The Point Rousse Complex is host to orogenic style gold mineralization. Mineralization comprises both vein-hosted and altered-wall rock or replacement styles of mineralization and both exhibit features common to orogenic gold deposits. The mineralization is typically structurally controlled and developed within subsidiary deformation zones, such as the Scrape Trust Fault, to major regional structures, like the Baie Verte – Brompton Line fault. Gold mineralization is intimately associated with disseminated and massive pyrite within the host rock indicating that iron rich rocks are an important precursor to mineralization. Alteration within mafic volcanic and gabbroic rocks can be is characterized by albitization and carbonitization. Iron and titanium rich lithologies associated with the Scrape Thrust are typical host rocks.

The Point Rousse gold mineralization exhibits relatively narrow, but distinctive alteration haloes dominated by Fe-carbonate, albite, sericite, chlorite and leucoxene (Plate 9). The ore mineralogy is relatively simple and is generally comprised of non-refractory gold either as free gold or as coatings on, or along fractures/grain boundaries in pyrite. Silver and base metals can be present in minor amounts and the deposits typically exhibit only trace arsenic.

The Project covers three prospective gold trends: the Scrape Trend, the Goldenville Trend and the Deer Cove Trend. These trends have approximately 20 km of cumulative strike length and include three deposits and numerous prospects and showings all located within 8 km of the Pine Cove Mine and Mill.

The Scrape Trend consists of a prospective belt of rocks approximately 7 km long and 1 km wide.

Mineralization within the Scrape Trend is typical of orogenic greenstone-hosted gold. The fault, where observed is not mineralized, but secondary structures adjacent to the fault zone can host gold, such as the deformation zone which hosts the Pine Cove Deposit as well as the structures hosting the Stog’er Tight Deposit.

The geological setting of the Pine Cove Mine area is characterized by greenschist facies mafic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rocks and minor iron formation; part of the Snooks Arm Group.

Mineralization is associated with a broad alteration envelope characterized by broad zones of very fine-grained calcite and chlorite. Proximal to mineralization fine wispy orange-brown leucoxene is common in intrusive rocks and is either chaotically oriented or rotated and flattened parallel to the foliation. Where alteration is most intense, and gold mineralization occurs, iron-carbonate is pervasive, variably developed, brecciated, quartz-veins and quartz-carbonate veins are observed as well as albite (Plate 3). Pyrite is part of the alteration assemblage and intimately associated with gold mineralization.

Pyrite occurs marginal to the quartz veins, disseminated within wall rock fragments incorporated in the veins, and as minor disseminated pyrite within the quartz veins. The gold concentrations are directly related to pyrite content. The gold occurs as small disseminated grains (ranging from 1 to 50 microns) within pyrite, quartz veins and as thin stringers.

The Stog’er Tight area is host to several gold prospects including the; Stog’er Tight Deposit and its East and West extensions, the Gabbro, Gabbro East, Gabbro West, South and Cliff zones, The geological setting of the Stog’er Tight area is characterized by volcaniclastic, sedimentary and intrusive rocks, which form part of the cover sequence of Snooks Arm Group.

The gold within the Stog’er Tight Deposit occurs as fine-grained (<.05 mm) micro veinlets and disseminated blebs within the coarse pyrite aggregates. Visible gold was observed as rare very delicate flakes localized within weathered-out pyrite cubes and in narrow quartz veins. Generally, higher grades are associated with coarse mottled pyrite.

The Argyle Deposit is underlain by mafic volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Scrape Point and Bobby Cove Formations of the Snooks Arm Group. The main lithological units consist of clinopyroxene-phyric lapilli and crystal tuff, ash tuff, and massive flows with interbedded green mudstones. The sequence is cut by gabbroic sills and dykes of variable grain size, composition, and thickness. The gabbro is interpreted to belong to a suite of Ordovician aged intrusive rocks that are similar in age (ca. 483 Ma) to that previously dated by Ramezani (1992) from the nearby Stog’er Tight Deposit. Rock units in the area generally dip towards the north-northwest and are east-west to northeast striking. The rocks are variably deformed, with foliation intensity varying from weakly developed to proto-mylonitic. The Argyle Deposit is located in the hanging wall of the nearby Scrape Thrust that outcrops along the highway 200-300 m to the south.

The gabbro is magnetic and contains discrete zones of magnetite destruction associated with zones of hydrothermal alteration and gold mineralization. The zone of hydrothermal alteration is centered within the host gabbro, is broadly symmetrical, and can be classified into four subzones. The subzones are differentiated and proceeded in terms of alteration intensity and proximity to ore. From distal to proximal these include: 1) patchy epidote-albite-magnetite; 2) epidote-albite-chlorite 3) epidote-albite-chloriterutile (leucoxene); 4) pervasive albite muscovite-Fe-carbonate-black chlorite ± pyrite ± gold and quartz veins. Zone four is typically the host gold mineralization. Gold is intimately associated with pyrite, generally residing on pyrite grain margins and along fractures within pyrite. In general, the alteration zone is typically between 5-40 m thick (Copeland et al., 2017).

The zone of mineralization defined to date has a current strike length of 685 m and has been defined down-dip for 225 metres.

The Romeo and Juliet Prospect is underlain by a sequence of relatively unreformed, massive fine grained, locally vesicular pillow basalts which form part of the Snooks Arm Group. Fine-grained, mafic volcanic and gabbroic intrusive rocks host the veins. The prospect consists of three northeast aligned quartz veined zones up to 1 to 2 m thick, exposed over 300 m, striking 30° and dipping 60°. The veins are spatially associated with a north-northeast-trending topographic lineament that continues for several kilometres to the north. The Balcony Zone is located near the centre of the exposed veins at depth. It consists of a zone of disseminated pyrite and associated gold mineralization that appears to be specially associated
with a northeast trending lineament that cross-cuts the vein and is associated with a gabbro. Mineralization has been traced for approximately 100 m and is open to the east, west and down dip. gold is associated with an altered pyritic mafic dyke, which is different from the Romeo and Juliet massive quartz vein hosted-style of gold mineralization.

Point Rousse is comprised of the Argyle Gold Mine, the Stog'er Tight deposit, the fully permitted Pine Cove Mill, a 7-million tonne capacity tailings facility, and a deep-water port.

In 2021, the Point Rousse mine operations will be exclusively focused on production from the Argyle Mine, which together with existing stockpiles will contribute approximately 70% of mill throughput in the upcoming year, with mill throughput supplemented by Pine Cove and marginal stockpiles.

Total gold ounces mined over the 22-month life of mine is expected to be 35,477 ounces at an average grade of 2.06 g/t gold from 535,592 tonnes of ore mined. It is expected that Argyle ore will be mined using conventional open pit mining methods with waste rock being stored locally at site and ore being transported by truck to the Pine Cove Mill. Total mined waste tonnes are 4,346,119 tonnes at an average strip ratio of 8.1 waste tonnes to one ore tonne. Inferred Mineral Resource within and adjacent to the current pit design will be assessed for conversion to Indicated Mineral Resource as mining progresses.

The Project is being developed as a conventional open pit operation with associated waste rock storage areas and ore stockpiles. The cumulative total area, at surface, of approximately 37.5 hectares when production is complete.

The design/selection process for pit optimization was based on five-meter contour intervals. The benches were quadrupled to a final height of 20 m with berm widths of 8 metres and a batter (bench face) angle of 75 degrees. Some bench heights were reduced to 5 and 10 metresto accommodate localized pit bottom access as well as for minimizing incurred waste tonnage while accessing shallower dipping ore zones. The general design characteristics of the pits at The Project are based on previous experience using similar parameters at Pine Cove and Stog’er Tight operations.

The main access ramps are designed at a -10% gradient to accommodate articulated haul trucks. The width of these ramps is designed at 15 metres to facilitate two-way truck traffic for the majority of the driving surfaces, assuming that the production haulage truck would be a 410E John Deere ADT unit with a 40-tonne capacity. Final pit bottom access ramps (final 40m of depth) are designed at a gradient of – 10% and a width of 10 metres to accommodate one-way traffic. This method was used at Pine Cove and Stog’er Tight operations and proved to be effective.

Ore is fed to the crushing plant via front end loader, where it first enters a jaw crusher. After crushing, a conveyor takes the ore to a screen deck, where the fine material is separated. Oversize ore is recirculated through a cone crusher until it reaches the desired top size of 3/8 inches.

Ore from the crushed stockpile is then fed to the primary ball mill via conveyor belt, and typically averages 1.0 to 2.0 g/t gold. The ball mill is charged with 2 inch and 3 inch balls, and grinds material to a K80 of 150 micron. Material from the ball mill is pumped through a cyclone, where liberated material is fed into the flotation circuit via an overflow. Any coarse material is returned to the ball mill.

The Pine Cove Mill operates as a grind/flotation circuit followed by leaching. Comminution is via a two-stage crushing plant followed by a 10 ft by 14 ft primary ball mill, which processes an average of 1,340 tonnes per day of ore. Cyclone overflow feeds the flotation circuit, with 3 column cells for roughing, 1 scavenger/staged reactor cell, and one cleaner cell. The concentrator has a flotation circuit which produces a gold-pyrite concentrate that advances to the leach circuit. Mass concentration is typically 2-4%, with a recovery of 92-93%. Flotation concentrate is thickened in a 4.5 m diameter thickener and reground in a 5.5 ft diameter ball mill down to a P80 of 20 microns. Leaching is conducted in a series of four 70 m3, mechanically-agitated leach tanks. Two drum filters and a Merrill Crowe circuit are used for gold recovery from the pregnant solution.

The mill process at the Pine Cove site consists of 6 major systems: crushing, grinding, flotation, leaching, drum fi ........