Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 12.5 years (as of Jan 1, 2021) |
Progress has been made on the construction and installation of the new fixed crushing unit and it is expected to be operational by September 2022. This is the first major equipment installation for the fresh rock phase, and it will also allow the Company to drive higher crushing rates in the remaining oxide phase with ample excess capacity in the plant. The boiler house for winter leaching and production is complete and operational. |
Source:
p. 8
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Epithermal
Summary:
The ATO (Altan Tsagaan Ovoo) is an epithermal gold and polymetallic deposit of transitional sulfides in breccia pipes in a Mesozoic continental rift zone.
Three mineralized pipes at ATO (Pipe 1, 2, and 4) have been emplaced into stratified rocks as young as presumably Early to Middle Jurassic. Pipe 4 is mainly concealed. Pipe 3 contains abundant pyrite, but no significant amounts of Au, Ag, Pb, and Zn. There is a strong Au anomaly in soil at TO, as well as other accompanying metals, particularly Pb. In the aeromagnetic field, only post-mineral young dikes have a prominent positive response; much weaker responses outline some ring-shaped features. ATO resides near the center of the latter. Sinter and silicified rocks are reflected as shallow resistivity anomalies, but broad clay and chlorite-altered rocks are characterized by low resistivity. The pipes coincide with chargeability anomalies that overall really are quite weak.
An upper zone of Au-Pb-ZnAg mineralized rock at Pipe 1 is approximately oval in shape and is about 320 m wide. Pipe 2 is elongate to the NE and is approximately 320 m by 160 m in maximum dimension. Pipe 4, which is completely concealed, also is elongate to the NE and is about 400 m by 200 m. The pipes taper slightly with depth and have a carrot-shaped configuration, narrowing gradually to depths of approximately 200 m.
The deepest hole into Pipe 1, inclined 60 degrees, is about 700 m. Silica cap rock has a variable thi ........

Summary:
The ATO mine is an open-pit truck and shovel operation. The truck and shovel method provides reasonable cost benefits and selectivity for this type of deposit. Only open-pit mining methods are considered for mining at ATO.
Pit designs were created to use 5.0 meters benches for mining. Slope parameters were applied as up to 50-degree inter-ramp slope angles; up to 70 degree bench face angles. Ramps were designed to have a maximum centerline gradient of 10%. Design criteria accounts for 3.5 times the width of the truck for running room in areas using twoway traffic. For roads designed outside of the pit, and additional safety berm is accounted for in the road widths. The ultimate pit is separates 3 small mines. Based on a resource block size of 5 m by 5 m by 2.5 blocks, ore loss and dilution was assumed not more than 3% and 2%.
The waste dump is designed as a flat surface extending through the valley to the north. The dump height is not expected to exceed 10 m between the dumping crest to the underlying topography. Waste material is dumped against a berm on the dump face, and dozers are used to maintain the dumping face.
The waste dump has a total capacity of more than 20 million tons of the required 2,846 thousand tons of waste, though there is suitable space to expand the dump to the north or upward.
The final production schedule uses trucks and shovels as required to produce the ore to be fed into the process plant.
Source:

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Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Reserves at June 30, 2021:
The open pit mineral reserves are estimated using a cut-off grade of 0.42 g/t AuEq for oxide material and 0.45 g/t AuEq for transition and fresh material.
Mineral Resource Estimate cut-offs: Oxide 0.15 g/t AuEq, Transitional 0.40 g/t AuEq, Fresh 0.40 g/t AuEq.
Bulk densities applied by oxidation level were: Oxide 2.46 t/m³, Transitional 2.59 t/m³, Fresh 2.64 t/m³.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Gold
|
1.14 g/t
|
968 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Silver
|
11.18 g/t
|
9,491 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Lead
|
0.46 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Zinc
|
0.78 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
26,404 kt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.86 g/t
|
1,579 koz
|
Measured
|
23.9 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.18 g/t
|
907 koz
|
Measured
|
23.9 Mt
|
Silver
|
15.95 g/t
|
12,274 koz
|
Measured
|
23.9 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.41 %
|
|
Measured
|
23.9 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.66 %
|
|
Measured
|
23.9 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.84 g/t
|
1,419 koz
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.85 g/t
|
483 koz
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Silver
|
14.44 g/t
|
8,206 koz
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.34 %
|
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.6 %
|
|
Indicated
|
17.7 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.44 g/t
|
819 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.04 g/t
|
1,390 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Silver
|
15.31 g/t
|
20,479 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.38 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.63 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.67 g/t
|
2,238 koz
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.62 g/t
|
113 koz
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Silver
|
15.13 g/t
|
2,732 koz
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Lead
|
0.25 %
|
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Zinc
|
0.5 %
|
|
Inferred
|
5.6 Mt
|
Gold Equivalent
|
1.15 g/t
|
208 koz
|
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