The Point Rousse Complex is host to orogenic style gold mineralization. Mineralization comprises both vein-hosted and altered-wall rock or replacement styles of mineralization and both exhibit features common to orogenic gold deposits. The mineralization is typically structurally controlled and developed within subsidiary deformation zones, such as the Scrape Trust Fault, to major regional structures, like the Baie Verte – Brompton Line fault. Gold mineralization is intimately associated with disseminated and massive pyrite within the host rock indicating that iron rich rocks are an important precursor to mineralization. Alteration within mafic volcanic and gabbroic rocks can be is characterized by albitization and carbonitization. Iron and titanium rich lithologies associated with the Scrape Thrust are typical host rocks.

The Point Rousse gold mineralization exhibits relatively narrow, but distinctive alteration haloes dominated by Fe-carbonate, albite, sericite, chlorite and leucoxene (Plate 9). The ore mineralogy is relatively simple and is generally comprised of non-refractory gold either as free gold or as coatings on, or along fractures/grain boundaries in pyrite. Silver and base metals can be present in minor amounts and the deposits typically exhibit only trace arsenic.

The Project covers three prospective gold trends: the Scrape Trend, the Goldenville Trend and the Deer Cove Trend. These trends have approximately 20 km of cumulative strike length and include three deposits and numerous prospects and showings all located within 8 km of the Pine Cove Mine and Mill.

The Scrape Trend consists of a prospective belt of rocks approximately 7 km long and 1 km wide.

Mineralization within the Scrape Trend is typical of orogenic greenstone-hosted gold. The fault, where observed is not mineralized, but secondary structures adjacent to the fault zone can host gold, such as the deformation zone which hosts the Pine Cove Deposit as well as the structures hosting the Stog’er Tight Deposit.

The geological setting of the Pine Cove Mine area is characterized by greenschist facies mafic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rocks and minor iron formation; part of the Snooks Arm Group.

Mineralization is associated with a broad alteration envelope characterized by broad zones of very fine-grained calcite and chlorite. Proximal to mineralization fine wispy orange-brown leucoxene is common in intrusive rocks and is either chaotically oriented or rotated and flattened parallel to the foliation. Where alteration is most intense, and gold mineralization occurs, iron-carbonate is pervasive, variably developed, brecciated, quartz-veins and quartz-carbonate veins are observed as well as albite (Plate 3). Pyrite is part of the alteration assemblage and intimately associated with gold mineralization.

Pyrite occurs marginal to the quartz veins, disseminated within wall rock fragments incorporated in the veins, and as minor disseminated pyrite within the quartz veins. The gold concentrations are directly related to pyrite content. The gold occurs as small disseminated grains (ranging from 1 to 50 microns) within pyrite, quartz veins and as thin stringers.

The Pine Cove Mine is a part of the Point Rousse project.

The Pine Cove Mine is an open pit mine consisting of traditional drill and blast operations followed by and transport of ore by haul trucks to the crusher run-of-mine pad (“ROM Pad”) and transport of waste to the waste rock piles (Plate 12). On average, between 8,000 and 10,000 tonnes per day (“tpd”) of waste and ore is mined.

The mine is being developed as a 350 m wide open pit that will have a maximum depth of 154 m by end of the mine life.

The main access ramps are designed at a 10% gradient to accommodate rear wheel drive haulage trucks. The 15 m wide ramps are designed to facilitate two-way truck traffic at all points, assuming a John Deere 460E production haulage truck with a 44 tonne capacity. Final pit bottom access ramps are designed at a gradient of –10% and a width of 10 m to accommodate one-way traffic between the 4,940 m elevation (mine datum, Geodetic + 5000 m) and the pit bottom. The last pit bench at 4910 m elevation (mine datum) will be excavated primarily with a back-hoe due to the steep temporary access ramp on broken ore and minimal working space.

There are two low-grade ore stockpiles. One is located on the slope to the southwest of the mill site while the second on is built on the top of the South Mill Dump. The low-grade ore stockpiles are used to store lower grade ore that is considered marginally economic to mill at the time it is mined. The material will be milled if or when economic or processing conditions improve or if there is a disruption in the supply of higher grade ore to the mill. Each of the piles is estimated to contain about 268,000 tonnes at a grade of 0.55 g/t gold.

The Pine Cove Mill operates as a grind/flotation circuit followed by leaching. Comminution is via a two-stage crushing plant followed by a 10 ft by 14 ft primary ball mill, which processes an average of 1,340 tonnes per day of ore. Cyclone overflow feeds the flotation circuit, with 3 column cells for roughing, 1 scavenger/staged reactor cell, and one cleaner cell. The concentrator has a flotation circuit which produces a gold-pyrite concentrate that advances to the leach circuit. Mass concentration is typically 2-4%, with a recovery of 92-93%. Flotation concentrate is thickened in a 4.5 m diameter thickener and reground in a 5.5 ft diameter ball mill down to a P80 of 20 microns. Leaching is conducted in a series of four 70 m3, mechanically-agitated leach tanks. Two drum filters and a Merrill Crowe circuit are used for gold recovery from the pregnant solution.

The mill process at the Pine Cove site consists of 6 major systems: crushing, grinding, flotation, leaching, drum filtration, and Merrill Crowe. Ore is fed to the crushing plant via front end loader, where it first enters a jaw crusher. After crushing, a conveyor takes the ore to a screen deck, where the fine material is separated. Oversize ore is be recirculated through a cone crusher until it reaches the desired top size of 0.5 inches.

Ore from the crushed stockpile is then fed to the primary ball mill via conveyor belt, and typically averages 1.5 to 2.0 g/t Au. The ball mill is charged with 3 inch and 3.5 inch balls, and grinds material to a K80 of 150 micron. Material from the ball mill is pumped through a cyclone, where liberated material is fed into the flotation circuit via an overflow. Any coarse material is returned to the ball mill.

The flotation circuit at Pine Cove utilizes 3 rougher columns, 1 cleaner column, and 1 scavenger cell. PAX and Maxgold are introduced to the circuit as collectors, and MIBC as a frothing agent. Overflow material is sent to a thickener tank, typically at concentrations of 75-100 g/t Au. Tailings from the flotation circuit are pumped to the tailings pond via the final tailings pump. Flocculent is added to the thickener tank to increase the density of the slurry from 1300 kg/m3 to 1600 kg/m3.

The underflow from the thickener tank is pumped to a regrind mill, to further liberate the gold particles in preparation for the leaching process. The regrind mill is filled with half inch balls, and grinds material to a K80 of less than 20 micron. The discharge of the regrind mill is fed to the leaching circuit, which consists of 4 large tanks, where cyanide solution, lime, and lead nitrate are added. Leaching takes 36 hours on average, and yields upwards of 97% recovery of gold. Solution from the leach circuit is pumped to a series of rotary drum filters, which separate the solution containing the high grade gold from the solid leached tailings. The Leach Plant includes an Inco SO2/Air type cyanide detoxification circuit which treats the slurry prior to its discharge to the tailings management facility.

From the drums the pregnant solution is sent to a series of holding tanks, before eventually entering the Merrill Crowe tower. Zinc dust is added to the tower to precipitate the gold, which is then collected in a filter press. Tailings from the press are sent to the final tailings. Once a week, the press is opened to remove the solid gold so that it can be refined into a Dore bar.