The geological setting, hydrothermal alteration, styles of gold-silver mineralization, and close spatial and timing association with silica sinter deposition, indicate that Grassy Mountain is an example of the hot-springs subtype of low-sulfidation, epithermal precious-metals deposits. The Grassy Mountain deposit is characterized by stacked sinter terraces that demonstrate hydrothermal fluids vented at the paleosurface concurrent with lacustrine and intermittent fluvial sedimentation.

The Grassy Mountain gold–silver deposit is located largely within the silicic and potassic alteration, zones, beginning approximately 200 ft below the surface. The deposit has extents of 1,900 ft along a N60°E to N70°E axis, as much as 2,700 ft in a northwest-southeast direction, and as much as 1,240 ft vertically. The surface expression of the mineralization is indicated by weak to moderately strong silicification and iron-staining, accompanied by scattered, 1/8- to 1.0-inch wide creamy to light-gray chalcedonic veins that filled joints.

The deposit consists of a central higher-grade core with gold grades of >~0.03 oz/ton Au that is surrounded by a broad envelope of lower-grade mineralization. The central higher-grade core is almost 1,000 ft long on the N60°E to N70°E axis, by 450 ft in width and 450 ft in vertical extent, all of which is above the Kern Basin Tuff and below a distinctive sinter unit.

Central Higher-Grade Core Zone
Three distinct and overla ........

The mine design was based on an average production rate of 1,200 tons per day using a four-day-on and three-day-off schedule, with two 12-hour shifts per day, to provide 24-hour coverage during the four operating days at full operation. This will provide sufficient material to feed 750 tons/d to the mill on a seven day per week basis.

The mining cycle involves drilling, blasting, and mucking for the development and production access. The final part of the mining cycle is to backfill the stopes.

The Grassy Mountain mine will be an underground operation accessed via one decline and a system of internal ramps. One ventilation raise is included in the design to be used for ventilation and secondary egress. The mechanized cut-and-fill mining method was selected. The mining direction will be underhand. Cemented rock fill (CRF) will be used for backfill. The mechanized cut-and-fill method is highly flexible and can achieve high recovery rates in deposits with complex geometries, as is the case at the Grassy Mountain deposit. The estimated mine life is eight years.

The mining sequence contains a detailed level sequence and an underhand sequence. The level access is mined first. The mains are mined second. Typically, two mains are mined at the same time providing multiple mining locations on a level. After the mains are mined, then the production drifts can begin mining. The production drifts are sequenced with primaries and secondaries. The primaries ........

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