2019 Mining special publication by Nevada News Group/ Winnemucca Publishing

MINING 2019 EDITION

WHAT YOU NEED WHEN YOU NEED IT From drills and wastewater treatment to wheel loaders and service, Cashman Equipment has all the products, people, and service you need in Northern Nevada. With local stores and local support, we are ready to help you get the job done, whether it’s on a remote mine or on a construction site near town. We’ve got what you need, when you need it, wherever you are.

TOGETHER, LET’S GET THE JOB DONE.

1.800.937.2326

WWW.CASHMANEQUIPMENT.COM © 2019 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow,” the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

MINING

On the cover —

2019

a publication of Winnemucca Publishing Publisher: Peter Bernhard Special Projects Director: Samantha Andersen Writers: Debra Reid Peggy Jones Ashley Maden Michelle Cook Advertising Sales: Rhonda Coleman Bobbie Sakurada Jacklyn Orr Ashley Buckingham Advertising Design: Joe Plummer Emily Swindle

Relief Canyon mine aiming for reopening Photo by Debra Reid, Winnemucca Publishing

More than six years after acquiring the Relief Canyon Mine, the Pershing Gold Corporation may be on the verge of reopening the gold mine sometime this year. Above, an AK Drilling crew prepares for exploratory drilling near the pits at the mine. See the story beginning on Page 6

In this issue —

Nevada Mining Association announces 2019 Safety Awards Recipients Nevada Mining Association �� Page 4

Coeur expands technological reach By Peggy Jones �� Page 6

Renewable energy a greenlight for mining industry By Michelle Cook �� Page 16

New process aids in sulfur oxidation for Hycroft Mine By Ashley Maden �� Page 26

Relief Canyon Mine construction underway By Debra Reid �� Page 36

1022 S. Grass Valley Road, Winnemucca, Nev. 89445 (775) 623-5011

Nevada Gold Mines launched Nevada Mining Association �� Page 42

2019 Safety Awards

Recipients showcase an industry-wide commitment to safe mining operations Nevada Mining Association

About Nevada Mining Association

The Nevada Mining Association The Nevada Mining Association is comprised of operating mining companies; explo(NvMA) is pleased to announce the ration companies; suppliers of industry equipment, goods, and services; and individuals recipients of its 2019 Individual Safety interested in sustaining the industry. The Nevada Mining Association champions a Awards. The awards celebrate the men business environment that fosters mineral exploration, development, and production and women who make an extraordiin Nevada using safe and environmentally conscious methods. For more information, nary effort to ensure all mine workers visit www.nevadamining.org. return home safely after every shift. Stay up to date with all Nevada Mining Association activities on Facebook, Twitter, Awards will be presented during the Instagram, and YouTube pages. NvMA’s 41st annual convention in September. “Safety is the number one prioriSuperintendent: Randy Walund – Long Canyon Mine ty for the Nevada mining industry,” Scot Cochrane – Robinson Mine Safety Professional: said Dana Bennett, NvMA president. David Bice – Turquoise Ridge Mine Chuck Pollard – Goldstrike Opera“These awards reflect that commitment Alicia Davis – Goldstrike Operations tions and demonstrate the dedication of all Jessica Francisco – Cortez District John West – Twin Creeks UnderNevada miners to ensuring that their Gary Svoboda – Round Mountain ground Mine colleagues return home safe and healthy every day. Congratulations to these General Supervisor: Supervisor (15 or more employees): distinguished award winners who work Daniel Adams – Cortez District Steve Bean – Marigold Mine hard to make mining one of the safest Daniel Buelna – Round Mountain Spencer Colby – Exodus Mine industries in Nevada.” Salvador Perez – Twin Creeks Mine Marty Kelley – Marigold Mine The NvMA Safety Awards are based Kelsey Plummer – Twin Creeks Mine John Rice – Twin Creeks Mine on performance in the previous calRodney Sample – Marigold Mine Jamie Russette – Cortez District endar year, and the winners are choBrian Sisk – Genesis Mine sen by their peers. At NvMA’s annual Matt Wilson – Cortez District convention, 52 individual miners will Safety Champions: be recognized for their dedication to Supervisor (14 or fewer employees): Chad Anderson – Genesis Mine best practices in safety standards and Don Childs – Colado Mine Judy Bowman – Round Mountain for their impressive accomplishments Jason Jones – Twin Creeks Mine Mine throughout 2018. Tom Larrabee – Twin Creeks Mine Matthew Cagle – Marigold Mine In addition to the individual awards, Jose Nachiondo – Rochester Mine Robert Cooney – Rochester Mine the NvMA will also recognize mining Josh Paxton – Goldstrike Operations Jamie Hays – Marigold Mine companies for their commitment to proChris Ruprecht – EP Lovelock Plant Jared James – Carlin Portals viding safe workplaces. Those recipients Zachary Johnson – Twin Creeks Mine are based on data provided by the U.S. Trainer: Casey Katzenmeyer – Turquoise Mine Safety and Health Administration John Duran – Rochester Mine (MSHA) and will be announced in July. Ridge Mine Kristi Nuzum-Ojala – Cortez District Joel Mendoza – Twin Creeks Mine Following is the list of NvMA Safety Jason Mayne – Leeville Mine Rick Moore – Pilot Peak Plant Awards winners and the mines at which Darrick Musselman – Round Mounthey worked in 2018. tain Mine Emergency Response Jack Phillips – Colado Mine Kristen Griffith – Robinson Mine General Manager: Bobby Joe Reichel – South Area Chris Hood – Cortez District Melissa Harmon – Twin Creeks OperDouglas Steiner – Robinson Mine Brian Showers – Cortez District ations Michael Walters – Turquoise Ridge Efrain Zarate – Marigold Mine Special Award - Dedication to Safety Mine Manager: Ezekiel Easley – Twin Creeks UnderRichard Hancock – Sloan Quarry Safety Manager: ground Mine F William Janhunen – Twin Creeks LaMar Martin – Sloan Quarry 4 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

LEDCOR MINING IS HIRING! We’re seeking candidates for the following current and future positions in Ridgecrest, CA and Nevada (Hawthorne, Lovelock, Eureka): -

Heavy Equipment Mechanic Maintenance Technician Haul Truck Driver Loader Operator Diesel Mechanic Dozer Operator Laborer Blaster Driller Learn more and apply at:

JOBS.LEDCOR.COM (Search: Mining)

#LifeAtLedcor MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 5

Pershing County

Coeur expands technological reach

Learn more about Coeur Rochester and the HPGR crusher online at www.coeur.com

HPGR crusher rocks industry By Peggy Jones Winnemucca Publishing

Today, in Nevada’s mining world, all eyes gaze 26 miles northeast of Lovelock. Coeur Rochester just began a test run of HPGR technology. They’re launching the first high pressure grinding rolls in the Silver State. Drawn by its beauty and functionality, humans have hunted silver since prehistoric times. The mining industry continues to develop more efficient ways to recover precious metal from deep in the rock.

COURTESY PHOTO

By Oct. 2018, crews had laid the foundation for the HPGR.

Fast facts about Coeur Rochester

• About 60 percent of Coeur Rochester’s workforce lives in Lovelock. • Coeur Rochester produces about 5 million ounces of silver per year and 50,000 ounces of gold. • Coeur Rochester’s parent company, Coeur Mining, also owns the Palmarejo mine in Mexico, the Silvertip mine in British Columbia, the Kensington mine in Alaska and the Wharf mine in South Dakota. Technological progress spurs further advances. Nature squeezed the Coeur Rochester mine into a canyon along the Black Ridge fault in the Humboldt Mountain Range. But in 2022, Coeur plans to expand into the next valley. If all goes according to plan, the move will extend the mine’s lifespan another 15 to 20 years - until approximately 2033 while maintaining the current workforce. In addition to 300 good-paying ben-

6 - MINING • SPRING 2018, an April, 2018 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

efited positions, Coeur employs another 30 – 40 regular contractors. Together, the team has kept the heap leach mine humming almost nonstop since 1986. It’s Pershing County’s largest employer, with about half the workforce living in Lovelock. Will Coeur Mining’s 35 million dollar investment kick the Rochester mine’s silver recovery rate into overdrive? That’s the idea. “It’s rare for a mine to implement a

CALL BETSY TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

If you have been affected by the joint venture that created the Nevada Gold Mines and feel uncertain about your financial future, we may be able to help make your transition easier.

(775) 725-3393 B.L. WHIPPLE WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Securities offered through Newbridge Securities Corporation, Member FINRA, SIPC and Investment Advisory Services offered through Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. Ofﬁce of Supervisory Jurisdiction: 5200 Town Center Circle, Tower One, Suite 306, Boca Raton, FL 33486 Toll-Free #: 877-447-9625 Phone: 954-334-3450 Fax: 954-489-2390. *Based on the claims paying ability of the insurance company. This is not an offer to purchase or sell a security. Such offer can only be made after a thorough review of the prospectus and suitability evaluation. May also include certiﬁcates of deposit.

We Pay Cash For Metals of All Sorts Scrap Iron, Cars,

Licensed and Bonded

Appliances, Tin, Copper, Brass, Aluminum, Wire Cans, & Batteries Large bin delivery and pick up

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 7

PEGGY JONES • Winnemucca Publishing

The HPGR crusher stands near a reclaimed area, planted with brush. technology that revolutionizes the way they recover ore,” says Greg Robinson, Coeur Rochester’s site development manager. “The fact that we’re primarily a silver mine, our long leach cycle and our geology are all favorable to this technology,” he says. “It’s a game changer.” “And we’re ready to see what it can do,” adds Joe Bilant. Coeur started feeding ore to its HPGR in mid-June and expects to reach full production by press time. It’s the culmination of four years of planning, says the process superintendent. In 2016, Coeur began metallurgical analyses to explore the potential benefits of the technology to their bottom line. A year later, based on the results, they decided to buy their first HPGR crusher. Clay or moisture could have gummed up the works. But Robinson describes the Rochester mine’s ore as “eerily suited” to the technology. Thyssenkrupp, a multinational conglomerate based in Germany, shipped the HPGR to Coeur. Each of the two solid steel grinding rolls weighs about 70 tons. Coeur contracted with a Winnemucca company, Schmueser Associates, to lay the foundation and assemble the pieces. The job took about eight months. By Oct 2018, the foundation stood ready. By Aug. 2019, the crusher will begin pounding ore with hydraulic and rotational forces. Counter-rotating grinding rolls will whirl nonstop.

HPGR better and faster

Dana Sue Kimbal has worked at the Rochester mine for nearly a decade. She has been a metallurgical engineer and environmental professional since 1990. 8 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

PEGGY JONES • Winnemucca Publishing

Greg Robinson and Joe Bilant stand in front of Coeur’s HPGR crusher.

Serving The Mining, Construction And Trucking Industries For Over 50 Years.

• CRANE & RIGGING SERVICE UP TO 250 TONS • TRUCK & TRAILER PARTS • NEW & USED TIRES • TRUCK & TRAILER RENTALS • 80 TON AXLE SCALE • FLAT BED & HEAVY EQUIPMENT HAULING • 20 & 40 FT STORAGE CONTAINERS

N qI q<[jIG j] gINgIhP jPI dP]j] jPI[ Z<sDI k

N qI q<[jIG j] gINgIhP jPI dP]j] jPI[ Z<sDI khI jq] « ZQ[Q[O <[G gIEY<Z<jQ][ jq] « ZQ[Q[O <[G gIEY<Z<jQ][

Yh] Q[ jPI pIgDQ<OI GQgIEjQ[O j] jPI qIDhQjI Yh] Q[ jPI pIgDQ<OI GQgIEjQ[O j] jPI qIDhQjI Z<s INTERSTATE & INTRASTATE HAULING h]ZIjPQ[O YQXI I<g[ Z]gI <D]kj ]Ikg .]EPIhj #240539 iCCMC #155920 h]ZIjPQ[O YQXI DOT I<g[ Z]gI <D]kj ]Ikg .]EPIhjIg < WWW.MAGATRUCKING.COM 4505 W. Winnemucca Blvd. • Winnemucca, NV • Phone 775.623.2768 • Fax 775.623.3194 [IqIhj dIgZQjjQ[O dg]EIhh <j [IqIhj dIgZQjjQ[O dg]EIhh <j

Learn more about Coeur Rochester at: CoeurRochester.com MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 9

“No matter what you do — whether you’re a geologist, metallurgist, truck driver or refiner, we’re all miners here,” she says. Kimbal looks at the HPGR technology from the perspective of an environmental manager. The more silver you can recover in one shot, the better,” she says. “And the faster, the better. Instead of leaching for 20 years we’ll leach for two or three, shut it off, reclaim and move on to the next leach pad.” Many have seen Kimbal’s Youtube video, uploaded by Kronos Inc., several years ago. In the clip, Kimbal gestures toward a mountain and announces a blast, a biweekly earth-shattering event at the mine. From the blast site, truckers haul the dynamited ore to the crusher. Here, the HPGR introduces an advantage over older technology. It creates microfractures, cracks MARZEN HOUSE MUSEUM that pave pathways to the silver encapsulatA primitive crusher, an arrastrada, used horsepower to break up rock. ed in the rock. “The rolls put a lot more pressure on the rock than cone crushing,” says Bilant. From the crusher, drivers haul the cargo to the leach pad. Drip irrigation tubing buried one foot under the fresh ore leaches a dilute solution of water and cyanide. The HPGR’s microfractures allow the process solution to reach metaparticles of silver quickly, causing the recovery rate to jettison, both in speed and quantity. “Out of every ounce of silver placed on the leach pad, we traditionally recover 61 percent over 20 years. With the HPGR, we expect to recover 69.1 percent over two years,” says Robinson. “Recovery is everything,” adds Kimbal. “The more recovery you can get out of one ounce of gold or silver, the better your economics and revenue – and the quicker you get it, the better those things are as well. This technology has proven to do both with no impact on how the site operates.”

Taking grinding to the next level

In the Youtube video, Kimbal explains that another part of her job is to plan for closure and reclamation. “My goal is that when we’re no longer here, you won’t be able to tell that we were here,” she says. In 2018, with Kimbal at the helm, Coeur’s environmental department won a Nevada Excellence in Mine Reclamation Award for dual accomplishments. Coeur received kudos for its 13-year involvement in Cave Days, an educational outreach to fourth-graders. The award also recognized Coeur’s permanent exhibit at Lovelock’s Marzen House Museum. Part of exhibit traces the evolution of the crusher, central to the mining process. Early western miners crushed ore in arrastradas. All day long, horses dragged boulders around in circles over cobblestone paths. Later, around 1848, stamp mills like the one donated to the Marzen House by Don Meissner, crushed the rock with stamps of iron. 10 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

MARZEN HOUSE MUSEUM

A stamp crusher slammed rock with steel plates, stamps.

DIG YOUR OWN VIRGIN VALLEY OPALS! ALL YOU DIG IS YOURS TO KEEP!

Member SIPC

See us for all your Mining, Drilling, Irrigation, Plumbing & Heating needs We stock all types of pipe, valves & fittings, Victaulic, flow meters, Hunter & Rainbird sprinkler systems, and more. Need something we don’t have? We do custom fabrications!

Nobody expects more from us than we do.

821 E. Winnemucca Blvd. | Winnemucca, NV | 775.625.2500

The Most Trusted Name in Glass

Full RV Hookups • Camper & Tent Sites Accommodations Available (with reservations)

Laundry Room Available

Auto • Home • Commercial

FREE

Estimates and Delivery y

All Work Guaranteed Sh Shower Door Enclosures Mirrors & Closet Doors M

NVCL#0015323

www.royalpeacock.com autumn@royalpeacock.com

623-2065

1-800-627-1753

3200 Traders Way, Winnemucca M-F 7:30 - 5:30 • Sat. By appointment www.fastglassinc.com

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 11

Cone technology came along next. Compression machines squeeze ore between moving and stationery slabs of steel. Unlike horses, modern crushers never sleep. HPGR technology promises to take grinding to the next level. The three miners and colleagues note several advantages to the HPGR. It’s quieter, creates less dust and is more efficient power-wise than cone technology. Maintenance workers must replace a crusher’s worn parts, exposing themselves to confined spaces, powerful tools, loose rock and trip hazards. The new crusher will reduce their exposures. For example, a cone liner is the part of a crusher that comes in contact with rock. Last year, due to wear and tear, Coeur Rochester’s maintenance crew replaced about 120 liners. With the HPGR, they expect to replace only one annually. “What we’re doing right now is a test run,” adds Kimbal. “We’ll be using the HPGR technology in the new expansion – twice as big.” Ultimately, the mine plans to purchase a second HPGR and move the first one to the new site.

Planning for next expansion

Beginning in 2020, Coeur will extend the Rochester and Nevada Packard open pits, install a new leach pad in Limerick Canyon and construct new crushing systems in Limerick and Nevada Packard. With capital investment estimated at 350 million, the POA11 is Coeur’s most massive expansion to date. “We’re expanding into the next valley and building new crushing systems, a process plant and a leach pad,” says Robinson. Bilant gestures toward the HPGR, a towering yellow behemoth of moving parts. “It would take six to eight months to tear this down, move and install it in the valley. The gap in production would be huge. Instead, we’ll run this one while the constructing the new one — that way we’ll have a smooth transition with no downtime,” he says. The existing permit boundary for the Coeur Rochester and Nevada Packard mines encompasses about 4,339 acres. The expansion will stretch that figure by an additional 499 acres, bringing

POA 11 Proposed Action Highlights (adapted from Coeur’s website)

• Expand the Rochester pit and Packard pit • Relocate spent ore to Stage V heap leach pad • Construct two new processing facilities (Limerick Canyon Stage VI and Packard) • Construct new Rochester and Packard crushing systems • Expand waste rock storage capacity • Upgrade utilities and other infrastructure, including power transmission line and substation, process solution and water pipelines, production wells, growth media stockpiles and access roads the total permit area to 4,838 acres of public and private land.

Culture of safety

Coeur Rochester prides itself on a culture of looking out for one another and the community. As a result, it’s common for three generations of family members to labor side by side. Husbands and wives ride to work together, negotiating turns both winding and picturesque. In 2015, Coeur’s environmental department started a Near Miss/Hazard Recognition Program. Its goal is to get the entire mine site to recognize and report potential hazards. “This program increases the effectiveness of a four-person department by 296 people,” says Kimbal. The workforce watches for problems before they become full-blown crises. Mines are busy places. Rocks get stuck in dozers. Coyotes wander onto the crossovers. Lines crack. The wind blows netting around. Under the program, miners notice and report such occurrences. Someone chases away the coyote. Miners replace lines and netting. Crews clean snow, ice and dirt from the crusher. To promote participation, Coeur Rochester restructured its hourly bonus calculation. It now includes a 25 percent weighted component based on the program’s targets. Employees can log onto any computer to access the database and report an incident. “We’ve developed a workforce of people looking for hazards on a daily basis, and then working with their supervisors to find ways to mitigate them through awareness, training or engineering controls,” says Kimbal. “That’s an atmosphere we want to carry forth year after year.”

12 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

Long time innovators

With innovation comes a learning curve. Miners must not only learn how to operate the HPGR technology, but modify their stacking, processing and leaching of ore. Until the mine fully launches the HPGR, it’s impossible to foresee all the ramifications, but they will be system-wide. Months of planning should mitigate most issues, but unknown variables await all innovators. “Across the industry, people are interested in how this is going to shape up,” said Bilant. “Everyone’s watching.” They’ve been watching for a long time. At the turn of the century, homesick prospectors named the treasure trove after their hometown in New York State, Rochester. Lovelock resident Bob Maher, 91, remembers his boyhood home in West Rochester. In 1935 his father, Kent, became the superintendent of the Buck and Charley mine, named after the owner’s favorite horses. On weekdays Maher headed for a one-room schoolhouse a mile down the road. It used to be a saloon. His job was to bring the coal up from the cellar so his teacher, Miss Gossi, could build a fire. One day a rattlesnake slithered through the coal. Maher alerted his teacher. Gossi dispatched the reptile with one swing of her hoe. Then she settled her students around the piano for a half-hour of song. “Pioneer women were tough,” says Maher, most likely the last living former resident of the historic mining town. The schoolhouse and saloons are gone. But the silver remains, deep in the rock. F

Desert Disposal

Servicing Humboldt,Lander, Pershing, and Eureka Counties

Commercial/Residential • Sani-Huts Septic System Pumping

Desert Disposal

Embroidery ty uali ore q e er e” sm “Wh mean nam a n tha

Custom Embroidery

on all fabrics & leather

Rhinestones 13 Commercial Machines

“The same great service you’ve come to expect”

775-623-5115 • 4062 West Winnemucca Blvd.

SOLID GOLD HOMES,LLC

Se Habla Espanol

WE WILL MEET OR BEAT ANY DEAL!

Your Exclusive Hometown Dealer

KITHomeBuilders West,

inc.

Come Visit Our Model Homes On Display

•LAND/HOME PACKAGES •FINANCING AVAILABLE •TRADE INS WELCOME Serving all of Northern Nevada

3319 Potato Road Winnemucca, Nevada 89445 Call Mark 775-623-4600 • 888-780-2111 Email: solidgoldhomes@gmail.com MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 13

Mining News

EP Minerals, LLC announces price increases for diatomaceous earth powder, perlite, bleaching clay, adsorbent and cellulose products Reno — EP Minerals, LLC, a U.S. Silica company and global leader in industrial minerals and engineered materials, announced in April that it will implement a 3-6% price increase on June 1, 2019, across all grades of diatomaceous earth powder, perlite, bleaching clay, adsorbent and cellulose products, or will do so as existing contracts allow. The increase will be applied in North America and South America. The price increase is necessary to offset inflationary pressure with the rise in costs related to ore, packaging, labor, and energy, and to support continued reinvestment in the business. EP Minerals’ absorbent and granular products are not affected by the June 1, 2019 price increase. F

News stories and images courtesy of EP Minerals, found at www.epminerals.com

U.S. Silica receives US Patent on Solar Reflectance Technology for Energy-Saving White Armor®Cool Roof Granules Katy, Texas – U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SLCA) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent 10253493, entitled “Particulates having high total solar reflectance.” The patent covers solar reflective particulate composition used for U.S. Silica’s White Armor® Cool Roof Granules. White Armor durable white granules reflect the sun’s heat instead of absorbing heat and transferring it to the building below. Customer results indicate that at least 70% of solar heat is reflected with White Armor Cool Roof Granules featuring the patented particulate composition. “We’re very excited about our unique

White Armor roofing product and the new patent on the solar reflective technology,” said J.P. Blanchard, senior vice president, U.S. Silica. “This is another example of U.S. Silica’s commitment to product innovation and new products,” he said, adding, “White Armor reflects the sun’s energy, benefitting the environment through lower energy consumption and generates substantial overall savings because there is less need for air conditioning,” he added. “The market for cool roofs is growing internationally and here in the U.S., as more cool roof guidelines and regulations are put in place,” said Blanchard. White Armor is the highest solar reflecting granular product solution

14 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

available today for bitumen (asphalt) roofing. The granules are white throughout, offering maximum reflectivity. U.S. Silica plans to manufacture the White Armor Cool Roof Granule product at its newest industrial manufacturing plant in Millen, GA, purchased in December 2018. The Millen plant has been retooled to efficiently produce the White Armor product. White Armor granules are applied to bitumen (asphalt) rolls and mineral cap top sheets to produce a multi-layered roof system that reflects heat, repels water and is long lasting. For more information on U.S. Silica’s White Armor Cool Roof Granules, visit http://www.ussilica.com/isp/white-armor. F

Preventable.

Prevented. .com

MINING â&#x20AC;¢ A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 15

Mining News

Renewable energy a greenlight for mining industry By Michelle Cook Winnemucca Publishing

Many of the world’s largest mining companies are evaluating the use of renewable energy plants — a trend set to intensify rapidly — as part of a broader strategy to lock in longterm fixed energy prices and availability while minimizing exposure to regulatory changes, fluctuations in the market and pressure from stakeholders and the public to use alternative energy sources. However, while the extractive industry has progressed in productivity and energy efficiency, it still remains an exceedingly energy intensive operation. The amount of renewables in the mining sector’s electricity mix is only 2.5% of the renewable energy used globally. In the cases of both off-grid and grid-connected mines, the energy load poses a significant burden on the generation and delivery infrastructure. Some of the larger mines can reach a peak load of 250 megawatts (MW). Geologist and mining consultant George Masterson says that mine operations incorporating diesel, heavy fuel oil, grid electricity, gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other sources, energy can represent 20-40% of mining operational costs. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), fossil fuels will continue to supply nearly 80% of world energy use through 2040. Looking at electricity, the EIA predicts that electricity will remain the fastest-growing final form of energy worldwide: by 2040, 56% of power will still come from fossil fuels. Renewables share of power generation is expected to grow from 21% in 2012 to 33% by 2040, overtaking gas as the second-largest source of generation. Despite promising technological

Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto

Two of the four wind turbines at the Diavik Diamond Mine. Diavik operates the world’s largest wind diesel hybrid power facility at its remote off-grid mine. The wind farm is operational down to −40 °F.

16 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

Our mission is to be the leader in safe, productive, and innovative mining solutions. “Building and Operating America’s Underground Mines” For more information, visit our website at www.underground.com NV Licencse #48016

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 17

775-635-8356

NV Lic# 0048016

advances, renewable energy currently provides only a small fraction of power at mines and wells. This will likely change as prices for renewables and advanced storage continue their steep declines. By one estimate, investment in renewables just for mining will reach nearly $4 billion by 2022.

Forces behind renewable energy

There are a number of forces behind the trend toward using renewable energy sources. Many of these forces are as a result of events outside the control of mining operators. For example, • The mining sector is facing growing demand from governments, customers, communities and other key stakeholders to operate in a sustainable manner. Doing so has a growing influence on the mining industry’s “social license” to operate. • The sector is experiencing volatility in commodity prices and rising fuel prices, putting pressure on profit margins. With global demand for energy set to increase 36% by 2035, the industry faces greater energy price increases and

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration April 2018

volatility. Managing costs through the use of alternative energy sources is one

that the industry will have to embrace. • The mining sector is expanding

Specializing in the Heating and Cooling Mining Industry: Underground Surface Lab Ventilation Refuge Chambers Process Areas All Types of MCC Portable A/C Rentals Industrial Duct Cleaning and Air Quality Services 4640 Grass Valley Road Winnemucca, NV 89445 775-623-1900 • www.hamsheating.com 18 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

MSHA CERTIFIED SAFETY DRIVEN

into new and often remote locations as a response to increasing demand from developing markets. This often means having to deal with unreliable power supply from the grid and uncertain power prices. In most instances, grid-connected electricity needs to be supplemented with on-site generation, typically large-scale diesel generation, resulting in a dependency on diesel fuel. The more remote the mine, the more likely off-grid power solutions are required.

Natural by definition

Renewable energy is energy that is generated from natural processes that are continuously replenished. The basic forms of renewable energy are often cited as those that come from water, wind, or solar. The mining industry uses stand-alone systems such strictly solar or wind, but it is more likely to use a combination of renewable sources with conventional types such as diesel.

Solar energy reduces fuel consumption

Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the sun that is harnessed using different types of technologies such as solar heating or photovoltaics (PV). Solar technologies are divided into passive solar or active solar depending on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power. Active solar techniques include the use of PV systems, while passive solar systems include orienting a building to the sun. Canadian based B2 Gold Corporation has five operating mines in Nicaragua, Namibia, Mali, and the Philippines. In 2018, the company opened a hybrid solar plant at its Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. Otjikoto is the largest gold producer in the country. According to a press release, “The Otjikoto Solar Plant is one of the first fully-autonomous hybrid plants in the world and will allow the Company to significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the site’s current 24-megawatt (“MW”) heavy fuel oil (“HFO”) power plant. Changing the power plant to an HFO solar hybrid plant is expected to reduce Otjikoto’s HFO consumption by approximately

Source: Energy and Environmental Profile for the U.S. Mining Industry, US Department of Energy

2.3 million litres and reduce associated power generation fuel costs by approximately 10% in 2018.” The mine reported a record year in 2016, producing 166,285 ounces of gold.

Wind locates largest diamond found in North America

Energy generated derived from wind consists of wind turbines connected to power transmission networks. The earth’s surface heats and cools unequally resulting in the creation of atmospheric pressure zones that make air to flow from high pressure zone to low pressure zone. This wind is used to rotate the turbines of the large wind mills for power generation. The amount of generation depends on the velocity of the wind where the wind farm is installed. The Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto installed a large-scale wind farm at its Diavik Diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories. In 2015, the wind farm reduced the mine’s annual diesel fuel requirement by 5.2 million liters and provided 11% of the mine’s power needs. Rio Tinto estimates that it will reduce Diavik’s seasonal winter road fuel haul by approximately 100 loads. Diavik Diamond Mine discovered a yellow diamond that weighs in at 552 carats and beats the previous record (held by the Diavik Foxfire diamond) of 187.7 carats that was also found at the

same mine. The diamond was found in October 2018 and is largest diamond found in North America so far.

Hybrids combine the best

Hybrid microgrids demonstrate another common strategy for providing on-site power. These systems involve a combination of power sources, usually diesel or natural gas generators combined with renewable resources. Although many mining and drilling operations are active 24 hours a day, renewables provide power only during the day (solar) or afternoon and evening (wind). However, the fossil fuels can provide power at night. Thus, the power sources are integrated into a single electricity grid to provide continuous power throughout the day. The most complex power projects take the hybrid microgrid approach and add next generation battery storage. Due to rapidly changing technology batteries can now store larger amounts of power with lower cost and physical footprint. The excess power can be used at night. Other energy sources are incorporated into the grid to provide power when the batteries are depleted. The Zaldívar copper mine in Chile will be the country’s first mine to operate with 100% renewable electricity. The mine, a joint venture between Antofagasta and Barrick, recently signed the contract with the Chilean utility compa-

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 19

Growth in Nevada.

Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto

The Diavik Diamond Mine is a joint venture between the Rio Tinto Group and Dominion Diamond Corporation. It sits in the subarctic in Canada/s Northwest Territories.

ny Colbun S.A. in 2018. It calls for Colbun to supply Zaldívar 550 gigawatt hours/year of electricity derived from hydro, solar, or wind sources for a ten-year period beginning in July 2020. According to Barrick, 104 million pounds of copper was produced in 2018.

Renewable energy technologies drive demand for more mining

In 2017, the World Bank published “The Growing Role of Minerals and Metals for a Low Carbon Future”, which concluded that to build a lower carbon future there will be a substantial increase in demand for several key minerals and metals to manufacture clean energy technologies.

Masterson says that much of the attention has been paid to the decline of certain sectors such the decline in the demand for coal, but in comparison, little attention has been paid to the implications of growing demand for materials required in the construction of renewable technologies and zero emission infrastructure. “There are commonly identified key base metals, including aluminum, copper, iron ore, nickel, lithium, and steel and some key rare earth metals such as molybdenum, neodymium, and indium that are required for the manufacturing of greenhouse-gas-free technologies.” Yet, he says, the US depends on many other countries for much of the mineral supply. He cites the USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries for 2010 reported showing that of the 67 commodities tracked, the U.S. was 50% or more dependent on 43 commodities and was 100% dependent on 18% of those commodities. Masterson says it takes 4.7 tons of copper, 335 tons of steel, 1,200 tons of concrete, 2 tons of rare earth elements and 3 tons of aluminum to construct a single 3MW wind turbine. He says he sees a growing demand for certain metals including include aluminum (including its key constituent, bauxite), cobalt, copper, iron ore, lead, lithium, nickel, manganese, the platinum group of metals, rare earth metals including cadmium, molybdenum, neodymium, and indium—silver, steel, titanium and zinc.

Looking to the future

The mining industry traditionally relies on the conventional sources of energy such as diesel, oil and natural gas to fulfill the energy demand. However, the emerging demand for the energy and volatility in the market price of conventional fuel are the main drivers for the renewable energy in mining industry. The mining industry also faces demands from its stakeholders and the public to become more energy efficient with technologies that require specific types of metals and minerals, while at the same time expanding into new remote locations to meet the emerging demand of renewable energy. As mines increasingly locate their operations in remote areas, making it difficult to provide grid connectivity to traditional power sources, the industry will rely more and more on on-site generation powered through renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. F MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 21

ubicon Mechanical LLC Heavy Equipment Service and Repair Heavy Equipment Service and Repair Winnemucca, Nevada

• Heavy Equipment Repair and Maintenance • Welding and Fabrication • Service and Preventative Maintenance • Mobile Truck Repair • Electrical Installation and Repair • Training - Mechanical, Diesel, Electrical and Hydraulic • Maintenance Program Setup and Evaluation

912-506-2577

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 23

Mining News

SSR Mining acquires 8,900 hectares contiguous to Marigold Mine VANCOUVER, B.C. – SSR Mining Inc. is pleased to announce it has acquired approximately 8,900 hectares contiguous to the Marigold mine in Nevada, U.S. comprised of a 100% interest in the Trenton Canyon and Buffalo Valley properties from Newmont Goldcorp Corporation and Fairmile Gold Mining, Inc for an aggregate purchase price of $22 million in cash and the grant to Newmont of a 0.5% net smelter returns (“NSR”) royalty on each of the Properties, and the assumption of the long-term environmental and reclamation obligations for the Properties.

Transaction and Property Highlights

• Acquisition of a large, wholly-owned prospective land package with 340,000 ounces of historical gold production, contiguous to the southern boundary of the Marigold mine. • Historical Indicated Mineral Resources estimate of 418,000 ounces of gold at Buffalo Valley. • Increases Marigold’s land position on trend with the Mackay pit to 19,800 hectares in Nevada’s Battle Mountain Eureka gold belt, an 84% increase. • Planned exploration activities aim to further define and potentially increase Mineral Resources at the Properties. • With exploration success, potential exists to enhance the current Marigold mine plan to extend mine life, increase production or improve margins. • Increases land position, which is favorable to host oxide and additional deep sulphide exploration targets. • Also in 2018 and 2019, consolidated four additional parcels totaling 130 hectares of land located within the Marigold mine land package. Paul Benson, President and CEO said, “Acquiring the Trenton Canyon and Buffalo Valley properties is expected to increase our gold resources and add multiple zones of mineralization proximate to our Marigold mine infrastructure. The acquisitions increase our land position by 84% since acquiring the Marigold mine and

the Valmy property. Exploration plans aim to upgrade and expand known gold mineralization to potentially extend mine life, increase operating flexibility or access higher margin tonnes. We expect to commence exploration activities in the near-term and to begin incorporating the Properties into our longer-term mine planning as we evaluate opportunities to continue creating value at Marigold for our shareholders.”

Overview of the Properties

The Properties comprise an 8,900-hectare land package to the south and contiguous with the Marigold mine. The addition of the Properties increases our total land holding at the Marigold mine to 19,800 hectares. The Trenton Canyon property consists of 7,350 hectares located immediately south and along the mineralized trend from the Marigold mine. The property was previously operated as an open-pit run-of-mine heap leach operation from 1996 to 2001. Based on data provided by Newmont, production during this period totaled approximately 290,000 ounces of gold from the North Peak, West and South pits within the Trenton Canyon property. The property also includes the North Peak heap leach pads and processing facilities. The Trenton Canyon property was previously 100% owned by Newmont. The Buffalo Valley property consists of 1,550 hectares located southwest of the Marigold mine. The historic Indicated Mineral Resources estimate for Buffalo Valley is 418,000 ounces of gold (20 million tonnes at an average gold grade of 0.65 g/t), as of December 31, 20181. Such Mineral Resources estimate was prepared by Newmont and reported in its press release dated February 21, 2019, and is based on Newmont data (including collar, survey, lithology and assay data), using ordinary kriging with appropriate estimation parameters in accordance with industry standards. Such estimate needs to be verified by SSR Mining by conduct-

24 - MINING • SPRING 2018, an April, 2018 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

ing detailed verification checks, including QA/QC of location, geological, density and assay data. A qualified person for SSR Mining has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate at Buffalo Valley as current Mineral Resources and therefore SSR Mining is not treating the historical estimate as current Mineral Resources. Based on data provided by Newmont, historical production at Buffalo Valley from 1989 to 1991 totaled approximately 50,000 ounces of gold. Buffalo Valley was previously operated as a joint venture between Newmont (70% ownership and operator) and Fairmile (30% ownership). Historical exploration activities on the Properties consist of over 2,700 drill holes totaling more than 340,000 meters of drilling completed between 1980 and 2012. The Properties host the same rock formations present at the Marigold mine, while displaying a higher intensity of rock alteration. Historic drilling indicates the prospective mineralized corridor at Trenton Canyon extends for at least 3,000 meters in a north-south direction, while surface geochemical anomalies potentially extend the mineralized footprint for over 5,000 meters. Our exploration activities are expected to commence in the near-term and will initially target Mineral Resources definition and confirmation.

Transaction Overview

Under the terms of the purchase agreements entered into with Newmont and Fairmile, we have acquired Newmont’s and Fairmile’s respective interest in the Properties for aggregate cash consideration of $22 million plus the grant to Newmont of a 0.5% NSR royalty on all mineral production from each of the Properties. The purchase price was funded from cash on hand. Under the terms of the purchase agreements, we have provided financial assurances to the environmental regulatory authorities with respect to the Properties’ long-term environmental and reclamation obligations totaling approximately $23.1 million.

MINING â&#x20AC;¢ A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 25

Humboldt County

New process aids in sulfur ore oxidation for Hycroft Mine By Ashley Maden a.maden@winnemuccapublishing.net

Hycroft is currently in the final phases of proving a large scale innovative two-stage sulfur ore oxidation process without the traditional method of using a mill, thus eliminating the need for hundreds of millions of dollars in capital to sustain the production of mining gold and silver at the site. Hycroft began a mill demonstration plant in 2016, which successfully demonstrated a new Alkaline Atmospheric Oxidation (AAO) mill process (tank oxidation with sulfides) and built two five-thousand ton demonstration leach test pads for the newly developed two-stage sulfide oxidation and leach process. Since the demonstration leach test pads were successful, Hycroft General Manager Nigel Bain said the goal now is to control the chemistry and refine the oxidation timing and cutoff versus recovery.

ASHLEY MADEN • Winnemucca Publishing

(left to right) Hycroft General Manager Nigel Bain, Assay Lab Technician Kathleen Ackerman and Assay Lab Lead Maria Mora present test columns for the cyanide leach process, allowing chemicals to be modified in smaller batches to monitor effects without doing so to an entire leach pad.

Learn more about Hycroft Mine online at www.alliednevada.com

Bain said that one of the things learned throughout the development of the sulfur oxidation process is that in order for oxidation to occur, the sample of ore cannot be too saturated. Oxygen levels are measured in the oxidation heap leach throughout the process along with the pH and alkalinity. Irrigation with soda ash aids in the oxidation process of sulfur ore and increases the pH. The mine has a lab in which test columns contain a small scale process ASHLEY MADEN • Winnemuca Publishing

Left: The Merrill Crowe processing plant removes the precious metals from a cyanide solution by zinc precipitation following the heap leach process. The yellow piped de-aeration tower is where the pregnant solution is pulled into for further processing. 26 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

Shoes & Boots, Work Wear, Camping Gear, Knives & MORE!

WE CARRY: RED WING SHOES, GEORGIA BOOT, CARHARTT, UNDER ARMOUR, & WRANGLER

REESE RIVER OUTFITTERS Outfitting you for work and play

54 E. Front Street, Battle Mountain

775-635-5005

MINING â&#x20AC;¢ A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 27

ASHLEY MADEN • Winnemucca Publishing

The Hilfiker wall that houses the primary crusher entry at Hycroft is a mechanically stabilized earth wall used in mining and dams and is one of the largest ones in North America used in mining.

of the heap leach to mirror and manipulate the process that occurs in the large-scale heap leach. Hycroft also built seven demonstration pads for the new leach process with success. “Economically the quicker we can put it (ore) under cyanide leach, the quicker we get cash flow from that work and that’s probably the biggest question; whether we can control it enough to know whether we need to oxidize it further,” said Bain. Once the sulfur ore is oxidized, Bain said it’s critical to gain control of the pH following the soda ash rinse which oxidizes the ore. The original process involved using Trona mined from Green River, Wyoming

SOURCE TOO MACHINE

INC

A full service welding and machine shop

CNC Milwork / CNC Lathe Machining

CAPABILITIES: • Shafting •Threading • CNC Lathe & Mill Work • Small Runs 1 to 10,000 Plus Pieces • Field Services • Water Well Pump Rebuild • Hydraulic Cylinder Rebuild

NEW CAPABILITIES: • Large Bore Lathe 8 ½” Thru Spindle • Field Flange Facing up to 100 inches • Lathe Turn to 80” in Dia Dale@sourcetoo.com • Jeff@sourcetoo.com 3665 Construction Way • Winnemucca, NV Phone (775) 623-9502 • Fax (775) 623-0439 28 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

ASHLEY MADEN • Winnemucca Publishing

The primary crusher is filled with raw ore material, including large boulders which are processed into smaller pieces as it travels through the three phases of the crusher.

DAILY / WEEKLY / SEMI-MONTHLY / MONTHLY Residential & Commercial • Gift Certificates Available!

Quality Tri-County Janitorial, Inc House Cleaning Window Washing Residential, Commercial & Construction Cleans Floors – Strip & Wax Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning Melene’s doTerra Oils LICENSED BONDED INSURED

775-623-2863 698 W 4th St, Winnemucca FREE ESTIMATES

MINING â&#x20AC;¢ A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 29

Winnemucca

There’s More Than Meets The Eye...

Annual Events

March Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo Weekend April Shooting the West - Photography Symposium May Run-A-Mucca - Motorcycle Rally June Winnemucca Basque Festival July Winnemucca Wheels Car Show September Tri-County Fair & Stampede October Farm Fall Festival WSRRA Ranch Rodeo Finals Contact Us Today for a FREE Visitors Guide and more Information

www.WINNEMUCCA.com

30 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

ASHLEY MADEN • Winnemucca Publishing

Each of the three phases of the crusher plant at Hycroft can be seen from the top of a Hilfiker wall with the primary crusher the closest, secondary in the middle and tertiary the furthest from the wall.

and transitioned into using a more refined version of Trona, known as soda ash or sodium carbonate which produces a higher pH due to being more concentrated. Once the sulfur ore is oxidized and rinsed, the pH is recovered and it is processed through the cyanide leach process that the mine has historically used for all oxide ore mined. Oxide ore is easier to process as it doesn’t have to go through the oxidation process prior to the cyanide leach process. The cyanide leach process pulls the precious minerals from the ore body, generating a “pregnant solution” to be processed further in a Merrill Crowe plant. Due to the different characteristics of the sulfide and oxide ore, each type is processed through the crusher individually rather than mixed, so at any given time there is only one type of ore being processed through the crusher and then it is cleaned out. The oxidation heap leaching process involves ore being left out in the elements to oxidize for three to six months, making rock porous so cyanide can be leached through the ore and pull the minerals being mined. Currently, there are three heap leach oxidation pads containing ore from three different parts of the mine oxidizing and are critical to proving up the process that the mine has been developing for three years. The reason for the three

Beat The Heat!

Stay cool and save big with Sierra Air. $ % epair. $ off any r rest

129

intepayments

A/C 20 pointne-Up u T r e Sup tandard Includespslacement. filter re Expires 8/31/19.

and no nths O.A.C. o f r 12 mo 8/31/19. ment. Expires On new equipbined with any other offer. m Cannot be co

89 *Reg. price $1 ed with any other offer. mbin . Cannot be co t coupon at time of service Must presen

clude does not inic fee diagnost mbined

co 9. Cannot be Expires 8/31/1her offer. Must present with any ot time of service. coupon at

6 2 5 - 1 6 5 4

FINANCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE

sierraair.com NV 24522 • CA 652354 • MHD-A0073

Home for Sale

ph.

623-4486

broker pamela fabor www.hrealty.us 33 W. Fourth Street

The Sign of Experience That You Can Trust Faithfully Serving Northern Nevada For Over 30 Years Pamela Fabor, Broker • Tony Fabor, GRI - Agent

Family Owned & Operated

775.623.4486 | www.hrealty.us

33 W. 4th St., Ste. 2

Winnemucca, NV

• Residential & Commercial Sales • Property Management • Storage Units • Rental Properties

For More Listings Visit hrealty.com

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 31

pads is that each type of ore has a unique oxidation time. Bain said the mine site is a series of north-south poles between open pits including the Brimstone, Central and Camel with crosscutting faults containing most of the mineralization of low-grade gold and silver. The site has two Merrill Crowe processing plants which process the pregnant cyanide solution to eliminate unnecessary minerals, solids and liquids; leaving the precious metals to be refined. The smaller Brimstone plant can process approximately 5,000 gallons per minute and was built in 2009 and the larger plant on the north side of the mine can process 21,500 gallons per minute and was built between 2012 and 2013. Hycroft is a gold and silver mine located in the Sulfur Mining district, 54 miles west of Winnemucca that encompasses approximately 72,000 acres. In 2015 the company filed a chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy and subsequently laid off over 200 employees. The mine is now back in production following the reorganization and completion of the successful feasibility study. Thom said the mine contains a 30 million ounce gold equivalent reserve, with approximately 9 million ounces of gold and close to a billion ounces of silver. Bain said this translates to a 34-35 year mine life with the current annual revenue split nearly in half between gold and silver. Bain also said there is a higher concentration of gold in the north area of the mine, which is refractory encapsulated. The silver is located primarily in the southern area of the mine and is highly cyanide soluble. Thom said it is believed that two different events deposited the gold and silver, based upon

ASHLEY MADEN • Winnemucca Publishing

Hycroft Investor Relations and Corporate Communication Vice President Tracey Thom said that tubes reach down under the pile of ore to allow statistical data to be collected regarding the oxidation and pH levels using a specially-designed solar-powered lysimeter. the way they are deposited. “I have been with the company for 10 years so I’ve watched it come from nothing to blow all the way up to almost 400 people and sadly back down again, so I’m really happy to be able to say that we’re working towards building back up,” said Thom. “This time it’s going to be a very measured growth cycle for us.” F

Serving Northern Nevada Since 1951

Downtown Winnemucca

140 S. Bridge St.

32 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

775-623-3060 www.phillipshomestore.com

FLEET ACCOUNTS MAINTENANCE PARTS & SERVICE TIRES & ACCESSORIES LET HUMBOLDT FORD BE YOUR FORD DEALER!

3305 Potato Rd, WINNEMUCCA

NOW FEATURING

Water Jet Precision Cutting Services Wood • Plastic • Steel • Carbide

WELDING & MACHINE LLC Serving Winnemucca and The Mining Industry since1991.

CNC Mill - cnc lathe 1-off custom piece to 1000’s of production parts tig & mig Welding • steel • aluminum • stainless • tI • plasma cutting for all your welding repairs, fabrication & machine needs

Call Kenny or Jared • Mon - Fri • 8am - 5pm • Weekends By Appointment Only

Phone: 775.623.0467Kenny Fax: 775.623.0629 Cell: 775.304.0805 Tangreen Email: tntwelding91@yahoo.com 12200 Grass Valley Rd. Winnemucca, NV

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 33

Welcome to BATTLE MOUNTAIN! LIVE. WORK. PLAY. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Lander County Recreation Guide! Learn about recreational activities and sites of interest county-wide!

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2019 Spring and Summer Business with Brushes Summer and Fall Wine Walk Cookie Walk Festival of Trees Parade of Lights Community Light Display Contest and many more events coming up during the year

Contact the local Chamber of Commerce office for exact dates of these events and more information about our Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce Members 775.635.8245

AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN ALWAYS VISIT US AT WWW.BATTLEMOUNTAINCHAMBER.COM

34 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

Mining News

Phase W project at Round Mountain nearing completion By Kinross

More on Round Mountain

www.kinross.com

At Kinross’ Round Mountain Mine in Nevada, Phase W project continues to make strong progress. Phase W is expected to extend mining by 5 years increase life of mine productivity by 1.5 million gold ounces at one of Kinross’ best performing mine operations. The project includes a layback of the existing pit, a new heap leech pad and a vertical carbon-in-column plant and relocation of some existing infrastructure and additions to the mining fleet. Pre-stripping for the layback continues to advance well and Phase W ore is now being placed on the new heap leech pad. The new pad was completed in Quarter 1 in 2019. It is 9 million square feet large designed for 65 million tons of ore stacked up to a height of 250 feet.

• As a result of the Phase W feasibility study, estimated proven and probable mineral reserves at Round Mountain increased from 1.3 million Au oz. (as of Dec. 31, 2016) to 3.1 million Au oz., net of depletion. • In 2018, a total of approximately 5,000 meters of drilling was completed at Phase S (south pit layback) and at Phase V (north pit layback).

Commission of the processing circuit has now commenced ahead of schedule. Initial solution application has begun to build heap leech solution grade in advance of the vertical carbon-in-column plant completion. The vertical carbon-in-column plant is now 80 percent complete. It is designed to process 10,800 gallons per minute and is full automated to work remotely. Construction of the project infrastructure is proceeding well. The primary and secondary steel for the new truck shop is now complete. The almost 40,000 square foot truck shop has 10

bays and is designed to accommodate a 793F truck with the bed pop. Work on the warehouse, washbay and fuel island is advancing well and is now 60 percent complete. All additions to the mining fleet required to mine phase W have been sourced and are now in operation at Round Mountain. The successful execution of the Phase W project underscores the deep technical bench strength at Kinross as the project nears completion. Content from video update on Kinross’ website www.kinross.com. F

Accidents happen. With us, you’re golden.

FLEET ACCOUNTS WELCOME!

OIL CHANGE CENTER Wide Range of Serving Northern Nevada Since 1995Oils Specialty

Oil Changes Transmission Services Interstate Batteries Wipers • Gear Boxes Belts • Fuel Filters Tune Ups • Minor Repairs

Full-service Independent Insurance Agency

1042 S. Grass Valley Rd. 775-623-LUBE (5823) M-F 8-6 • SAT 8-12

(775) 623-5555 AandHinsurance.com 341 Baud St. Winnemucca, NV 89445 MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 35

Pershing County

Relief Canyon Mine construction underway Gold production anticipated before year ends

Learn more about Relief Canyon Mine online at www.americassilvercorp.com

By Debra Reid d.reid@winnemuccapublishing.net

New leach pad construction is underway, a new crusher is in the works, mining will start in the third quarter and gold bars are anticipated to be poured by the end of the year at Relief Canyon Mine according to new General Manager Michael Iannachionne of Americas Silver Corporation. Pershing Gold Corporation recently handed over control of the mine to Americas Silver. No gold has been produced at the Relief Canyon Mine for almost 30 years according to MINING. com. “In 1986, Pegasus Gold Corp. bought a 4-year option on the mining property. Pegasus’ management term spanned November 1986 until September 1990, reportedly producing more than 100,000 ounces of gold during that time.”

NEW CONSTRUCTION, JOBS

Ames Construction is building new heap leach cells six, seven, eight and nine. “Vintage” heap leach pads will be reclaimed with layers of topsoil and growth media. “We’re adding a whole new leach pad,” Iannacchione said. “Ames mobilized at the end of May and started construction the first of June. It should be completed by the end of October.” Ledcor Group is the contractor that will be hiring workers for the mining operation. “All the mining here is contract mining and we should start sometime in August or September,” Iannacchione said. The mine contractor will need operators for loaders, trucks, drills and all the

COURTESY PHOTO

An aerial view of Relief Canyon Mine. New leach pad construction is underway at a mine that hasn’t produced gold for almost 30 years.

other “regular surface mining equipment,” he said. “They’ve been looking to hire operators. I think they’ll be putting ads out in the paper and have job fairs,” he said. “People can look on Ledcor’s website (for more information). Ames already has people but they may from time to time look for people.” In addition, Americas Silver Corporation will be hiring in a few months. “We’re at 18 people now and our total employment will be about 50,” Iannacchione said. “We’ll start to hire probably in the fall- crushing operators, maintenance people for crushers and more process operators. They’re building the crusher and it will hopefully start coming in about a month and we’ll start to assemble it.” A new conveyance system will carry gold ore about a mile from the pits to the new leach pad. The conveyor belts will be less expensive than hauling it by truck down the hill, he explained. “It’s an overland conveyor and there

36 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

will be grasshopper conveyors,” Iannacchione said. “The conveyors on the pad are on wheels so you can move them around as needed.” A cyanide solution will leach gold from crushed ore. Gold and silver will be extracted from the “pregnant” solution for smelting into bars of gold and silver for further refinement elsewhere. “The solution will be run through tanks with carbon and the gold will load on to the carbon. Then, the solution will go in a circle and keep going back up to the leach pad. We take the gold off the carbon and ultimately refine it for a bar of gold and silver.” The existing processing plant and refinery are being upgraded. “We have to rebuild the furnace and pumps,” he said. “The plant was idle for a long time and some of the pieces were sold.” New mercury emissions abatement equipment is required before gold production can begin. “We have to capture the mercury

AAAAAAAAA RRRRRR CCCCCC MMMM

SCHMUESER & ASSOCIATES, LLC

Serving the Mining Community with Experienced • Safe • Reliable Construction Services for Surface and Underground Operations Corporate Office - (970) 263-6061

Western Region - (775) 623-2442

811 22 Road • Grand Junction, CO

P.O. Box 2080 • 715 Fairgrounds Road • Winnemucca, Nevada MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 37

38 - MINING â&#x20AC;¢ A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

from the vapors when we are smelting the gold,” Iannacchione explained. “We are targeting our first gold pour by the end of the year.” Mining will start on the edge of the existing pits. The company is permitted to deepen the pits and will eventually reach the aquifer. That will require pit dewatering and, when mining ends, there will be “small” pit lake but the water will not be hazardous to wildlife, Iannacchione said. “We’ll hit water within a few years with a low dewatering rate,” he explained. “It’s not a major de-watering effort.” Groundwater not put to use elsewhere in the operation will be injected back into the aquifer. “We’ll put it into re-infiltration basins where water goes back into the ground,” Iannacchione said.

Black Rock Vision Center is now open to serve your eye health needs. We accept most Insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Now Scheduling

Dr. Michael Southam

Dr. Corom Eisley

625 Sheehan St. Suite E | 775-625-4733 | blackrockvision.com MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 39

Exploratory drilling will continue and could extend the mine life beyond the current six years. “Hopefully, we’ll encounter more ore. We have areas that we do need to drill,” Iannacchione said. “What we know of right now, we have about six years of mining and processing of gold.” The total life of the mine is dependent on permitting, Iannacchione said. “We’re permitted for the first phase. The second phase of the permitting is related to mining below the water table and leaving a pit lake. We can operate for two to three years without the Phase II permitting but, to get the full six years, we need that second phase of permitting. We’ve submitted all the studies and the BLM is early in the process,” Iannacchione explained. “At the end of the day, our job is to keep the air and water clean and our plan is to do that.”

SECURITY CONCERNS

All mine officials, contractors and visitors must now be cleared by the Department of Defense. “We’re on the edge of the Fallon Air Station,” Iannacchione explained. “We’re in proximity to their testing ground and we have to get a clear-

COURTESY PHOTO

An aerial photo of leach ponds and facilities at Relief Canyon.

ance for all of our vendors and visitors from the Department of Defense. If we need to improve our radio system with another antenna or a cell tower, all of that has to go through the DOD.” It’s not the first time national security concerns have impacted the Relief Canyon Mine according to MINING. com. After purchasing the mine in 1995, drilling 182 exploratory holes and upgrading the processing plant, Firstgold Corporation lost control of the

40 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

mine due to foreign investment. “The then high-profile run of Firstgold Corp., financially backed in part by Chinese investors, was about to take a major downturn. In 2009, a federal agency (the Committee on Foreign Investment) ruled the mine was too close to facilities associated with Fallon’s Naval Air Station to justify a foreign presence and the company was subsequently forced into bankruptcy court.” F

Mining News

NVMA celebrates international women in engineering day By Drew McGregor Nevada Mining Association

People around the world celebrated International Women in Engineering Day Sunday, June 23. The goal of the day is to raise awareness of women engineers and encourage the next generation of young girls interested in engineering to pursue their goals and dreams. Engineering plays an essential role in mining, Nevada’s original STEM industry. For over 150 years, engineers have driven innovation and have been responsible for numerous accomplishments, including square set timbering and the

Sutro Tunnel. Today, the hard work of engineering professionals continues to advance mining technology, keep workers safe, and maintain Nevada mining’s status as a high-tech, high-skill industry. Unfortunately, like many other STEM industries, mining has traditionally had a male dominated workforce and not always welcoming to women. Numbers are improving, both internationally and in the United States, but more work still needs to be done to ensure women feel welcome. Programs across Nevada are helping address the issue. The University of Nevada, Reno hosts an annual Young Women in Engineering Camp, which

introduces middle school-aged girls to different varieties of engineering and gives campers the opportunity to speak with women working directly in engineering, including mining. Soroptimist International of Elko hosts their Dream It, Be It Career Support Day for Girls every spring, where Elko County high school girls meet successful professional women and learn how to pursue their dreams with confidence. Encourage your daughters, sisters, nieces, and the other young women in your life to pursue their goals. Maybe they’ll discover the next breakthrough in cancer treatment or become a leader in Nevada mining!

Servicing the Mining and Aggregate Industries

SPECIALIZING IN WEAR PARTS AND PLANT OPTIMIZATION CRUSHING - CONVEYING - SCREENING & MINERAL RECOVERY Theodore Zebroski-President Ph: 775-625-3101 Fx 775-625-3141

Eric Dutton Application Specialist 775-842-3111

MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 41

Mining News

Nevada Gold Mines launched Best assets, best people will deliver best value By Drew McGregor Nevada Mining Association

Elko — Barrick Gold Corporation and Newmont Goldcorp Corporation have successfully concluded the transaction establishing Nevada Gold Mines LLC. The new company, owned 61.5% and operated by Barrick, and owned 38.5% by Newmont Goldcorp, was officially launched today. The new joint venture will rank as the largest global gold producing complex by a wide margin, with three of the world’s top 10 Tier One gold assets (Goldstrike/Carlin, Cortez and Turquoise Ridge/Twin Creeks) and potentially another one in the making (Goldrush). Its assets in North-eastern Nevada comprise 10 underground and 12 open pit mines, two autoclave facilities, two roasting facilities, four oxide mills, a flotation plant and five heap leach facilities. In 2018 these operations produced a total of 4.1 million ounces of gold, approximately double that of the industry’s next largest gold mine (Muruntau in Uzbekistan). The company has a strong reserve and resource base with Proven and Prob-

For Construction Use Available

42 - MINING • A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing

able Reserves of 48.3 million ounces; Measured and Indicated Resources of 27.4 million ounces; and a further 7.5 million ounces of Inferred Resources with still more potential. Nevada Gold Mines is targeting production of between 1.8 and 1.9 million ounces at a preliminary estimated cost of sales of $940 to $970 per ounce and AISC of $920 to $950 per ounce for the second half of 2019. Barrick President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Bristow, who is chairman of the new company, says the establishment of Nevada Gold Mines was designed to combine arguably the industry’s best assets and people in order to deliver the best value to stakeholders. “Its creation was driven by a compelling logic which had long been evident to all but had been elusive for two decades until we finally achieved a breakthrough this year,” Bristow said. “Over the past months we have selected and set Nevada Gold Mines’ leadership in place. The company now has one team that shares one vision, and who are more than ready to race out of the starting blocks. We have also identified the very significant synergy opportunities which are immediately available and those which have been targeted for the future.” Gary Goldberg, Newmont Goldcorp’s Chief Executive Officer said, “This innovative joint venture represents a unique opportunity to generate additional long-term value for our shareholders, employees, and the communities of northern Nevada. By combining our assets and talent in Nevada, the joint venture will extend safe, profitable and responsible production much further than what each company could have done on its own. We look forward to actively participating in and supporting the JV to deliver a positive step-change in results.” Identified synergies are expected to deliver up to $500 million per year over the first five years from 2020, stepping down over time after that. These will come mainly from integrated mine planning, optimized mining and processing, cost reductions and the combination of the adjacent Turquoise Ridge and Twin Creeks, which will be operated as a single mine. Second half guidance builds in those synergies that the company believes it should be able to realize within the next six months, representing approximately half of the targeted annual cash flow improvements. With the closing of the JV now complete, the company will look to incorporate further synergies to benefit 2020 and beyond. The future benefits include longer profitable mine lives, longer-term employment opportunities, longer-term benefit-sharing with local communities and longer-term advantages for Nevada’s economy. Bristow noted that the Nevada Gold Mines management team included executives from both joint venture partners. The Executive Managing Director is Greg Walker, formerly head of operations and technical excellence for Barrick’s North American region. Barrick has three board seats and Newmont Goldcorp two, with the board supported by technical, finance and exploration advisory committees on which both companies have equal representation. F

Certified to complete all factory warranty work. Serving Winnemucca, Lovelock, Elko, Fernley, Fallon, Reno, Battle Mountain and all of Northern Nevada. Servicing all makes and models Special pricing for local industry (Mining, Farming, Ect.) RENO & BOISE INVENTORY AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE IN WINNEMUCCA OVER 600 VEHICLES AVAILABLE Sales Monday through Friday 9-6 Saturday 9-5 Service Monday through Friday 8-5

Boise 10175 W Fairview Ave, Boise, ID 83704 208-672-8100 Rackleyautoboise.com

775-621-5335 5050 E Winnemucca Blvd, Winnemucca, NV

Reno 1220 Keitzke Lane, Reno NV 89502 775-824-6060 Rackleyautoreno.com

www.RackleyChryslerDodgeJeepRam.com

MINING â&#x20AC;¢ A July 2019 publication of Winnemucca Publishing - 43

Our mission is to be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most valued gold mining business by finding, developing and owning the best assets with the best people.