.192-194
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Gyratory crusher FLSmidth 1.1m x 1.8m 1
Cone crusher FLSmidth Raptor XL600 1
SAG mill Farnell-Thompson 8.5m x 4.0m 5220 kW 1
Ball mill Farnell-Thompson 5.5m x 9.8m 5220 kW 1
Vertical mill / Tower Metso VTM-3000-WB 932 kW 1

Summary:

Run-of-mine (ROM) ore is crushed to minus 150 mm through a 1,100 mm x 1,800 mm FLSmidth gyratory crusher located at the cave extraction level. The ore is then transported to surface via five conveyor belts. The final conveyor belt has a plow, which allows waste and low-grade ore to be diverted from the mill feed. The remaining ore discharges onto a 120,000 wet metric tonne (wmt) live capacity stockpile. Underneath this stockpile, two 1.8 m x 11 m apron feeders regulate the flow of ore onto the SAG mill feed conveyor. The SAG mill is an 8.5 m diameter x 4 m long Farnell-Thompson mill, driven by a 5,220 kW GE motor with a variable speed drive. The SAG mill discharge is screened over a 2.4 m x 6.1 m Deister doubledeck screen with 6 mm x 28 mm apertures on the lower deck. The screen-deck was upgraded from single to double deck in 2015 to allow for an increased milling rate. Both the upper and lower deck oversize are recycled to the SAG mill feed conveyor, with the option of crushing this recycle stream using an FLSmidth XL600 Raptor cone crusher.

Secondary grinding is accomplished using a 5.5 m diameter x 9.8 m long Farnell-Thompson fixed speed ball mill, driven by a 5,220 kW motor, in closed circuit with seven (five operating) Krebs GMax-26 hydrocyclones. Approximately 7% of the cyclone feed is diverted to a Gekko inline pressure jig and magnetic separation circuit for native copper and gold recovery and magnetite rejection, with concentrate reporting to the concentrate thickener. Approximately 15% of the secondary underflow feeds an Outotec Skim-Air 500 flash flotation cell with concentrate reporting to the rougher concentrate regrind circuit, and the tails reporting to the ball mill feed. The cyclone overflow reports to the tertiary circuit.

The tertiary grinding circuit was added as part of the 2015 mill expansion project. Prior to this, the ball mill cyclone overflow reported directly to rougher flotation. Tertiary grinding is accomplished using a Metso Vertimill 3000 in closed circuit with seven (five or six operating) Krebs GMax-26 hydrocyclones. The tertiary cyclone overflow reports to the rougher flotation cells. Approximately 15% of the tertiary cyclone underflow reports to a continuous CVD42 Knelson concentrator for native copper and gold recovery with concentrate reporting to the cleaner inline pressure jig feed. Both the SAG and ball mill circuit control is supported with an expert control system.


Processing

  • Filter press plant
  • Dewatering
  • Inline Pressure Jig
  • Centrifugal concentrator
  • Gravity separation
  • Flotation
  • Magnetic separation

Flow Sheet: Source
Source: Source

Summary:

A mill expansion was completed in 2015 to add a tertiary stage of grinding and additional flotation cleaning capacity. This allowed throughput to increase to a peak average of 16,420 tpd in 2017. Throughput for 2019 averaged 15,300 tpd.

FLOTATION
The tertiary grinding cyclone overflow flows by gravity into the rougher flotation circuit, which consists of two staged flotation reactor (SFR) cells in series followed by six 100 m3 flotation tank cells in series. The two SFRs were commissioned in Q2 2017. The concentrate from the rougher flotation cells is collected in launders and flows by gravity to the regrind circuit; the tailings from the final rougher cell is discharged into the tailings pumpbox.

The regrind circuit grinds the rougher flotation concentrate, to decrease the particle size to 80% passing 35 µm to 40 µm, prior to it being processed in the cleaner flotation cells. The regrind circuit consists of a 932 kW Vertimill in closed circuit with the regrind cyclopac. The underflow stream from two of the operating regrind cyclones is processed through two XD-40 Knelson concentrators to recover liberated gold and native copper from the regrind circuit. The Knelson concentrate discharges to the 3rd cleaner concentrate pumpbox, where it is pumped to the concentrate thickener. The Knelson concentrator tailings are discharged back to the regrind cyclone feed pumpbox. The regrind cyclone overflow discharges into the cleaner flotation circuit and the tailings flow to cleaner scavenger flotation. Cleaner scavenger tailings report to the tailings pumpbox. Three SFR cells were added to the head of cleaner flotation as part of the mill expansion project in 2015 to increase cleaner flotation capacity. The concentrate from these three cells is combined with the inline pressure jig final concentrate, 3rd cleaner concentrate, and regrind Knelson concentrates to produce the final copper concentrate for dewatering.

DEWATERING
The final concentrate is pumped to the concentrate thickener, where the solids achieve an underflow slurry density of approximately 55% solids. The slurry is pumped to an agitated tank and subsequently pumped into one of the two filter presses, where the concentrate is dewatered to less than 9% moisture. The dewatered concentrate is discharged from the filter presses directly into the concentrate storage shed, before being loaded onto trucks and transported to the Port of Vancouver for shipping.

TAILINGS
Currently, tailings streams from the rougher flotation and cleaner-scavenger flotation circuits are discharged into the tailings pump box and pumped to the tailings storage facility (TSF). The tailings are cycloned at the TSF for use in internal tailings dam construction.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2021202020192018201720162015
Gold Recovery Rate, % 81808284.580.181.982.5
Gold Head Grade, g/t 0.410.450.470.530.560.650.78
Copper Recovery Rate, % 81828383.280.884.484.9
Copper Head Grade, % 0.70.720.780.870.850.810.9

Production:

CommodityUnits2022202120202019201820172016
Gold oz 35,000-45,000 ^52,45264,22068,78577,32986,16398,098
Copper M lbs 35-45 ^627279859187
Gold Equivalent oz 115,000-145,000 ^175,972204,416229,091279,755
Silver M oz 0.30.30.30.3
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202120202019201820172016
Ore tonnes mined 4,470 kt5,763 kt5,437 kt5,839 kt6,325 kt6,113 kt
Tonnes processed 4,886 kt5,532 kt5,584 kt5,354 kt5,993 kt5,773 kt
Daily mining rate 16,652 t15,620 t16,156 t
Daily processing rate 15,116 t15,300 t16,400 t

Reserves at December 31, 2021:
For Mineral Reserves Lower cut-off:
A&B Zones: USD$ 10.00/t
B3 Block & C-Zone: USD$ 24.00/t
For Mineral Resources Lower Cut-off 0.40% CuEq.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven & Probable 41,274 kt Gold 0.67 g/t 883 koz
Proven & Probable 41,274 kt Silver 1.8 g/t 2,327 koz
Proven & Probable 41,274 kt Copper 0.74 % 675 M lbs
Measured & Indicated 64,900 kt Gold 0.56 g/t 1,174 koz
Measured & Indicated 64,900 kt Silver 2 g/t 4,187 koz
Measured & Indicated 64,900 kt Copper 0.7 % 1,006 M lbs
Inferred 16,301 kt Gold 0.38 g/t 198 koz
Inferred 16,301 kt Silver 1.2 g/t 635 koz
Inferred 16,301 kt Copper 0.38 % 137 M lbs

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Cash costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD 912 / oz 657 / oz 517 / oz
Total cash costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD 1,042 / oz 759 / oz 647 / oz
Total cash costs Copper USD 1.28 / lb 1.19 / lb 1.1 / lb 0.94 / lb 0.96 / lb
Total cash costs Gold USD 637 / oz 495 / oz 530 / oz 526 / oz 464 / oz
Total cash costs (sold) Gold USD -1,063 / oz† -1,626 / oz† -1,126 / oz† -634 / oz† -724 / oz†
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD 1,385 / oz 1,064 / oz 829 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Copper USD 1.64 / lb 1.5 / lb 1.44 / lb 1.22 / lb 1.34 / lb
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD 816 / oz 623 / oz 692 / oz 686 / oz 642 / oz
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold USD -456 / oz† -1,147 / oz† -605 / oz† -218 / oz† -242 / oz†
^ Guidance / Forecast.
† Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs:

Units20212020
UG mining costs ($/t mined) USD 13.79.76
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD 10.77.91
G&A ($/t milled) USD 3.442.64

Financials:

Units2022202120202019201820172016
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD 178  
Sustaining costs M USD 54.2  57  37.7  32.6   39.3   37.7  
Growth Capital M USD 90.1  77.1  
Capital expenditures M USD 144.3  134.1  61.8  35.9   42.2   40.9  
Revenue M USD 319.6  274.7  271.7  314.1   302   287.2  
Operating Income M USD 112.4  91.7  8.4  51.1   54.2   43  
Pre-tax Income M USD 49   55.6   47.6  
After-tax Income M USD 80.3   55.4   64.2  


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of February 28, 2020:
Source: Source p.191
HME TypeModelQuantity
ANFO Loader 1
Drill (long hole) Sandvik DL 420 / DL 430 3
Drill jumbo (two boom) Sandvik 4
Grader Caterpillar 14M 2
Loader Caterpillar 930G 4
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) Sandvik LH410 2
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) Caterpillar R1600 10
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) Caterpillar R2900G 4
Rock bolter Tamrock 2
Rock bolter Sandvik DS 310 4
Shotcreter 3
Trans Mixer 5
Truck (haul) Caterpillar AD45 7

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
Buyer Marc Hoffer LinkedIn Mar 19, 2022
General Manager John Ritter LinkedIn Mar 19, 2022
Mine Manager Peter Prochotsky LinkedIn Mar 19, 2022
Mine Operations Superintendent Tyler Roberts LinkedIn Mar 19, 2022
Mine Superintendent Jeffrey LaMarsh LinkedIn Mar 19, 2022
Process Manager Martin Froehling LinkedIn Mar 19, 2022

Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
642 2021
583 2020
491 2019
411 2018
433 2017
446 31 477 2016

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Annual Information Form 2021
Financial Review 2021
Management Discussion & Analysis 2021
Press Release 2021
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2021
Annual Information Form 2020
Financial Review 2020
Management Discussion & Analysis 2020
Press Release 2020
Press Release 2020
Technical Report 2020
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2020
Financial Review 2019
Management Discussion & Analysis 2019
Press Release 2019
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2019
Annual Information Form 2018
Financial Review 2018
Press Release 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Financial Review 2017
Press Release 2017
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Annual Information Form 2016
Financial Review 2016
Annual Report 2015
Technical Report 2015
Financial Review 2014

News:

NewsDate
New Gold Reports Fourth Quarter And Full Year 2021 Results; Provides 2022 Operational Outlook And Updated Mineral Reserves And Mineral Resources February 23, 2022
New Gold Achieves Updated Consolidated Gold Equivalent Production Guidance January 12, 2022
Gold Mountain Signs Letter of Intent with New Gold to Increase its Tonnage Limit in its Ore Purchase Agreement June 17, 2021
New Gold Announces Receipt of the New Afton B3 Mines Act Permit May 25, 2021
New Gold Announces Partial Resumption of Underground Activities at the New Afton Mine February 8, 2021
New Gold Announces Incident at the New Afton Mine February 2, 2021
New Gold Announces $300 Million Partnership With Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan at the New Afton Mine Adding Significant Financial Flexibility February 25, 2020
New Gold Provides Update on Delineation and Exploration Programs at the New Afton and Rainy River Operations May 29, 2019

Aerial view:

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