The mineralization of the White Pine North Project is classified as a reduced facies stratiform sediment-hosted copper deposit.

Copper mineralization at the White Pine deposit occurs in two modes -- as very fine-grained sulfide (chalcocite) and as native copper. Sulfide mineralization is estimated to account for 85-90% of the copper in the deposit, but both modes of copper are intimately associated throughout the deposit. The copper mineralization at White Pine is unusually consistent. All drill holes within the deposit intercepted mineralized strata. Within the deposit, the grades of the mineralization are usually above cut-off grade over normal mining configurations. Most of the beds in the mineralized horizon are continuous over the entire deposit. The beds comprising the Parting Shale pinch out in the southwest part of the historic mine. The variation of the thickness of mineralized beds is also low from drill hole to drill hole.

Based on geotechnical information, White Pine mine history and mineralization geometry, an underground room-and-pillar method is selected for the White Pine North deposit. This mining method allows for both a good ore selectivity and productivity. However, a series of pillars are left in place to provide roof stability. The mining design was based on a mining rate of approximatively 5.4 Mt/yr. Historically the old White Pine Mine has reached the proposed mining rate. In addition, many assumptions are based on historical data from the old White Pine Mine.

The main conclusions on the mining and mineral reserve estimation are as follows:
- The production schedule is based on mining a fixed target of 5.4 Mt/yr. To achieve this annual production, seven to fourteen production panels must be in production simultaneously;
- The mining method consists of the extraction of a series of entries and cross cuts in the ore leaving pillars in place to support the back. The entries, cross cuts and pillars are sized using a geotechnical analysis of the rock, and experience from the old White Pine Mine with similar ground conditions.
- No geotechnical investigation has been conducted on the underground operations at White Pine North since the closure of the former White Pine Mine. The previous geotechnical work carried out during the operation of the old white pine mine was analyzed and it was used to produce this preliminary study. In addition, a back analysis of the old White Pine was done by Itasca at the beginning of the project;
- The Mineral Resource included in the mine plan comprises 122 Mt at a copper grade of 0.98%Cu and 11.8 g/t of silver and containing 2.67 billion pounds of copper and 46 M oz of silver;
- Mine equipment selection requires low-profile equipment. Drilling will be done with a low-profile hydraulic-electric jumbo with 2 booms, mucking with 10 t and ground support installed with 1-boom electric-hydraulic bolters. Material handling consists of twelve rock breaker loading stations that feed onto 42 in secondary conveyors located in the stopes which transfer to the main conveyors which transport the ore to the ore storage bins at surface;
- The mine will be accessed via an open box-cut to establish a portal at the mine entrance from surface. Only two drift are excavated from the portal for the first 35 m deep. Then 4 drift are excavated until the first ventilation raise located at a depth of 189 m. From this ventilation raise to the beginning of the West mine section, 6 parallel drift will be excavated to allow a high ventilation flow rate to the Mine. All drifts are set at a width of 6.1 m, and their height varies from a minimum of 3.5 m to a maximum of 6.1 m;
- To achieve and maintain an adequate level of production, the panel must contain at least 12 rooms (headings) in operation simultaneously. The mining cycle includes drilling, blasting, ore mucking, ore transportation to a rock breaker and the stope conveyor, scaling and finally ground support. The mining of the room will be done in two pass approach. In the first pass, larger pillars are left in place. Mining recovery of the first pass is 40%. Once the first is completed, the size of the pillars is reduced to an average mining recovery of 57%.

The process plant has been designed for a throughput of 15,000 tpd (dry). The overall flowsheet includes the following steps:
• Crushing, grinding and classification;
• Rougher flotation;
• Rougher concentrate regrinding;
• Cleaner flotation, using two stages of cleaning with flotation cells and columns;
• Concentrate thickening and filtration;
• Tailings pumping and disposal in the common Tailings Disposal Facility.