The Halfmile and Stratmat projectss are volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits typical of the Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC). The BMC hosts 45 volcanic-sediment hosted massive sulphide deposits and 95 occurrences, including the world-class Brunswick 12 Mine. BMC deposits formed in a sediment-covered back-arc continental rift during periods when the basin was stratified with a lower anoxic water column. The basin was subsequently intensely deformed and metamorphosed during multiple collisional events related to east-dipping subduction of the basin.

The VMS deposits typically form lenses of polymetallic massive sulphide. Most deposits are zoned vertically and laterally from a high temperature, vent-proximal, copper-polonium bismuth-rich veined and brecciated core to vent-distal zinc-lead-silver-rich hydrothermal sediments. The vent complex is commonly underlain by a highly deformed sulphide stringer zone that extends hundreds of metres beneath deposits and consists of veins and impregnations of sulphides, silicates, and carbonates that cut chloritized and sericitized volcanic and sedimentary rocks.

The Halfmile project is underlain predominantly felsic volcanic rocks and lesser sedimentary rocks which are host to all massive sulphide deposits on the property. Provincial Government regional
mapping projects have classified the rocks as belonging to the Flat Landing Brook formation of the Middle Ordovician Tetagouche group and Nepisiguit Falls formation. ........

At Halfmile, all run-of-mine (RoM) material will be mined by underground mining method. Sublevel open stoping (SLOS) and Sublevel Retreat (SLR) will be the main mining methods planned, supplemented by post pillar cut and fill (PPCF) and mechanized cut and fill (MCF) mining for Upper zone where mineralization dip angle is approximately at 39 degrees. All mining methods will employ either cemented or unconsolidated waste rock as backfill. The mine plan includes 92% of RoM tonnes from SLOS/SLR with down holes (up holes for sill pillar recovery) on 20 m sublevels and cemented or unconsolidated waste rock fill, and 8% of RoM tonnes from PPCF/MCF with unconsolidated waste rock and cemented waste rock (sill level stopes only). There is no permanent sill or rib pillar considered for the SLOS/SLR mining. Limited sill pillars were planned only for the two trial mining opened mining fronts.

Access to the underground mine will be by an existing portal and ramp system developed previously to a depth of 170 m below surface. The ramp will be extended down to the mine bottom approximately 1,020 m below surface at a maximum gradient of -15% with dimensions of 5.0 m width by 5.0 m height, the same as the existing ramp.

Stope sequencing will generally be top-down block by block, and bottom-up within the mining block. On a mining level scale, both transverse primary-secondary stope sequence and longitudinal retreat mining will be employed, dependent on mineralization thickn ........

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