The Project includes the Box and Athona gold deposits, as well as other gold occurrences discovered during historical exploration. Deposit Type The Box and Athona gold mineralization shows many characteristics which support their classification as orogenic gold deposits. These include a regional association with an orogenic fold belt (Trans-Hudson Orogen), quartz-vein or fracture dominated ore systems within a brittle structural regime, and association with sulphides (albeit very low levels 0.5%). A distinctive first-order, deep-crustal structure is not obviously apparent at Goldfields, however the Black Bay fault provides a possible candidate that may have acted as the primary fluid pathway (pers. comm. R. Uken). The alteration assemblage at Box and Athona is atypical for orogenic gold deposits which may suggest the deposits represent a hybrid model. Yule et al. (2016) proposed the deposits closely resemble an oxidized intrusion-related (porphyry) gold setting which was largely based on the interpretation that veining was coeval with emplacement/formation of the Mine Granites, and the alteration zonation observed is typical of gold-rich porphyry style deposits. Recent petrographic study (SRK, 2021b) indicates the gold mineralization is epigenetic, post-dating the mine granites and an earlier hematite alteration event. This conclusion is supported by a structural analysis of the Box deposit by Roberts (1988) that demonstrated that the mineralized vein system was emplaced dur ........

The open pit activities are designed for approximately ten years of operation. Mine planning is based on conventional open pit methods suited for the project location and local site requirements.

The Box deposit is split into three phases, and the Athona deposit is split into two phases. Pit designs are configured on 5 m bench heights, with 8 m wide berms placed every four benches, or quadruple benching. Two unique geotechnical zones are included for the Box pit, with unique bench face angles, and subsequent inter-ramp angles; the Athona pit assumes only one set of criteria for all its pit walls.

The mill will be fed with material from the pits at an average rate of 2.7 Mtpa (7.5 kt/d). Waste rock will be placed in one of three identified WRSF (waste rock storage facilities), one north of the Athona pit (“Athona WRSF”), one within the Vic Lake historical TSF footprint directly west of the Box pit (“WRSF-1”) and one north of the processing facilities and east of the tailings storage facility (“Box Main WRSF”). Waste rock will also be used for construction of the haul roads and the tailings dam north of the process facilities. Topsoil and overburden encountered at the top of the pits will be placed in a dedicated area of the Box Main WRSF and kept salvageable for closure at the end of the mine life. Cut-off grade optimization is employed, which feeds low grade stockpiles adjacent to the ROM pad and the Box Main WRSF. These stockpiles are planned for reclam ........

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.