The mineralization at the Gold Road Mine consists of quartz-calcite-adularia veins within the northwesttrending Gold Road fault zone. The fault zone can be over 150 ft (46 m) wide and quartz vein(s) may occupy one or more strands within the structure. Vein strands usually occupy the footwall, hanging wall or a central portion of the structure, but strands may occur in two or all three of these positions within the same area. Where the fault zone is narrow (such as areas within the Gold Road latite) vein material may occupy the entire structure.

The “main” Gold Road vein occupies a strong fault fissure, typical of the district. This structure was formed by several separate movements before, during and after gold mineralization. The strike of the sinuous vein varies from N50°W to N66°W and generally dips 65° to 85° to the northeast, though locally the vein can be vertical or dip steeply to the southwest. The vein system crops out continuously for about 7,500 ft (2,286 m) on the Property, including a segment that is in ore grade mineralization on the surface for over a mile (1,524 m). Most of the ore has been mined in wide lenses within dilatant zones of the vein structure. The wider dilatant zones of the vein may be related to areas of north- to northeast-curving concavity along the sinuous normal fault.

The character of the Gold Road vein varies considerably along its vertical extent. In the lowest stratigraphic exposures, the vein consists of fine-gr ........

The historic operations, which utilized shrinkage stope mining, were reviewed with added consideration to operating areas that could be potentially improved. The excellent ground conditions and steeply dipping ore offered the availability of alternative mining methods that were suggested. Historically long hole stoping and a modified Alimak raise mining method were used with less than favorable results, higher than expected dilution, higher operating costs and less productivity. The RPM review and discussion for the Shrinkage Stoping Mining (SSM) and the Raise Access Mining (RAM) methods mining method is as follows.

RPM is of the opinion that RAM should be the preferred underground mining method for the following reasons:
- Limited to no exposure of the miners to unsupported ground due to the protection offered by the raise climber;
- Limited ground control costs – only required during the raise mining phase;
- Reduced development costs since the raise is developed in ore.

The typical RAM stope will be a total of 60 ft. along strike, 200 ft high along dip and have an average mining width of 5.5 ft. This typical ore block represents 4,900 tons of material with a nominal gold grade of 0.19 opt using the calculated dilution factor of 14%.

A review of continuing to use conventional shrink stope mining was completed by RPM. The method is well known and has been used historically for many years including at the Gold Road mine. The f ........

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