Gold mineralization in the Bell Creek area as occurring along selvages of quartz veins and wall rocks, in stylolitic fractures in quartz veins, in fine grained pyrite, and in association with amorphous carbon. High grade gold mineralization occurs within quartz veins contained in alteration zones. The alteration zones are characterized by carbonate, graphitic and amorphous carbon, fine grained pyrite, sericite, and/or paragonite and are enriched in Au, As, Bi, and W. This style of alteration is referred to by mine geologists as “grey zones” and is an exploration target in Hoyle Township.

The Bell Creek mineralization differs in style from many deposits in the Porcupine Mining camp in being composed largely of disseminated pyrite-pyrrhotite-related mineralization; slightly younger gold-bearing quartz veins may be present but are not predominant.  This style of mineralization occurs in the deeper parts of the Dome Mine and in the Rusk Zone at the Timmins West mine, but is more common to the east, in the Holloway-Holt McDermott area and at the Larder Lake, where pyritic mineralization is often termed “flow ore” (Rhys 2012).

The primary access at the Bell Creek Mine is via a portal and main ramp from surface. Personnel, materials, and ore and waste rock are transferred to/from the surface via a main ramp that is 5 metres wide x 5 metres high. All active production levels in the mine are accessed from the ramp system. Secondary access/egress is through a manway in a historic shaft that extends approximately 300 metres from the surface.

Narrow vein longitudinal longhole stoping with unconsolidated rock fill is the primary mining method used at the Bell Creek Mine. Sublevels are established at 15 to 20 metre vertical intervals. On each sublevel, the resource is typically accessed near the center of the deposit (along strike) with stope undercut and overcut sills developed along the eastern and western extents of the ore. Stope lengths are generally 20 metres along strike. Longitudinal mining retreats from the furthest stope from the access, toward the initial access point.

In 2017, the average mining rate at the Bell Creek Mine was approximately 960 tonnes of ore per day.

In 2017,the Company initiated rehabilitation of the existing shaft and began extending the shaft from the 300 metre depth to the 1080 metre level elevation. The shaft will be equipped to hoist both ore and waste and is expected to double the existing production capacity of the mine, extend the mine life and allow for accelerated delineation of the deep resources as well as exploration at depth.

Ore from the Bell Creek Mine is milled at the Bell Creek Mill. The processing plant consists of a one-stage crushing circuit, ore storage dome, one-stage grinding circuit with gravity recovery, followed by pre-oxidation and cyanidation of the slurry with carbon-in-leach (CIL) and carbon-in-pulp (CIP) recovery. Recovery of the gold from the carbon is a batch process where the carbon is stripped, cleaned with acid, reactivated in a kiln and reused in the circuit.

The loaded solution from the strip circuit is passed through two electro-winning cells in the refinery where the gold collects on the cathodes in a sludge form. The cells are washed weekly and the sludge is collected in filter bags and dried. The dried sludge is then mixed with reagents and melted in an induction furnace with gold bullion bars poured when the melt is completed.

The gravity gold material collected from the Knelson concentrator is transferred to the refinery and a gravity table is used to increase the gold content. The concentrate is then dried, reagents are added and the material is melted in the induction furnace. The gravity concentrate and the CIP gold sludge are melted separately due to the differing amounts of reagents used in each, and to more accurately determine recoveries in each circuit.

The Bell Creek Mill continues to meet or exceed the Company’s expectations regarding throughput and metal recovery. The Bell Creek Mill is permitted to 5,500 tonnes per day.