The Tom and Jason deposits are examples of stratiform, strata-bound sediment-hosted, exhalative (“SEDEX”) zinc-lead-silver-barite deposits (Goodfellow et al., 1993; Leach et al., 2005; Goodfellow et al., 2007; Goodfellow, 2007).

Zinc-lead-silver-barite mineralisation at the Tom deposit varies from well laminated and stratiform (parallel to sedimentary layering) to a brecciated stockwork zone adjacent to the Tom normal fault. The Tom West and Tom East zones, both of which are exposed at surface, are interpreted to have formed one continuous strata-bound controlled lens prior to folding and faulting of the Tom Sequence, whereas the Southeast Zone is interpreted to have formed in a separate sub-basin to the main graben structure hosting the Tom West and Tom East zones (Goodfellow, 1991). All three zones have been affected by folding, with evidence for the possible development of a crenulation cleavage as opposed to the chaotic folding of laminae due to soft-sediment deformation. Ferroan carbonate alteration and quartz veining are common in footwall conglomerates near vent facies at Tom West.

The Tom West Zone dips 60° to the southwest, has a strike extent of approximately 1 km and extends up to 400 m down dip. It is about 40 m thick at its widest point and breaks into two discrete layers in the centre at depth. Contacts vary from transition over <1 m or are faulted and abrupt. The highest-grade portion of the Tom West Zone occurs along the southern and near surface portion of the zone where Pb+Zn grades exceed 10% with elevated silver. The Tom West Zone hosts the bulk of the resource at the Tom deposit.

The Tom West Zone can be divided into a series of mineralization facies (after Goodfellow, 1991; 2007) consisting of:
• Vent facies – Stockwork of pyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, with minor chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite and tetrahedrite with a gangue of ferroan carbonates, quartz and barite subdivided into five types, including an upper high-grade zone with 15–30% Pb+Zn, Ag between 150 g/t and 200 g/t and a low Zn/(Zn+Pb) ratio.
• Pink facies – Interbedded barite, chert, cream-coloured sphalerite, fine grained pyrite and black Bacarbonate, overprinted by pink and yellow sphalerite resulting in locally high grades in the range of 10–30% combined Pb and Zn.
• Gray facies – Interbedded pink sphalerite, fine grained galena and pyrite, white to pale gray barite, pale grey chert and grey to white Ba-carbonate/Ba-feldspar, typically with grades in the range of 4–5% Pb+Zn with negligible Ag.
• Black facies – Black mudstone and chert interbedded with barite, witherite (Ba-carbonate) and finegrained sphalerite, galena and pyrite, typically with grades in the 4–10% Pb+Zn range and a high Zn/(Pb+Zn) ratio.

The Tom East Zone occurs near the hinge of the anticline that has folded the originally planar deposit, and which plunges northward in this area. It consists of interbedded high-grade sphalerite, galena, barite and chert thought to have formed within the same stratigraphic interval as Tom West (McClay and Bidwell, 1986).

The Tom Southeast Zone is not exposed at surface, and consists of a tabular, stratiform body 0.5 m to 6 m thick with a strike length of approximately 400 m and a down-dip extension of at least 350 m dipping 60–70° to the east. It is located near the nose of the southeast-plunging Tom anticline on its eastern limb. Mineralisation consists of finely laminated sphalerite, galena, pyrite and black cherty mudstone (Goodfellow, 1991).

The Jason Main Zone is located on the northern limb of the east-plunging Jason syncline, while the Jason South Zone occurs on the southern limb. The South Zone consists of two separate horizons whereas the Main zone is defined by a single horizon. These two separate zones are likely connected through the hinge of a syncline, but this has yet to be demonstrated through drilling. These horizons can be divided into several distinct mineralisation facies (zones), including (after Turner, 1991):
• Pb-Zn-Fe sulphide facies – Massive, banded sphalerite-galena and galena-pyrite overlain by debris flow deposits containing clasts of earlier deposited massive sulphides.
• Barite-sulphide facies – Interbedded fine-grained sphalerite, galena, barite, chert and ferroan carbonate forming the bulk of the mineralisation at Jason.
• Quartz-sulphide facies – Interbedded sphalerite, pyrite, quartz and carbonaceous chert with quartzcelsian (barium feldspar) bands in the lower lens.
• Massive pyrite facies – Massive pyrite beds interbedded with sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and quartz located near the Jason Fault.
• Ferroan carbonate facies – Massive beds of siderite and ankerite up to several metres across with irregularly distributed galena, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, quartz, muscovite and pyrobitumen; spatially associated with a breccia pipe.

Initial material will be recovered at a rate of about 5,000 tonnes per day by conventional truck and shovel surface mining from both the Tom and Jason deposits. During the third year, production will transition to underground mining using Avoca-style sub-level retreat longhole (LH) stoping, vertical crater retreat (VCR) and alimak stoping. Stopes will be filled with a combination of waste rock and paste and cemented rock fill.

Open pit mining accounts for 13% or 4.2M tonnes of the total 32.7M tonnes of material mined and processed. VCR and LH methods account for 75% of the material mined and processed by underground methods.

Mining recovery and dilution factors were applied by mining method. Average open pit mining recovery and dilution were 95% and 10% respectively. Average underground mining recovery and dilution were 92% and 21% respectively.

Existing surface roads and underground development will be rehabilitated and utilized as part of the mine plan. Mine access portals at multiple elevations are planned to maximize natural ventilation and dewatering of underground operations. Open pits have been designed to maintain safe working distance from all major water ways.

Diesel powered mobile equipment would be used to conduct all open pit and underground mining activities. Underground crushing and conveying would provide low cost mineral transport from the Tom deposit, while the Jason mine being further from the mill site would utilize truck transport.

The Fireweed Zinc Macmillan Pass Project has identified two similar Pb/Zn/Ag deposits, Tom and Jason. The recent metallurgical test program BL0236 completed at Base Metallurgical Labs in Kamloops, BC, summarized in Section 13, has demonstrated that standard Pb and Zn sequential flotation will yield an overall Pb recovery of 75%, at a concentrate grade of 62% Pb, and a Zn recovery of 89%, at a concentrate grade of 58% Zn (BL0236-LCT45). Results from this test program were used to develop the corresponding process design criteria, mass balance, mechanical equipment list, flowsheet and operating costs.

The process plant will include:
• Primary crushing;
• Semi-Autogenous Grinding (SAG) mill operating in open circuit;
• Ball mill grinding in reverse closed-circuit with cyclones;
• Sequential Pb and Zn flotation circuits, each incorporating conventional and column flotation, regrind and three cleaning stages;
• Concentrate dewatering circuits using thickeners and pressure filters;
• Concentrate storage and load-out facilities; and • Pumping and storage of slurry tailings.

The processing facilities will consist of the following unit operations:

• Two jaw crusher circuits - A vibrating grizzly feeder and jaw crusher in open circuit, producing a final product P80 of 110 mm;

• Primary Grinding – A SAG mill in open circuit, producing a T80 transfer size of approximately 1,000 µm;

• Secondary Grinding – A ball mill in reverse closed circuit with a cluster of hydrocyclones, producing a final target product size P80 of 50 µm;

• Pb Flotation – Rougher and cleaner flotation to produce a saleable Pb concentrate;

• Pb Rougher Concentrate Regrind – A stirred regrind mill in open circuit, reducing Pb rougher concentrate to a P80 of 15 µm;

• Pb Concentrate Dewatering – A 7 m diameter high- rate thickener to achieve an underflow solids density of 55%, and a pressure filter to reduce the concentrate to a final moisture content of 8%;

• Zn Flotation – Rougher and cleaner flotation to produce a saleable Zn concentrate;

• Zn Rougher Concentrate Regrind – A stirred regrind mill in open circuit, reducing Zn rougher concentrate to a P80 of 25 µm;

• Zn Concentrate Dewatering – A 12 m diameter high-rate thickener to achieve an underflow solids density of 55%, and a pressure filter to reduce the concentrate to a final moisture content of 8%; and

• Final Tailings – pumping and slurry storage in the tailings facility.