The Kemess Property is host to the Kemess South (KS), Kemess Underground (KUG) and Kemess East (KE) Deposits as well as the Kemess Offset Zone (KOZ) prospect. The Kemess Underground property is predominantly underlain by a thick (>1,000 m) succession of andesitic flows (Takla Group). The Takla volcanic rocks host a significant portion of the copper-gold mineralization and display phyllic alteration at Kemess North. On the surface is mostly a distinctive feldspar porphyritic unit (bladed feldpsar porphyry – BFP) with some sections of a distinctive augite phyric unit (augite andesite porphyry – AAP). Mantling the northern and eastern limits of the Kemess Underground area is the Hazelton Group-Toodoggone formation. The structurally controlled phyllic sections of this polylithic fragmental dacite in the southeastern area of the deposit can carry anomalous gold concentrations. The evidence suggests that basement structures and conduits that allowed extrusion of the local Toodoggone volcanic assemblage underlie the Kemess Underground area. The most prominent structure traversing the Kemess Underground area is the Kemess North (KN) Thrust Fault, an east-west trending south dipping reverse fault that truncates the Kemess North pluton and associated mineralization at depth. The KN Fault and the Kemess North pluton seem to be related with the KN Fault creating the pathway for the KUG pluton to intrude. Further movement along the KN Fault subsequently truncated the Kemess North Pluto ........

The opportunity to exploit the Kemess Underground (KUG) gold-copper-silver deposit by underground mining methods such as longhole open stoping, sub-level caving, and block cave mining methods, with the block cave approach recommended due to superior economics. As a result, AuRico (then Northgate Minerals) elected to conduct a Feasibility Study (FS) for the Kemess Underground (KUG) deposit based on block caving.

The planned production schedule calls for 107.3 Mt of ore mined at a head grade of 0.27% Cu and 0.54 g/t Au and 1.99 g/t Ag.

Triple declines will be developed from surface comprising access, intake air, and conveyor declines. The access decline will provide access for personnel, equipment, and materials/consumables.

The final design establishes a single extraction level at the 1140 mRL (Figure 5.3) that includes 582 drawpoints (291 drawbells) over a footprint that is approximately 570 m eastwest and 90 m to 300 m north-south. The cave will be initiated in the highest grade ore in the east of the orebody and progress to the southwest over the life of the mine. An 18 m high undercut will be established above the undercut level, with this level at the 1158 mRL and accessed via ramps from the extraction level.

Ore will be recovered on the extraction level using 8.6 m³ (17 t) load-haul-dump (LHD) machines and dumped into one of four 55” x 42” jaw crushers located to the south of the footprint. Transfer conveyors will then transpo ........

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