The mineral deposits along the Carlin Trend form a suite of deposits known as Carlin-type. Carlin deposits comprise stratabound disseminated gold mineralization hosted by Silurian-Devonian carbonate rocks that have been metamorphosed to varying extents. The deposits are hydrothermal in origin and are usually structurally controlled.

The gold deposits at the Tri-Star complex (formerly Genesis) are developed along the Tuscarora, Turquoise, and Ridge anticlines within the Lynn Window. They occur over an area of about 3.2 kilometres long by 1.9 kilometres wide. The Silverstar deposit occurs in the hinge of the Tuscarora anticline whereas the Bluestar Point, Bobstar, Goldstar, and Payraise deposits occur on the more western anticlines. The anticlines are intruded in the north by the 158 Ma Goldstrike intrusion, a thick composite diorite–granodiorite sill complex.

Five major lithologic units are recognized in the Tri-Star deposit from surface mapping and drill hole logging: Tertiary Carlin, Devonian Rodeo Creek, Devonian Popovich, Silurian Roberts Mountains, and Ordovician Hanson Creek Formations.

Mineralization is preferentially developed in laminated silty limestone and bioclastic debris flows of the Popovich and Roberts Mountains Formations, but locally can also occur in contact metamorphosed calc-silicate hornfels, Rodeo Creek Formation siliceous mudstone, siltstone and calcarenite, Vinini Formation mudstone/quartz hornfels, and fractured Goldstrike intrusive margins. Gold deposits generally occur where mineralizing fluids exploited thrust faults, conjugate northwestand northeast-striking normal faults, and anticline hinge zones. The deposits have dimensions that range from about 183 to 457 metres by 61 to 183 metres. Mineralization can be stratabound locally but is typically discordant to the formations along faults with thicknesses ranging from 15 metres to 91 metres.

The Carlin Complex has three major open pit operations including Goldstrike, Gold Quarry and Goldstar (Part of Tri-Star (Genesis)). All three are truck and shovel operations. Blasting is required and blast patterns are laid out according to material type using rock type designations of hard, average, soft, or combinations of all three. The pit design varies between 6.1 metre to 12.2 metre (20 to 40 ft) benches and, where possible, up to 18.3 metre (60 ft) benches in the ore, though mined in 6.1 metre (20 ft) cuts. Slopes vary based on location.

The Mill 5 facility uses a combination of flotation and cyanide leaching to recover gold. The basic steps are as follows:

• Crushing and grinding where ore is ground to the appropriate particle size, usually about 65% -200 mesh;
• Conditioning with a mixture of chemicals to provide for air bubble attachment to pyrite, arsenian pyrite, and arsenopyrite particles while minimizing bubble attachment to gangue minerals such as silica or calcite;
• Froth flotation where the pyrite, arsenian pyrite, and arsenopyrite are floated into a concentrate by sparging air into the conditioned slurry;
• Concentrate is thickened and filtered so that it can be further processed through a separate oxidizing facility such as the Mill 6 roaster or the Sage autoclave;
• Residual gangue or flotation tailings contain sufficient residual gold to warrant CIL processing;
• CIL processing involves leaching of the slurry with cyanide to dissolve the gold and then adsorb the gold o ........