The standard orogenic gold model characterizes the majority of gold deposits within the Abitibi belt. However, several examples of late mineralization are disseminated and associated with alkaline intrusions (Robert, 2001), thus differing from the standard orogenic gold model. Syenite-associated disseminated gold deposits in the Abitibi greenstone belt consist of disseminated sulphide zones with variably developed quartz stockworks, which are intimately associated with Timiskaming-age, monzonitic to syenitic porphyry intrusions (Robert, 2001). Like quartz-carbonate vein deposits, all known syenite-associated disseminated gold deposits in the southern Abitibi belt occur along a major fault. As a result of their distribution along major faults, these deposits commonly occur at or near boundaries between contrasting lithological domains. Examples of these deposits are Young-Davidson, Matachewan Consolidated, Ross, Holt-McDermott, and Lightening in Ontario; and Beattie, Douay, Canadian Malartic, East Malartic, and Barnat Sladen in Québec.

Gold-bearing mineralization within the Duparquet deposit (including the Beattie and Donchester mines, as well as the Central Duparquet deposit) is associated with carbonate, chlorite, fuchsite, and sericite alteration as a product of hydrothermal fluid injection within sheared and brecciated sections of the syenite porphyries. Silicification of fractures and chert-calcite-rich accumulations along fractures accompanied by pyrite-arsen ........

Mining of the Duparquet deposit has been designed as an open pit with a planned production of 3,650,000 tonnes per year (3.65M tpy) or 10,000 tonnes per day (tpd).

The life-of-mine (LOM) for the Duparquet Pit was based on supplying the mill with 3,650,000 tonnes of ore per year. Initially, 4.1 Mt of tailings would be reserved to supplement the mill when necessary, but it was later decided to process the tailings at a rate of 750,000 tonnes per year right from the start in order to clean the tailings area to make room for the waste stockpile #2 for the west pit.

The LOM for the Duparquet Pit will be spread over 11 years, preceded by a 4-year pre production period.

Also, the existing pit contains approximately 5.7 Mm3 of water. At the start of the project, it is estimated that 2 Mm3 need to be dewatered, and that it will take approximately six (6) months.

The mining schedule will require the extraction of 39,363,029 tonnes of ore and 291,213,881 tonnes of waste rock, resulting in a LOM strip ratio of 8.26 to 1. The overburden consists of 23,398,919 tonnes. Taking into account the overburden, the LOM strip ratio is 8.93 to 1. The stripping ratio (waste to ore) will not necessarily be constant.

The drilling pattern has been selected in order to control blast induced vibrations and airblast overpressures in the Town of Duparquet. The spacing and burden for the Project were estimated at 6.5 m and 6 m respectively. Percussio ........

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Based on the previous testwork results, two processing options were selected for the recovery of the gold from the Duparquet Project; the Pressure Oxidation option (“POX option”) and the Concentrate option. While gold doré would be produced on site with the POX Option, the Concentrate option would produce a sulphide concentrate product for sale.

The Concentrate processing option uses a jaw crusher followed, by one 5,670 kW (7,200 hp) SAG Mill and of a secondary grinding stage using a 6,410 kW (8,600 hp) ball mills operating in a closed loop, coupled with a flotation circuit including rougher cells, 1st cleaner cells, 2nd cleaner cells, and a 1.119 kW (1,500 hp) regrinding ball mill of the rougher concentrate, as well as cyanidation of the flotation tails with CIL recovery of the gold. The gold will be recovered from the carbon by elution, followed by electrowinning and doré smelting. The flotation concentrate would be sold for further processing.

Concentrator Pla ........