Phoenix is a skarn-hosted polymetallic massive sulfide replacement deposit.

Au-Cu-Ag-Pb-Zn skarn mineralization at Phoenix is centered about the Eocene Copper Canyon granodiorite porphyry stock. Paleozoic sedimentary rocks within two miles of the stock have undergone strong thermal metamorphism (hornfels) and metasomatism (skarn). Metal zonation is manifest by a CuMo core close to the stock grading outward into proximal Cu-Au-Ag, Au-Ag and distal Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization.

The Phoenix surface mine’s available mining fleet consists of three shovels and twenty 240 ton haul trucks.

The Phoenix mill produces a gravity gold concentrate and a copper/gold flotation concentrate and recovers additional gold from cyanide leaching of the flotation tails.

Process facilities include a flotation mill, which processed approximately 12.2 million tons of ore in 2018, a carbon-in-leach plant, a copper leach pad and a solvent extraction electrowinning (“SX/EW”) plant. The copper leach and SX/EW plant allows for the production of copper cathode.

At Phoenix, ore containing copper and gold is crushed to a coarse size at the mine and then transported via conveyor to a process plant, where it is further crushed and then finely ground as a slurry. The ore is initially treated by successive stages of flotation resulting in a copper/gold concentrate containing approximately 15% to 20% copper. Flotation concentrates are also processed via a gravity circuit to recover fine liberated gold and then dewatered and stored for loading onto ships or rail for transport to sm ........