Mining Intelligence and News
United States

Moss Expansion Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotOn March 18th, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management issued a Decision Record announcing the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act review of an expansion at Moss Mine. An Environmental Assessment (EA) was used to analyze the Company's Mine Plan of Operation (MPO) which resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Moss Mine incorporated Environmental Protection Measures into the MPO that protect natural resources and habitat and prevent impacts to BLM-administered public land. The permitting approval allows the Company to expand its current operations from its patented claims onto its surrounding unpatented claims on public lands. The expansion along with our recently announced resource update is expected to significantly extend the life of the Moss Mine.
Related AssetMoss

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Elevation Gold Mining Corp. 100 % Indirect
Golden Vertex Corp. (operator) 100 % Direct
Elevation Gold Mining Corp.’s primary project is the Moss Mine gold-silver deposit in Mohave County, Arizona which is operated by Golden Vertex.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Epithermal
  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The Moss deposit is a steeply dipping (average 70°) quartz-calcite vein and stockwork system, which extends over a strike length of approximately 1,400 m in the project area, but can be traced for more than 5.6 km in total length.

The Moss vein system is considered a high level, low-sulfidation (adularia-sericite) epithermal gold-silver deposit in the classification of Heald et al (1987) and White and Hedenquist (1995). Low sulfidation epithermal deposits form from hydrothermal waters in the relatively near-surface environment, typically within 1.5 km of the earth’s surface (Taylor, 2007). They are commonly found associated with magmatism and volcanism, but are somewhat distal (vertically or laterally) from the actual center of magmatism, in environments where meteroric waters have mixed with and diluted magmatic waters.

Epithermal deposits comprise one of three sub- types: high sulphidation; intermediate sulphidation; and low sulphidation. Each sub-type is identified by characteristic alteration and ore-stage mineral assemblages, occurrences, textures and suites of associated geochemical elements. The designation of high sulfidation vs low sulfidation is based on the sulfidation state of the ore-stage sulfide suite, not the abundance of sulfides in the ore. However, precious metals mineralization at Moss is characterized by a low sulfidation suite of minerals and a very low sulfide content (<1%) as well.

The quartz-calcite vein textures at Moss (massive, breccia, vuggy, colloform), are typical of low sulphidation epithermal veins. Gold occurs as very fine native gold and electrum, and silver typically occurs as electrum and very fine grained acanthite, similar to other low-sulfidation precious metals deposits.

The very low (usually trace) levels of base metals in the Moss ores are also consistent with high- level low-sulfidation gold deposits. Alteration related to main-stage precious metals mineralization is confined to silicification and minor sericitization of wallrock adjacent to the veins.

The Moss mineralization differs from typical low- sulfidation precious metals deposits in its lack of adularia (possibly present, but not yet positively identified) and lack of deleterious elements such as arsenic, antimony, and mercury.

The mineralogy of the Moss vein system is simple and the mineralization is nearly void of all deleterious elements. Key elements are:

- Gangue consists of quartz and calcite with minor fluorite locally occurring as late stage veins and vug fillings.

- Gold mineralization is predominantly in the form of very fine grained native gold and silver-rich native gold grading to electrum (an alloy of gold and silver with Ag:Au >1:5).

- Silver occurs as electrum and within the silver- rich gold. Minor native silver has also been identified. In addition, minor amounts of very fine grained, grey to black sulphides (dominantly acanthite, Ag2S) are present as disseminations and occasionally in very thin grey bands in unoxidized or weakly oxidized parts of the veins. The silver minerals bring the overall Ag:Au ratio of the deposit to approximately 8:1.

- Base metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) are very low, especially in the upper parts of the system, but show a slight increase with depth, consistent with low-sulfidation epithermal veins.

- No arsenic or antimony minerals occur.

- Mercury is negligible.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnitsLOM
Gold Payable metal koz 313
Gold Metal in doré koz 313
Silver Payable metal koz 2,960
Silver Metal in doré koz 2,975
Gold Equivalent Payable metal koz 360
Gold Equivalent Metal in doré koz 361

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily milling capacity 5,000 t *
Annual ore mining rate 1.9 Mt *
Stripping / waste ratio 1.85 *
Waste tonnes, LOM 31,601 kt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 17,083 kt *
Total tonnes mined, LOM 48,684 kt *
Tonnes milled, LOM 17,083 kt *
* According to 2017 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Gold Equivalent USD 527 / oz *  
Cash costs Gold Equivalent USD 418 / oz * **  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold Equivalent USD 603 / oz * **  
Assumed price Silver USD 20 / oz *  
Assumed price Gold USD 1,250 / oz *  
* According to 2017 study / presentation.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency2017
OP mining costs ($/t milled) USD 5.53 *  
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2017 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M USD 84.2
Refining costs $M USD  ......  Subscribe
G&A costs $M USD 13.3
Total OpEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Total Taxes $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net Income (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 0% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 5% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 0% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 5% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 21, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 21, 2023

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