The New Polaris deposit is classified as a mesothermal lode-gold deposit (Hodgson, 1993).

In general, it is quartz-vein-related, with associated carbonatized wall rocks. The deposits are characterized by a high gold/silver ratio, great vertical continuity with little vertical zonation, and a broadly syn-tectonic time of emplacement. They are commonly associated with pyrite, arsenopyrite, tourmaline and molybdenite. Mineralization may occur in any rock type and ranges in form from veins, to veinlet systems, to disseminated replacement zones. Most mineralized zones are hosted by and always related to steeply dipping reverse- or oblique-slip brittle-fracture to ductile-shear zones.

Past exploration studies have demonstrated that the New Polaris vein systems have all the attributes of the orogenic vein gold deposit including, but not limited to association with major structural break, quartzcarbonate vein association, low-sulphide assemblage of pyrite and arsenopyrite, chloritic and sericitically altered wall rocks and persistent gold mineralization over a vertical distance of nearly 1 km.

Mineralization of the New Polaris deposit bears strong similarities to many Archean lode gold deposits such as the arsenical gold camp of Red Lake, Ontario where the gold-bearing arsenopyrite is disseminated in the altered rock and in quartz-carbonate stringers.

The vein mineralization consists of arsenopyrite, pyrite, stibnite and gold in a gangue ........

The mine production plan is based on a subset of the Mineral Resources, focusing on resources within a confining shape targeting material above a 6.0 g/t cutoff grade.

The mine plan uses a combination of conventional cut and fill mining on 24% of the deposit and longhole stoping on 58% of the deposit; depending on mineralization thickness and continuity. Development in ore makes up the remaining 18% of production.

Waste development will include a decline from surface, extraction drifts on sublevels across the footwall of the orebody, and ventilation raises to the surface.

LH will be used in the steeper areas of the zone while CCAF will be utilized in the shallow dipping (less than 55°) and thinner areas. The CCAF stopes are generally located at the “on strike” extremities of the LH stoping areas.

Sublevel Longhole Stoping
The LH stopes have been designed with a longitudinal orientation, thus, to maintain production two working areas on each level are required to be active at one time. One working area needs to be in the drill/blast/muck cycle while the other is in the backfilling cycle. Paste backfill will be used to fill mined stope panels and will be introduced through a network of boreholes and horizontal piping ultimately filling the stope panels from the extraction drift of the level above.

Longhole stoping provides high productivity at low mining costs from a small number of working faces. No geotechnical ........

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.