Overview

Deposit type

• IOCG
• Epithermal
• Breccia pipe / Stockwork
• Orogenic

Summary:

The Amulsar Project is a high-sulphidation epithermal deposit, but its close association with syn-depositional deformation adds a signature characteristic of orogenic gold systems. The deposit also has some characteristics of low temperature variants of IOCG deposits.

The Amulsar deposit is hosted in a thick pile of volcanogenic rocks thought to be related to the Tethyan magmatic arc/back-arc system. High-sulphidation epithermal deposits are associated normally with alteration grading from a central zone, dominated by silica-alunite alteration minerals, to an outer zone of argillic-kaolinite alteration mineral assemblages. At Amulsar, a similar sequence of alteration is observed, but the silica-alunite zone appears to be restricted to the mineralized vokanidastic and breccia rocks of the UV zone, and the argilic-kaolinite alteration is dominantly restricted to rocks of the LV zone. Both rock types are now strongly structurally interleaved, and mineralization is associated with subsequent deformation of this interleaved package.

The background alteration is characteristic of high.sulphidation epithermal systems, in which, fluids rich in magmatic volatiles cool and migrate to elevated crustal settings. The fluids arc commonly highly oxidized. Mineralization at Amulsar is associated with iron oxides. Iron sulphides have not been observed in significant quantities within the mineralized structures. The lack of micaceous alteration minerals associated with the gold mineralization indicates that fluid temperatures were likely less than 300'C, and within the range of temperatures associated with epithermal deposits. These oxidized fluids were injected into faults, fractures, and distant structures during an orogenic deformation that overprints the high¬sulphidation alteration. HOWever, the general absence of veining, and in particular, quartz veins, is atypical of most orogenic gold systems.

The Amulsar deposit was likely developed within a volcanic edifice with a protracted high-sulphidation fluid history that gradually developed into an epithermal level orogenic gold system that was perhaps still being fed by highly oxidized magmatic fluids.

Gold and silver mineralization at Amulsar is hosted predominately in UV rocks. Some mineralization occurs in LV rocks but usually in the vicinity of UV-LV contacts. The main gold mineralization is recognized as a hematite-gold event where mineralizing fluids deposited hematite, gold, probably silver, and traces of other metals. The hematite-gold event is thought to be a late event in the development of the Amulsar deposit.

Gold mineralization is controlled by the following features:

- Complex structural zones, particularly areas with variably oriented accommodation faults and fractures that link them;
- Porous and permeable lithological units, including hydrothermal breccias, volcaniclastic breccias systems; and
- Leached vuggy volcanics — allowing lateral migration of fluids away from structurally controlled conduits.

Silver mineralization is present at the Amulsar Project, but the genesis and distribution is not well understood. Silver mineralization does not correlate with gold mineralization. Average silver grades range from 2 g/t to 5 g/t and locally can occur in the 100 g/t to 200 g/t range.

Mining Methods

• Truck & Shovel / Loader

Summary:

The Amulsar deposit will be developed by open pit mining by mining 10 m benches using 22 cubic meter front shovels, and 180-t trucks. This configuration works well to maximize equipment utilization and productivity. Approximately half of the mining equipment has already been purchased and delivered to site.

Over the life of mine (LOM), three deposits will be mined and will be split into seven mining phases. The Tigranes and Artavasdes deposits are mined first, having higher value (combination of higher grades and a lower strip ratio) than the Erato deposit. Ore will be processed at a nominal production rate of 27,400 tpd (10 Mtpa). Ore material is either sent directly to the primary crusher, located several kilometers down-hill to the North of the open pits, or to stockpiles located close to the primary crusher. Waste material will initially be placed in the BRSF also located several kilometers down-hill to the North of the open pits. Over time, placement of the waste material will transition to being placed in- pit within the mined-out portions of the TAA open pits.

The primary haulage roads are required between the various open pit deposits and the primary ore crusher, and waste rock facilities. Roads are planned to be constructed using cut-and-fill techniques, utilizing waste rock sourced from the open pits, to achieve the designed alignment and grade. Roads within the waste rock storage facilities are designed to be all-fill construction.

The main in-pit haul roads and ramps are designed to have an overall road width allowance of 30 m. The selected road allowance is adequate for accommodating three times the width of the largest haul truck (180 tonne), with additional room for drainage ditches and safety berms.

In-Pit Haulage Road Design Parameters:
- Truck (180 tonne) operating width - 7.0 m;
- Running surface - 3x truck width - 21.0 m;
- Berm height (3/4 tire height) - 2.6 m;
- Berm width - 6.0 m;
- Ditch width - 3.0 m;
- Total Road Allowance - 30.0 m.

Most ramps are designed with a maximum grade of 10% but were steepened to 12% for final access to lower portions of the open pits. External roads are designed to allow access to roads connecting the various pits to the crusher and waste dumps and are also planned to be a maximum of 30 m wide.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Summary:

The crusher unit operations include a primary jaw crusher, and a secondary screening and crushing system. The crushed ore storage bin, secondary crushing feed bin, and crushed ore stockpile provides crushing surge capacity for the facility. The ore is fed from the screening plant to an overland conveyor to the fine ore stockpile and truck loadout bin.

Primary Crushing
Run-of-mine (ROM) ore is transported to the primary crushing area by haul truck and dumped directly into a dump hopper with 600 t live capacity or to a 540,000 t ROM stockpile which provides surge between mining and crushing operations. A rock breaker will be available to service the crusher dump hopper when there are oversized rocks.

ROM from the dump hopper is removed via an apron feeder and feeds a vibrating grizzly feeder in which oversized material feeds the jaw crusher and undersize material falls to the jaw crusher discharge conveyor.

The primary crusher reduces the ROM ore to a nominal P80 91 mm. Crushed ore drops to the crusher discharge conveyor, joining the grizzly undersize material. The crusher discharge conveyor transfers the crushed ore via the crushed ore stockpile to the crushed ore bin feed conveyor that feeds the crushed ore bin.

Secondary Crushing
The secondary crushing system is a parallel circuit utilizing three cone crushers producing a product material of approximately P85 18 mm. The crushed product combines with the primary crushing circuit project to feed the screening circuit.

Processing

• Smelting
• Carbon re-activation kiln
• Crush & Screen plant
• Heap leach
• Carbon in column (CIC)
• AARL elution
• Carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR)
• Merrill–Crowe
• Cyanide (reagent)

Summary:

The Amulsar processing facility will receive ROM ore by haul trucks at an average LOM nominal rate of 10 Mtpa or 27,400 tpd. Ore is processed through two stages of crushing to a target crush size P94 19 mm. The crusher unit operations include a primary jaw crusher, and a secondary screening and
crushing system. The crushed ore storage bin, secondary crushing feed bin, and crushed ore stockpile provides crushing surge capacity for the facility. The ore is fed from the screening plant to an overland conveyor to the fine ore stockpile and truck loadout bin. From there, crushed ore will be transported via trucks to the leach pad for heap leaching. Pregnant leach solution (PLS) from the heap will be treated in a CIC circuit. Gold will be recovered by an adsorption- desorption-recovery (ADR) circuit where the final product will be doré.

Amulsar processing facility consists of the following unit operations:
- Primary Crushing;
- Screening Facility;
- Secondary Crushing;
- Overland Conveying;
- Crushed Ore Stockpile;
- Heap Leach Facility;
- Carbon-In-Leach;
- Carbon Adsorption, Desorption and Recovery;
- Carbon Handling;
- Refining;
- Reagents;
- Utility Facilities.

The heap leach process consists of stacking crushed ore on the leach pad in lifts and leaching each individual lift to extract the gold and silver. Barren Leach Solution (BLS) containing dilute sodium cyanide will be applied to the ore heap surface using a combination of drip emitters and sprinklers at a design application rate of 6 L/hr/m2. The design leaching cycle of the ore heap is 60 days.

The solution will percolate through the ore to the drainage system above the pad liner, where it will be collected in a network of perforated drain pipes embedded within a 0.6-m minimum thickness granular cover drain fill layer above the liner. The solution will gravity flow to the process pond. PLS collected in the process pond will be pumped to the process plant to extract the gold and silver.

The process plant consists of an Adsorption, Desorption, Recovery (ADR) plant, refining, and reagent makeup and delivery systems. The ADR plant will be located to the southeast of the HLF collection ponds, and the plant area will be lined to contain spills and any overflow from the plant will be routed to the process pond.

The plant extracts precious metals from the PLS onto activated coconut carbon. The ADR circuit adorbs metals from the PLS in carbon columns and moves the carbon from the columns into strip vessel where the metal is eluted into solution at higher tenors. This new PLS is treated with zinc which causes gold and silver to precipitate from solution. Once the precious metals are precipitated, the solution is filtered and the cake is dried, mixed with flux and smelted to produce dore bars. The dore bars are then shipped to a refinery for further refining. The ADR circuit also regenerates the carbon through acid washing and a regeneration kiln to maintain the carbon's ability to adsorb metals in the carbon columns. Once regenerated the carbon is returned as fresh carbon to the carbon columns.

Metals are desorbed from the carbon using the Anglo-American Research Laboratories (AARL) method.

Pregnant solution from the elution column flows through heat exchangers where heat is recovered and used to preheat the incoming elution stream. The eluted solution is collected in the pregnant strip solution tank.

Smelting operations are performed in a secure refinery. Access to the refinery is limited to specific personnel, controlled by electronic and physical barriers, and is actively monitored.

The pregnant strip tank is designed for a capacity of 3 days or 6 elution cycle of pregnant eluate solution. Pregnant strip solution is pumped from the pregnant strip solution tank to the precipitation filters. Zinc powder is added to the solution after the filter feed pump and before the in-line zinc mixer. The precipitation of gold and silver is rapid and will have occurred before the solution reaches the precipitation filter.

The filter cake is collected into retort pans and transferred by cart to the mercury retort area. The mercury retort system is installed to capture any trace mercury that may be present during the life of the mine.

Dry cake removed from the mercury retort is fluxed and smelted into doré bars using a direct fired furnace. Off-gases are captured in a baghouse dust collection system where precious metal dust is captured and returned to the system. The slag produced from smelting is crushed and screened to recover any metal prill that may have become entrained with the slag. This prill is then collected and saved for the next pour. The crushed slag is stored in the slag bin before shipping to off-site smelter. The doré is packaged and stored in a safe for off-site shipment.

Pipelines and Water Supply

Summary:

Raw water for system makeup, dust suppression, and fire water is pumped from either the Darb River, Benik’s Pond, or from Ponds PD-12 or D-1.

Fire water will be supplied by storage tanks at the ADR and Crushing Facilities, which will be filled from the same make up water suppliy sources listed above.

The makeup water is required in the dry months and winter months for the first four years (coinciding with Phase 1 and 2 of the HLF). The makeup water will be pumped from the Darb River via 4 km pipeline to the HLF ADR plant. The maximum required makeup water is approximately 104,000m3 /month.

Surface water at Amulsar is classified by the ESIA as contact water, impacted water, or non-contact water, as determined by the land type generating the runoff and the predicted water quality from that land type. Contact water is runoff derived from pit dewatering, facilities containing PAG waste rock, truck shop facility and heap leach areas. Runoff from both the BRSF and low-grade stockpiles is considered contact water. Impacted water is surface water runoff derived from the haul roads, crushing, conveyor, waste rock classified as non-acid generating (NAG), and top soil stockpiles that are potentially sediment-laden. Noncontact water is surface water runoff derived from undisturbed natural ground, (i.e., areas outside of the disturbed areas of the mine, BRSF and mineral process plant development areas). Contact water is water that has come into contact with the mine process and would likely require additional monitoring and/or treatment beyond sediment management prior to meeting discharge water quality standards.

Starting from the mine pit area the non-contact system, water is conveyed along the RD-3 haul road between the pits and the crusher in roadside channel C1. The water is conveyed under the haul road in a series of culverts and released to the environment after passing through Best Management Practices (BMPs) to manage sediment, such as energy dissipaters, rock check structures, and straw bales. Crown ditches are located above the exposed cut slope of RD-3, conveying the non-contact water to identified down-chutes that convey the water down the cut slope to one of the road culverts. A secondary channel, C-4, is located approximately along an existing drill site access track to divert noncontact water away from the haul road cut slopes until it can be conveyed via a downchute channel to one of the haul road culverts and discharged to PD-15. PD-15 is designed as a stilling basin. The water from PD-15 is then conveyed in a pipeline to PD-14.

The water from PL-13, RD-3 along the saddle and RD-9B is collected and conveyed to a PD-14 sediment pond located southwest of the crusher. PD-14 sediment pond allows for solids to settle out of suspension as well as to provide a water source for dust suppression supply for the roads and crusher. The overflow from PD-14 is primarily conveyed via a pipeline located along the conveyor corridor to sediment pond, PD12. The 400 mm pipeline is sized to convey the approximated 25-year, 24-hour peak event, with flows in excess of the 25-year peak event conveyed as overland flow along the conveyor corridor. PD-12 serves a dual function as an energy dissipater and water source. PD-12 will be used as a dust suppression water source or will discharge to a conveyance to the raw water pond (D-1). Pond D-1 may be used as dust suppression or process make-up water at the HLF. Excess water from D-1 will be discharged to the environment.

The majority of water from the undisturbed drainage area that flows toward the access roads RD-1, RD-2, RD-11, and RD-6 will be conveyed under the roads in a series of culverts. The culverts will be placed at topographic low points along the road and will include BMP’s at the outlets to dissipate energy, minimize erosion, and allow for water to spread out into overland flow in the natural topography.

Point-source discharge from sediment ponds to the environment are from D-1. Contingency measures, such as flocculation systems, may be warranted at point-source discharge locations to manage sediment to meet regulatory discharge requirements for suspended solids. The runoff from the area between MP-1 and MP-2 will be managed with BMPs to provide sheet flow to Benik’s pond, similar to the existing natural conditions. An active monitoring and maintenance program will be implemented to monitor these areas for erosion and/or channelized flow that may result in increased sediment load in the runoff.

Pit dewatering is accomplished by pumping excess contact water from the pits where it is then conveyed along RD-3 in a pipeline, around the Crusher, and along the conveyor corridor. The BRSF contact water is collected in the BRSF toe pond (PD7T and PD-7) and conveyed in a gravity pipeline to the contact water pond located near the HLF (PD-8). The wash bay water at the truck shop is also considered contact water. It will be collected in a separate pond and treated with oil/water separators. The oil will be collected for approved disposal and the water will be recirculated in the wash bay, used as dust suppression water in approved locations, or controlled within the contact water system.

The BRSF toe pond, PD-7 has an ultimate capacity of approximately 60,000m³, with an interim PD-7T stage capacity of approximately 32,000m³, both of which are designed to contain runoff from the BRSF during the wet year event including the 100-year 24-hour event (1% annual exceedance probability), and an additional 20% freeboard contingency without overtopping. The water collected in this pond is conveyed to the contact water pond (PD-8) located near the HLF. The excess water from the BRSF being conveyed to the contact water pond may be reduced by various evaporation or treatment methods at the pond locations and on the BRSF during periods when the mine does not require contact water as makeup process water.

From the BRSF toe pond PD-7 (or PD-7T), water is conveyed to the contact water pond, PD-8, located north of the HLF. The required ultimate design capacity of Pond PD-8 is 508,000m³ with 250,000m³ required for Phase 1 (Aug 2020 to April 2021), 385,000m³ required for Phase 2 (April 2021 to Nov 2027) and 508,000m³ required for Phase 3 (Nov 2027to LOM). The design of Pond PD-8 considered construction in two phases. The contact water pond, PD-8, is the primary storage location for Acid Rock Drainage (ARD). It is from the contact water pond that water is pumped to the ADR Plant where it is conditioned for use as HLF barren solution. The excess contact water expected in Year 4 will be sent to the passive contract water treatment system for treatment and discharge.

The contact water pond PD-8 will be constructed with diversion channels or earth berms on all sides if needed to prevent runoff from non-contact water drainage areas from mixing with the contact water stored in the pond. Two storm ponds, PD-1 and PD-2 are also located at the HLF and assist in the management of HLF solution.

Enhanced evaporation techniques or other treatment methods may be used at the contact water ponds and contact water facilities to reduce stored volumes in periods of excess contact water. An operational water management model that is frequently updated will help evaluate operational risk associated with make-up water and storage requirements.

Production

Operational metrics

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
Managing Director	Hayk Aloyan		Nov 29, 2024