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A. History and Development of the Company
Integra Resources Corp. is domiciled in Canada and was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the "OCBA") on April 15, 1997 as Berkana Digital Studios Inc. On December 4, 1998, the name of the Company was changed to Claim Lake Resource Inc. and on April 5, 2005, the Company completed a 2 for 1 consolidation and changed its name to Fort Chimo Minerals Inc. On January 1, 2009, the Company amalgamated with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Limestone Basin Exploration Ltd. The amalgamated company continued to operate as Fort Chimo Minerals Inc. On June 14, 2011, the Company completed a 5 to 1 consolidation and changed its name to Mag Copper Limited. The Company completed a 5 to 1 consolidation on September 2, 2015. In January 2017 and August 2017, the Company completed a 5 to 1 and 2.5 to 1 consolidation, respectively. On August 11, 2017, the Company changed its name to Integra Resources Corp.
On June 29, 2020, the Company completed the continuation (the "Continuation") of the Company from the Province of Ontario to the Province of British Columbia. As a result of the Continuation, the OCBA no longer applies to the Company and the Company is subject to the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA") as if it had been originally incorporated under the BCBCA. In connection with the Continuation, the articles and by-laws of the Company were replaced with notice of articles and articles. The notice of articles and articles are substantially similar to the former articles and by-laws of the Company. Changes include alterations to permit the Board of Directors (the "Board") to make certain changes to the capital structure of the Company; alterations to the advance notice requirements; alterations to the quorum requirement for the transaction of business at a Board meeting; alterations to the threshold to satisfy quorum to include 25% of the Common Shares entitled to be voted at the meeting; alterations to the record date for the purpose of dividend declaration; and alterations to the type of resolution required to remove a director before the expiration of his or her term.
On July 9, 2020, Integra effected a 2.5 to 1 consolidation of its Common Shares.
The Company delisted from the Canadian Securities Exchange on November 6, 2017 and commenced trading on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V" or the "Exchange") on November 7, 2017, under the trading symbol "ITR". In January 2018, the Company began trading in the United States on the OTCQB under the stock symbol "IRRZF" and subsequently graduated to the OTCQX on May 1, 2018. On July 31, 2020, the Company began trading on the NYSE American under the symbol "ITRG". The Company ceased trading on the OTCQX concurrently with the NYSE American listing. The Company continues to be listed on the TSX-V under the trading symbol "ITR" and on the NYSE American under the trading symbol "ITRG". The registrar and transfer agent of the Common Shares is TSX Trust Company at its principal offices in Toronto, Ontario.
On May 4, 2023, the Company completed an at-market merger with Millennial Precious Metals Corp ("Millennial"). As a result of the transaction, Millennial became a wholly owned subsidiary of Integra. Certain warrants exercisable to acquire Common Shares, which were assumed by the Company on close of the transaction, trade on the TSX-V under the symbol "MPM.WT".
On May 26, 2023, Integra effected a 2.5 to 1 consolidation of its Common Shares (the "Consolidation").
The Company's principal office is 1050 - 400 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3A6, (604) 416-0576 and its registered office is located at 2200 HSBC Building, 885 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8, (604) 691-6100. The Company's registered agent is CT Corporation located at 1015 15th Street N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 572-3133.
Integra is a mineral resources company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in the Americas. The Company is an exploration stage company as its properties have no known mineral resources or reserves in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300. The Company is focused on the advancement of its DeLamar gold and silver project (the "DeLamar Project"), consisting of the neighboring DeLamar Deposit and Florida Mountain Deposit in south western Idaho and the advancement of its Nevada North gold and silver project (the "Nevada North Project"), consisting of the Wildcat Deposit and Mountain View Deposit in western Nevada.
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Events that influenced the general development of the business since the beginning of the last fiscal year are described below:
Corporate
Millennial Transaction
On February 27, 2023, the Company announced that it had entered into an arm's length definitive arrangement agreement dated February 26, 2023 (the "Arrangement Agreement") for an at-market merger with Millennial pursuant to which Integra would acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Millennial by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the BCBCA (the "Millennial Transaction"). The Millennial Transaction was approved by Millennial's shareholders on April 26, 2023 and subsequently closed on May 4, 2023.
In connection with closing of the Millennial Transaction, the Company reorganized its management team and board of directors (the "Board"). Jason Kosec, former Director, President and CEO of Millennial, was appointed Director, President and CEO of Integra. George Salamis, former Director, President and CEO of Integra was appointed Executive Chair, Stephen de Jong stepped down from Integra's Chair position, but remained on the Board as Lead Director. David Awram stepped down from the Board but remains an advisor to the Company. Sara Heston and Eric Tremblay were appointed to the Board. Timo Jauristo, Anna Ladd-Kruger, C.L. "Butch" Otter and Carolyn Clark Loder remained on the Board. Former Chief Geologist and Director of Millennial, Ruben Padilla, serves as a technical advisor to Integra. E. Max Baker transitioned from the role of Vice President Exploration to Chief Geologist of the Company. Raphael Dutaut, former Vice President Exploration of Millennial, joined Integra as Vice President Exploration. Jason Banducci, former Vice President Corporate Development of Millennial, joined Integra as Vice President Corporate Development. The Board is now comprised of seven independent directors, of which three are female, and two non-independent directors.
On December 20, 2023, the Company announced that Tim Arnold, the Company's Chief Operating Officer would retire from the Company at the end of 2023. The Company also announced the appointment of Scott Olsen to Vice President, Engineering - Processing and Infrastructure.
Financings
Concurrent with the announcement of the Millennial Transaction, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement with Raymond James Ltd., BMO Capital Markets and Cormark Securities Inc., as joint bookrunners (collectively, the "Underwriters"), in connection with a bought deal private placement of subscription receipts (each, a "2023 Subscription Receipt"). On March 16, 2023, the Company and the Underwriters completed the sale of 14,000,000 post-Consolidation 2023 Subscription Receipts at a price of C$1.75 per post-Consolidation 2023 Subscription Receipt (the "Issue Price") for gross proceeds of C$24.5 million (the "2023 Brokered Offering"). Each 2023 Subscription Receipt represented the right of a holder to receive, upon satisfaction or waiver of certain release conditions (including the satisfaction of all conditions precedent to the completion of the Millennial Transaction other than the issuance of the Common Shares to shareholders of Millennial) (the "Escrow Release Conditions"), without payment of additional consideration, one Common Share, subject to adjustments and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a subscription receipt agreement dated March 16, 2023 (the "2023 Subscription Receipt Agreement") as among the Company, TSX Trust Company as 2023 Subscription Receipt agent, the Underwriters and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ("Wheaton") - see Non-Brokered Offering section below.
The Escrow Release Conditions were met on May 4, 2023 and as a result, Integra issued 14,000,000 post-Consolidation Common Shares and received gross proceeds of C$24.5 million.
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Non-Brokered Offering
Concurrent with the announcement of the Millennial Transaction, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement with Wheaton, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wheaton, pursuant to which Wheaton agreed to purchase the lesser of: (a) C$15 million of 2023 Subscription Receipts at the Issue Price; (b) such number of 2023 Subscription Receipts that will result in Wheaton owning 9.9% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (following the completion of the proposed Millennial Transaction and the conversion of the 2023 Subscription Receipts issuable to Wheaton and pursuant to the Brokered Offering); and (c) 30% of the combined 2023 Subscription Receipts to be issued to Wheaton and investors in the Brokered Offering (the "Non-Brokered Offering"). On March 16, 2023, the Company and Wheaton completed the Non-Brokered Offering, resulting in the issuance and sale to Wheaton of 6,000,000 post-Consolidation 2023 Subscription Receipts for aggregate gross proceeds of C$10.5 million.
The Escrow Release Conditions were met on May 4, 2023 and as a result, Integra issued 6,000,000 post-Consolidation Common Shares and received gross proceeds of C$10.5 million.
In connection with the Non-Brokered Offering, the Company entered into an investor rights agreement dated March 16, 2023 (the "IRA") and a right of first refusal agreement dated May 4, 2023 (the "ROFR Agreement") with Wheaton entities providing Wheaton with certain participation rights in future equity offerings by Integra and a right of first refusal on precious metals royalties, streams or pre-pays pertaining to any properties of Integra or its affiliates, including the Millennial properties acquired in the Millennial Transaction, and any properties Integra acquires in the future within a five kilometer radius of the outer perimeter of the foregoing properties or is otherwise acquired in connection with or for the use of the projects held by Integra (including the Millennial properties acquired in the Millennial Transaction).
2024 Offering
On March 13, 2024, the Company announced the completion of its previously announced bought deal public offering, pursuant to which the Company issued a total of 16,611,750 units (the "2024 Units"), including the full exercise of the over-allotment option by the Underwriters (as defined below), at a price of C$0.90 per Unit (the "2024 Offering Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of C$14,950,575 (the "2024 Offering").
Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of C$1.20 per additional Common Share until March 13, 2027. The Warrants were listed on the TSX-V on March 22, 2024 under the symbol "ITR.WT". The 2024 Offering includes an investment made into Integra from a new strategic corporate entity as well as support from current shareholders Beedie Investments Ltd. and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp.
The 2024 Offering was completed pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated March 7, 2024, entered into among the Company and a syndicate of underwriters led by Cormark Securities Inc., and including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Desjardins Securities Inc., Eight Capital, PI Financial Corp., Raymond James Ltd. and Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. (collectively, the "2024 Underwriters") (the "2024 Underwriting Agreement"). The Company paid the 2024 Underwriters a cash fee of 6% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the 2024 Offering, other than in respect of the purchasers on the president's list, for which a cash fee of 3% was paid.
Beedie Capital Credit Facility
Concurrent with the announcement of the Millennial Transaction, the Company announced that the convertible loan agreement dated July 28, 2022 (the "Loan Agreement") with Beedie Investments Ltd. ("Beedie Capital") would be amended pursuant to a first supplemental credit agreement dated February 26, 2023 (the "First Supplemental Credit Agreement") as among Integra, the Integra's subsidiaries and Beedie Capital, to accommodate the assets of Millennial and its subsidiaries, each of which, following the closing of the Millennial Transaction, will be loan parties and provide guarantees and security for the obligations under the Loan Agreement. In addition, on the closing of the Millennial Transaction, the Loan Agreement was amended to, among other things, modify the conversion price on the initial advance of US$10 million under the Loan Agreement to reflect a 35% premium to the Issue Price and to increase the effective interest rate from 8.75% to 9.25% per annum on the loan outstanding, which interest continues to be accrued for the first twenty-four (24) months from the date of the Loan Agreement, payable quarterly either in shares or in cash, at Integra's election (the "Second Supplemental Credit Agreement").
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On February 21, 2024, Integra announced that the Company and its subsidiaries, Integra Resources Holdings Canada Inc., Integra Holdings U.S. Inc. and DeLamar Mining Company entered into an amendment dated February 20, 2024 (the "Third Supplemental Credit Agreement") to the Loan Agreement with Beedie Capital, pursuant to which, among other items, Beedie Capital consented to the Royalty Transaction and the parties agreed to amend the participation rights afforded to Beedie Capital with respect to future equity financings under the Loan Agreement.
Consolidation
On May 26, 2023, the Company completed the Consolidation.
Acquisition of Nevada Properties
On June 6, 2023, the Company completed the final land payment of US$2.5 million to Clover Nevada LLC, a private company controlled by Waterton Precious Metals Fund II Cayman, LP ("Waterton"), to complete the acquisition of the Wildcat Property, the Mountain View Property, the Ocelot Property, the Dune Property, the Eden Property, and the Marr Property (together, the "Nevada Properties"). Following completion of the final payment, Waterton's deed of trust encumbering the Nevada Properties was released and title now resides with the Integra subsidiaries.
Preliminary Mine Plan of Operations for the DeLamar Project
On December 20, 2023, the Company announced that it had submitted the preliminary Mine Plan of Operations ("MPO") to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") for the DeLamar Project.
Royalty Transaction with Wheaton
On February 21, 2024, the Company announced that through its wholly-owned subsidiary, DeLamar Mining Company, it has entered into a binding agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals (Cayman) Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wheaton (the "Royalty Transaction"), pursuant to which Wheaton will acquire a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty on metal production from all claims of the DeLamar and Florida Mountain Deposit for an aggregate cash purchase price of US$9.75 million, to be paid in two installments. The first instalment of US$4.875 million was received by Integra on March 8, 2024. The second installment of US$4.875 million is expected to be received by Integra four months from the date of the first installment.
Rich Gulch LLC Land Acquisition
On March 8, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of seventeen patented claims in the Rich Gulch area of the DeLamar Project. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Company acquired all of the interests in exchange for US$2.1 million, which was satisfied through the issuance of 2,959,769 common shares in the capital of the Company.
See Item 4.D - Property, Plants and Equipment for further details of the DeLamar Project.
The SEC maintains an internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains report, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. Such information can also be found on the Company's website (http://www.integraresources.com).
B. Business Overview
Integra is currently focused on advancing the DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho and the Nevada North Project, comprised of the Wildcat and Mountain View Deposits, located in northwestern Nevada. Integra owns no producing properties and, consequently, has no current operating income or cash flow from the properties it holds, nor has it had any income from operations in the past three financial years. As a consequence, operations of Integra are primarily funded by equity financings, sale of royalties or convertible loans.
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Specialized Skills
Integra's business requires specialized skills and knowledge in the areas of geology, drilling, planning, implementation of exploration programs, compliance, engineering, metallurgy, economic studies, project development and permitting. To date, Integra has been able to locate and retain such professionals in Canada and the United States, and believes it will be able to continue to do so.
Competitive Conditions
Integra operates in a very competitive industry and competes with other companies, many of which have greater technical and financial facilities for the acquisition and development of mineral properties, as well as for the recruitment and retention of qualified employees and consultants.
Business Cycles
The precious metals sector is very volatile and cyclical. Despite gold price being at a all-time high, appetite for gold and silver mining equities have softened and remain volatile. In addition to commodity price cycles and recessionary periods, exploration activity may also be affected by seasonal and irregular weather conditions in Idaho and Nevada.
Environmental Protection Requirements
Integra's operations are subject to environmental regulations promulgated by government agencies from time to time. Environmental legislation provides for restrictions and prohibitions on spills, releases or emissions of various substances produced in association with certain mining industry operations, such as seepage from tailings disposal areas, and the use of cyanide which would result in environmental pollution. A breach of such legislation may result in imposition of fines and penalties. Certain types of operations may also require the submission and approval of environmental impact assessments.
Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner that means stricter standards, and enforcement, fines and penalties for non-compliance are more stringent. Environmental assessments of proposed projects carry a heightened degree of responsibility for companies including its directors, officers and employees.
The cost of compliance with changes in governmental regulations has the potential to reduce the profitability of operations.
Foreign Operations
The DeLamar Project is located in Idaho and the Nevada North Project is in Nevada. Mineral exploration and mining activities in the United States may be affected in varying degrees by government regulations relating to the mining industry. Any changes in regulations or shifts in political conditions may adversely affect Integra's business. Operations may be affected in varying degrees by government regulations with respect to restrictions on permitting, production, price controls, income taxes, expropriation of property, environmental legislation and mine safety.
Social and Environmental Policies
Integra has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code of Ethics") that is intended to document the principles of conduct and ethics to be followed by employees, consultants, officers and directors of Integra. Its purpose is to:
promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;
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promote avoidance of conflicts of interest, including disclosure to an appropriate person of any material transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to such a conflict;
promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that Integra files with, or submits to, the securities regulators and in other public communications made by Integra;
promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;
promote the prompt internal reporting to an appropriate person of violations of the Code of Ethics;
promote accountability for adherence to the Code of Ethics;
provide guidance to employees, officers and directors to help them recognize and deal with ethical issues;
provide mechanisms to report unethical conduct; and
help foster Integra's culture of honesty and accountability.
Integra expects all of its employees, officers and directors to comply at all times with the principles in the Code of Ethics. See Item 16B of this Annual Report for more information about the Code of Ethics. The Company also adopted a Safety, Environmental and Social Responsibility Policy to be followed by employees, consultants, officers and directors of Integra. Its purpose is to outline how Integra, together with its directors, officers, employees, consultants and contractors, will conduct its business in a safe and environmentally friendly manner and to the highest standards of corporate social responsibility.
General
The Company is dependent on the renewal and issuance of permits required to advance the Company's mineral properties. In addition, the Company is dependent on mining lease agreements held with multiple third-party landholders, the Idaho Department of Lands, and the Arizona State Land Department. See Note 16 to our audited consolidated financial statements for a description of advance minimum royalties, land access lease payments, and annual claim filings commitments associated with the mining lease agreements.
C. Organizational Structure
The following diagram illustrates the intercorporate relationships among Integra and its subsidiaries, as well as the jurisdiction of incorporation of each entity.
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D. Property, Plants and Equipment
The Company has not estimated mineral resources and mineral reserves pursuant to the SEC's mining disclosure rules under Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 (S-K 1300).
Properties
The Company has mining projects located in Idaho, Nevada and Arizona as listed below.
Idaho Nevada Arizona
DeLamar Project Nevada North Project Marr Property Cerro Colorado Property
BlackSheep District Red Canyon Property Eden Property
War Eagle Property Ocelot Property Dune Property
The subsections below describe the property locations and overviews of the projects. Our only material properties, as determined pursuant to S-K 1300, are the DeLamar Project and the Nevada North Project.
Production
No project is producing.
Property Locations
The following map shows the locations of the properties:
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Property Overview
Overview
Overviews for Black Sheep, War Eagle, Red Canyon, Ocelot, Marr, Eden, Dune and Cerro Colorado are shown in the tables below. All properties listed below as well as our material properties are exploration stage. Information concerning our material properties is located in this Item 4.D. under the headings "DeLamar Project" and "Nevada North Project".
Black Sheep - Gold/Silver
Location Idaho
Type and amount of ownership interests 100% owned by DeLamar Mining Company, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The Black Sheep project is comprised of: 9 State of Idaho metalliferous mineral leases totaling approximately 5,173 acres; and, 211 unpatented claims totaling to approximately 4,042 acres. The unpatented claims are publicly owned lands administered by the U.S. BLM.
Key permit conditions Previous exploration is complete and the area is eligible for future exploration activities under either State or Federal permits, depending on land status.
Mine types and mineralization styles The nature of the mineralization and alteration in BlackSheep includes extensive sinter deposits surrounding centers of hydrothermal eruption breccia vents associated with high-level coliform banded amorphous to chalcedonic silica with highly anomalous gold, silver arsenic, mercury, antimony and selenium values. In addition to some preliminary rock chip sampling, Integra completed an extensive soil geochemistry grid over the BlackSheep District showing highly anomalous gold and silver trends over significant lengths.
Processing plants and other facilities None
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War Eagle Property - Gold/Silver
Location Idaho
Type and amount of ownership interests 100% owned by DeLamar Mining Company, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, with the exception of a 58.334% interest by DMC in 7 leased patented claims owned by Frederick and Carol Chadwick.
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The War Eagle Project is comprised of: 105 unpatented lode claims totaling approximately 2,071 acres; 7 leased patented claims, with an option to purchase, totaling approximately 73 acres; 6 patented claims totaling approximately 43 acres; and, 1 State of Idaho Metalliferous Mineral Lease totaling approximately 552 acres. The unpatented claims are publicly owned lands administered by the U.S. BLM.
Key permit conditions Previous exploration is complete and the area is eligible for future exploration activities under either State or Federal permits, depending on land status.
Mine types and mineralization styles The War Eagle-Florida-DeLamar geological settings, all hosting low sulphidation epithermal gold-silver are genetically related to the same mineralization forming event that occurred roughly 16 million years ago. The local geology and ore mineralogy found within the low sulphidation epithermal veins on War Eagle Mountain are similar to the regimes found at DeLamar and Florida Mountain to the west. The key difference is the host rock. Historically mined gold and silver in high grade veins at War Eagle was predominately mined and hosted by late Cretaceous age granitic rock. Past production on these vein systems has outlined strike lengths in excess of 1 km and depth extents of up to 750 meters or more.
Processing plants and other facilities None
Red Canyon Property - Gold
Location Nevada
Type and amount of ownership interests Millennial Red Canyon, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has a 100% interest in a lease of the Red Canyon property, with an option to purchase the property.
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The 6,650-acre land package consists of 348 unpatented claims that are leased from Red Canyon Corporation. The claims are publicly owned lands administered by the U.S. BLM.
Key permit conditions The project has an active notice with the U.S. BLM that limits surface disturbance to no more than 5 acres.
Mine types and mineralization styles Gold mineralization at Red Canyon is sediment-hosted, Carlin-style, including deeply oxidized bodies overlying sulfide mineralization.
Processing plants and other facilities None
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Ocelot Property - Gold
Location Nevada
Type and amount of ownership interests 100% owned by Millennial Development, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The 3,515-acre land package consists of 172 unpatented claims on publicly owned lands administered by the BLM.
Key permit conditions No permits currently.
Mine types and mineralization styles Mineralization at Ocelot is strongly representative of a low sulfidation epithermal Au/Ag system, hosted in the Valmy Formation and volcano-sedimentary units overlying local quartzite basement rocks. Several target areas display broad zones of alteration including argilization (quartz-illite) and intense silicification with boiling textures, characteristic of the upper levels in epithermal systems.
Processing plants and other facilities None
Marr Property - Gold
Location Nevada
Type and amount of ownership interests 100% owned by Millennial Development, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The 1,921-acre land package consists of 93 unpatented claims. The claims are publicly owned lands administered by the BLM.
Key permit conditions No permits currently.
Mine types and mineralization styles Mineralization at Marr is believed to be a low sulfidation, epithermal Au/Ag epithermal. The target area is covered, with historical drilling reporting zones of broad argillic alteration and high-level exposures of a low-sulfidation system, as characterized by chalcedony and opaline veining with sinter terraces. Anomalous Au and pathfinder elements in high-level quartz-chalcedony veins with boiling textures are common.
Processing plants and other facilities None
Eden Property - Gold
Location Nevada
Type and amount of ownership interests 100% owned by Millennial Development, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The 1,223-acre land package consists of 68 unpatented claims. The claims are publicly owned lands administered by the BLM.
Key permit conditions No permits currently.
Mine types and mineralization styles Mineralization at Eden represents a low sulfidation, epithermal Au/Ag system. The property can be accessed by a frontage road along Interstate 80. The target is hosted in permeable Cenozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks cut by basaltic dikes with quartz veins along through-going "plumbing structures".
Processing plants and other facilities None
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Dune Property - Gold
Location Nevada
Type and amount of ownership interests 100% owned by Millennial Development, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage The 644-acre land package consists of 36 unpatented claims. The claims are publicly owned lands administered by the BLM.
Key permit conditions No permits currently.
Mine types and mineralization styles Mineralization at Dune consists of low sulfidation, epithermal Au-Ag typical of significant economic Au-Ag deposits of this region of Nevada. The target concept is a structurally- and stratigraphically-controlled low sulfidation gold system, hosted by permeable Cenozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. A large part of the property is covered by quaternary gravels.
Processing plants and other facilities None
Cerro Colorado Property - Copper
Location Arizona
Type and amount of ownership interests Millennial Arizona, LLC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has a 100% interest in a lease of the Cerro Colorado property, with an option to purchase the property.
Titles, mineral rights, leases or options and acreage Seven distinct areas of interest comprise the combined 10,097-acre land package that is being leased from Tri Minerals Holdings Corp, consisting of 229 unpatented claims on public lands administered by the U.S. BLM and 14 Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) mineral leases situated on State of Arizona Lands.
Key permit conditions No permits currently.
Mine types and mineralization styles Cerro Colorado hosts numerous historical mining operations that exploited Ag-Au (±Cu)-bearing veins hosted by Jurassic and early Laramide volcanic rocks. District-scale and local alteration patterns indicate potential for porphyry copper mineralization within intrusive units beneath the volcanic host rocks. Limited historical drilling in intrusive units adjacent to Integra's areas done by Phelps Dodge and Mine Finders reported weakly mineralized porphyry copper intrusions. Recent academic work in the area suggests a lack of Cenozoic extension and dismemberment in the district, preserving the Ag-Au veins and associated deeper porphyry copper systems upright and intact below older volcanic rocks.
Processing plants and other facilities The former La Colorada Mill Site is located within the Cerro Colorado project area and is currently being reclaimed by Tri Minerals Holdings Corp.
DeLamar Project, Idaho
The DeLamar Project consists of the neighboring DeLamar Deposit and Florida Mountain Deposit.
The Company has not estimated mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300. Information regarding estimated mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with NI 43-101 are not contained herein as such estimates were not made in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300; however, information from prior technical reports not in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300 are available for review under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or the Company's website but are not included herein or incorporated herein by reference.
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Property Map for the DeLamar Project, Idaho, U.S.A.
Project Description, Location and Ownership
The DeLamar Project, comprised of the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposits, includes of 790 unpatented lode, placer, and millsite claims, and 16 tax parcels comprised of patented mining claims, as well as certain leasehold and easement interests, that cover approximately 8,673 hectares (21,431 acres) in southwestern Idaho, about 80km (50 miles) southwest of Boise. The property is approximately centered at 43°00′48″N, 116°47′35″W, within portions of the historical Carson (Silver City) mining district, and it includes the formerly producing DeLamar mine last operated by Kinross Gold Corporation ("Kinross"). The total annual land-holding costs are estimated to be $473,244. The book value of the Delamar Project and its associated plant and equipment is $42,178,365. All mineral titles and permits are held by DeLamar Mining Company ("DMC"), an indirect, 100% wholly owned subsidiary of Integra that was acquired from Kinross through the DeLamar Purchase Agreement in 2017. DMC holds the surface rights to the patented claims it owns and has leased, subject to various easements and other reservations and encumbrances. DMC has rights to use the surface of the unpatented mining claims for mining related purposes through September 1, 2024, and which it may maintain on a yearly basis beyond that by timely annual payment of claim maintenance fees and other filing requirements, and subject to the paramount title of the U.S. federal government. DMC holds surface rights to the areas it has under lease in accordance with the terms of each lease.
A total of 284 unpatented claims acquired from Kinross, 101 are subject to a 2.0% NSR royalty payable to a predecessor owner. There are also eight lease agreements covering 33 patented claims and five unpatented claims that require NSR payments ranging from 2.0% to 5.0%. The DeLamar Project includes 1,561 hectares (3,857.2 acres) under seven leases from the State of Idaho, which are subject to a 5.0% NSR production royalty plus annual payments of $27,282. The seven leases from the State of Idaho may be terminated by the State of Idaho for any uncured default, breach, or violation of any applicable law, rule or regulation applicable to the leases with thirty days' written notice of default and DeLamar's failure to cure any such default.
Kinross has retained a 2.5% NSR royalty that applies to those portions of the DeLamar deposit claims that are unencumbered by the royalties outlined above. The royalty was subsequently sold to Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp. ("Triple Flag"). The Triple Flag Royalty will be reduced to 1.0% upon Triple Flag receiving total royalty payments of C$10,000,000 ($7.4 million). The DeLamar Project is also subject to 1.5% NSR to Wheaton.
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The Loan Agreement with Beedie is secured by the Company's material assets, including the DeLamar Project.
Pursuant to the ROFR Agreement, Wheaton acquired from Integra a right of first refusal on all future precious metals royalties, streams and pre-pays transactions on all properties owned by the Company.
DMC also owns mining claims and leased lands peripheral to the DeLamar Project described above. These landholdings are not part of the DeLamar Project, although some of the lands are contiguous with those of the DeLamar and Florida Mountain claims and State Leases.
The principal access to the DeLamar Project is from U.S. Highway 95 and the town of Jordan Valley, Oregon, proceeding east on Yturri Blvd. from Jordan Valley for 7.6km (4.7 miles) to the Trout Creek Road. It is then another 39.4km (24.5 miles) travelling east on the gravel Trout Creek Road to reach the DeLamar mine tailing facility and nearby site office building. Travel time by automobile via this route is approximately 35 minutes. Secondary access is from the town of Murphy, Idaho and State Highway 78, via the Old Stage Road and the Silver City Road. Travel time by this secondary route is estimated to be about 1.5 hours.
Environmental Liabilities and Permitting
The DeLamar Project historical open-pit mine areas have been in closure since 2003. While a substantial amount of reclamation and closure work has been completed to date at the site, there remain ongoing water-management activities, monitoring, and reporting. A reclamation bond of $3,276,078 remains with the Idaho Department of Lands ("IDL") and a reclamation bond of $100,000 remains with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Additional reclamation bonds in the total amount of $714,400 have been placed with the BLM for exploration activities and groundwater well installation on public lands. There are also reclamation bonds with the IDL in the total amount of $155,900 for exploration activities on IDL leased lands.
History
Total production of gold and silver from the DeLamar Project area is estimated to be approximately 1.3 million ounces of gold and 70 million ounces of silver from 1891 through 1998, with an additional but unknown quantity produced at the DeLamar mill in 1999. From 1876 to 1891, an estimated 1.025 million ounces of gold and 51 million ounces of silver were produced from the original De Lamar underground mine and the later DeLamar open-pit operations. At the Florida Mountain Area, nearly 260,000 ounces of gold and 18 million ounces of silver were produced from the historical underground mines and late 1990s open-pit mining.
Mining activity began in the area of the DeLamar Project when placer gold deposits were discovered in early 1863 in Jordan Creek, a short distance upstream from what later became the town site of De Lamar. During the summer of 1863, the first silver-gold lodes were discovered in quartz veins at War Eagle Mountain, to the east of Florida Mountain, resulting in the initial settlement of Silver City. Between 1876 and 1888, significant silver-gold veins were discovered and developed in the district, including underground mines at De Lamar Mountain and Florida Mountain. A total of 553,000 ounces of gold and 21.3 million ounces of silver were reportedly produced from the De Lamar and Florida Mountain underground mines from the late 1800s to early 1900s.
The mines in the district were closed in 1914, following which very little production took place until gold and silver prices increased in the1930s. Placer gold was again recovered from Jordan Creek from 1934 to 1940, and in 1938 a 181 tonne-per-day flotation mill was constructed to process waste dumps from the De Lamar underground mine. The flotation mill reportedly operated until the end of 1942. Including Florida Mountain, the De Lamar - Silver City area is believed to have produced about 1 million ounces of gold and 25 million ounces of silver from 1863 through 1942.
During the late 1960s, the district began to undergo exploration for near-surface bulk-mineable gold-silver deposits, and in 1977 a joint venture operated by Earth Resources Corporation ("Earth Resources") began production from an open-pit, milling and cyanide tank-leach operation at De Lamar Mountain, known as the DeLamar mine. In 1981, Earth Resources was acquired by the Mid Atlantic Petroleum Company ("MAPCO"), and in 1984 and 1985 the NERCO Mineral Company ("NERCO") successively acquired the MAPCO interest and the entire joint venture to operate the DeLamar mine with 100% ownership. NERCO was purchased by the Kennecott Copper Corporation ("Kennecott") in 1993. Two months later in 1993, Kennecott sold its 100% interest in the DeLamar mine and property to Kinross, and Kinross operated the mine, which expanded to the Florida Mountain area in 1994. Mining ceased in 1998, milling ceased in 1999, and mine closure activities commenced in 2003. Closure and reclamation were nearly completed by 2014, as the mill and other mine buildings were removed, and drainage and cover of the tailing facility were developed.
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Total open-pit production from the DeLamar Project from 1977 through 1998, including the Florida Mountain operation, is estimated at approximately 750,000 ounces of gold and 47.6 million ounces of silver, with an unknown quantity produced at the DeLamar mill in 1999. From start-up in 1977 through to the end of 1998, open-pit production in the DeLamar area totaled 625,000 ounces of gold and about 45 million ounces of silver. This production came from pits developed at the Glen Silver, Sommercamp - Regan (including North and South Wahl), and North DeLamar areas. In 1993, the DeLamar mine was operating at a mining rate of 27,216 tonnes (30,000 tons) per day, with a milling capacity of about 3,629 tonnes (4,000 tons) per day. In 1994, Kinross commenced open-pit mining at Florida Mountain while continuing production from the DeLamar mine. The ore from Florida Mountain, which was mined through 1998, was processed at the DeLamar facilities. Florida Mountain production in 1994 through 1998 totaled 124,500 ounces of gold and 2.6 million ounces of silver.
Exploration of the DeLamar Project by Integra commenced in 2017. Since then, Integra has carried out geophysical and geochemical exploration programs, geologic mapping, and exploration, infill, metallurgical, and geotechnical drilling programs.
Geological Setting and Mineralization
The DeLamar Project is situated in the Owyhee Mountains near the east margin of the mid-Miocene Columbia River - Steens flood-basalt province and the west margin of the Snake River Plain. The Owyhee Mountains comprise a major mid-Miocene eruptive center, generally composed of mid-Miocene basalt flows intruded and overlain by mid-Miocene rhyolite dikes, domes, flows and tuffs, developed on an eroded surface of Late Cretaceous granitic rocks. The DeLamar deposit mine area and mineralized zones are situated within an arcuate, nearly circular array of overlapping porphyritic and flow-banded rhyolite flows and domes that overlie cogenetic, precursor pyroclastic deposits erupted as local tuff rings. Integra interprets the porphyritic and banded rhyolite flows and latites as composite flow domes and dikes emplaced along regional-scale northwest-trending structures. At Florida Mountain, flow-banded rhyolite flows and domes cut through and overlie a tuff breccia unit that overlies basaltic lava flows and Late Cretaceous granitic rocks.
Gold-silver mineralization occurred as two distinct but related types: (i) relatively continuous, quartz-filled fissure veins that were the focus of late 19th and early 20th century underground mining, hosted mainly in the basalt and granodiorite and to a lesser degree in the overlying felsic volcanic units; and (ii) broader, bulk-mineable zones of closely-spaced quartz veinlets and quartz-cemented hydrothermal breccia veins that are individually continuous for only a few meters/feet laterally and vertically, and of mainly less than 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) in width - predominantly hosted in the rhyolites and latites peripheral to and above the quartz-filled fissures. This second style of mineralization was mined in the open pits of the late 20th century DeLamar and Florida Mountain operations, hosted primarily by the felsic volcanic units.
The fissure veins mainly strike north to northwest and are filled with quartz accompanied by variable amounts of adularia, sericite or clay, ± minor calcite. Vein widths vary from a few centimeters to several meters, but the veins persist laterally and vertically for as much as several hundreds of meters. The primary silver and gold minerals are naumannite, aguilarite, argentite, ruby silver, native gold and electrum, native silver, cerargyrite, and acanthite. Variable amounts of pyrite and marcasite with very minor chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena occur in some veins. Gold- and silver-bearing minerals are generally very fine grained.
The gold and silver mineralization at the DeLamar Project is best interpreted in the context of the volcanic-hosted, low-sulfidation type of epithermal model. Various vein textures, mineralization, alteration features, and the low contents of base metals in the district are typical of shallow low-sulfidation epithermal deposits worldwide.
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Exploration
Integra commissioned a Light Detection and Ranging topographic survey of the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposit areas and an Induced Polarization and Resistivity ("IP/RES") survey of six lines using the Volterra-2DIP distributed array system in the DeLamar deposit area in 2017. In 2018, Integra conducted rock-chip and soil geochemical sampling at the DeLamar deposit area. During 2019 through 2023, Integra and contractor personnel collected 449 rock samples in the DeLamar, Milestone and Florida Mountain areas. Contractor personnel collected 298 soil samples in the DeLamar/Milestone area in 2019. A total of 2,332 soil samples were collected from the Florida Mountain area in 2019. In 2019, Integra commissioned a helicopter high-resolution magnetic survey of the DeLamar - Florida Mountain area. In 2020, Integra commissioned a further IP/RES survey at DeLamar. Integra geologists also carried out geologic mapping at a scale of 1:5,000 in 2020 and 2021. The results of this exploration work has, in part, served to better interpret structure at the DeLamar Project.
Drilling
3,488 holes, for a total of 385,618 meters (1,265,150 feet), were drilled by Integra and various historical operators at the DeLamar and Florida Mountain areas.
The historical drilling was completed from 1966 to 1998 and includes 2,625 holes for a total of 275,790 meters (904,821 feet) of drilling. Most of the historical drilling was done using reverse-circulation ("RC") and conventional rotary methods; a total of 106 historical holes were drilled using diamond-core ("core") methods for a total of 10,845 meters (35,581 feet). Approximately 74% of the historical drilling was vertical, including all conventional rotary holes. At DeLamar, a significant portion of the total meterage drilled historically was subsequently mined during the open-pit operations.
Integra commenced drilling in 2018 and as of December 31, 2023 has drilled a total of 863 holes (RC, core, and Sonic holes) for a total of 109,828 meters (360,329 feet) in the DeLamar and Florida Mountain areas combined (including the historical stockpile areas). The majority of Integra’s holes were drilled at angles, with the exception of the historical stockpile areas. Integra has no drilling planned at the DeLamar Project for 2024.
In 2023, the Company completed the drilling of 300 boreholes, encompassing a cumulative length of 14,971 meters (49,119 feet). Of those 300 boreholes, 37 were diamond drill boreholes, extending over 4,597 meters (15,080 feet), resulting in the collection and analysis of 3,254 samples. Additionally, the Company executed 263 RC and Sonic drilling operations, covering a total of 10,374 meters (34,037 feet) and yielding 7,801 samples, predominantly within historical stockpiles area.
Sampling, Analysis and Data Verification
Integra Sampling, Analysis and Data Verification
Integra's RC and core samples were transported by the drilling contractor or Integra personnel from the drill sites to Integra's logging and core cutting facility at the DeLamar mine daily. The RC samples were allowed to dry for a few days at the drill sites prior to delivery to the secured logging and core-cutting facility.
The 2018 to 2023 core sample intervals were sawed lengthwise mainly into halves after logging and photography by Integra geologists and technicians in the logging and sample storage area. In some cases, the core was sawed into quarters. Sample intervals of either ½ or ¼ core were placed in numbered sample bags, and the remainder of the core was returned to the core box and stored in a secure area on site. Core sample bags were closed and placed in a secure holding area awaiting dispatch to the analytical laboratory.
All of Integra's rock, soil and drilling samples were prepared and analyzed at American Assay Laboratories ("AAL") in Sparks, Nevada. AAL is an independent commercial laboratory accredited effective December 1, 2020, to the ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2017 for testing and calibration laboratories.
The drilling samples were transported from the DeLamar mine logging and sample storage area to AAL by Integra's third-party trucking contractor.
The soil samples were screened to -80 mesh for multi-element analysis at AAL.
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Integra Quality Assurance/Quality Control Programs
Coarse blank material commercially produced certified reference materials ("CRMs"), RC field duplicates, and coarse-reject (or preparation) duplicates were inserted into the drill-sample streams as part of Integra's quality assurance/ quality control procedures. The blank material consisted of coarse fragments of basalt, and a blank was inserted approximately every 10th sample. Commercial CRMs were inserted as pulps at a frequency of approximately every 10th sample. The lab was requested to prepare and analyze a coarse-reject duplicate for every 22nd primary sample analyzed during the sonic drilling program of 2022 and 2023.
Integra's sample preparation and analyses were performed at a well-known certified laboratory.
Data Verification
The historical portions of the current resource drill-hole databases for the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposit areas were created by a third-party engineering firm using original DeLamar mine digital database files, and this information was subjected to extensive verification measures by both that engineering firm and Integra. The Integra portions of the drill-hole databases were directly created by the engineering firm using original digital analytical certificates in the case of the assay tables and checking against original digital records in the case of the collar and down-hole deviation tables.
Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing
Metallurgical testing by Integra, generally conducted at McClelland Laboratories ("McClelland") during 2018 through 2023, has been used to select preferred processing methods and estimate recoveries for oxide, mixed and non-oxide mineralization from both the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposits. Samples used for this testing, primarily drill hole composites from 2018 through 2023 Integra drilling, were selected to represent the various material types contained in the current resources from both the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposits. Composites were selected to evaluate effects of area, depth, grade, oxidation, lithology, and alteration on metallurgical response.
Bottle-roll and column-leach cyanidation testing on drill core composites from both the DeLamar and Florida Mountain deposits and on bulk samples from the DeLamar deposit have shown that the oxide and mixed material types from both deposits can be processed by heap-leach cyanidation. These materials generally benefit from relatively fine crushing to maximize heap-leach recoveries and a feed size of 80% -12.7mm (0.5 inches) was selected as optimum. Expected heap-leach gold recoveries for the oxide mineralization from both deposits (DeLamar and Florida Mountain) are consistently high (70% to 89%). Heap leach gold recoveries for the mixed mineralization are expected to average 72% for Florida Mountain and to range from 45% to 63% for the DeLamar deposit. Heap leach silver recoveries from the Florida Mountain oxide and mixed materials are expected to average 49% and 47%, respectively. Expected heap-leach silver recoveries from the DeLamar material are highly variable (11% to 74%), but generally low. A significant portion of the DeLamar oxide and mixed mineralization will require agglomeration pre-treatment using cement, because of elevated clay content. None of the Florida Mountain heap-leach material is expected to require agglomeration.
Preliminary bottle-roll testing on reverse-circulation and sonic drill intervals from the historic backfill and waste dump materials at DeLamar and Florida Mountain have shown that the materials can be processed by heap-leach cyanidation. Further variability bottle-roll testing and column-leach testing is being completed on the materials to determine ultimate gold and silver recovery estimates.
Metallurgical testing (primarily flotation and agitated cyanidation) has shown that the DeLamar non-oxide materials respond well to flotation at a moderate grind size (150 microns) for recovery of gold and silver to a flotation concentrate. The resulting flotation concentrate responds well to cyanide leaching after very fine regrinding (20 microns) for recovery of contained silver. Some gold is also recovered by cyanide leaching of the reground flotation concentrate, but those recoveries generally are low. Mineralogical examination and metallurgical testing have shown that these materials contain significant amounts of gold that are locked in sulfide mineral particles, which require oxidative pre-treatment of sulfide minerals for liberation of gold before high cyanidation gold recoveries can be obtained. Expected recoveries from the DeLamar non-oxide mineralization in the planned mill circuit, consisting of grinding, flotation concentrate regrinding and cyanide leach, range from 28% to 39% for gold and from 64% to 87% for silver.
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Metallurgical testing has shown that the non-oxide mineralization from the Florida Mountain deposit responds well to upgrading by flotation at a moderate grind size (150 microns) and cyanidation gold and silver recoveries from the resulting concentrates can be maximized by very fine regrinding (20 microns). In contrast to the DeLamar non-oxide materials, oxidative pre-treatment of contained sulfide minerals is not required to achieve high cyanidation gold recoveries from the Florida Mountain non-oxide feeds. Recoveries expected from the Florida Mountain non-oxide mineralization in the planned mill circuit vary with feed grade, but generally are high, with maximum recoveries of 87% gold and 77% silver.
Mining Operations
The Company considered open-pit mining of the DeLamar and Florida Mountain gold-silver deposits. Mining will utilize 23-cubic meter (30-cubic yard) hydraulic shovels along with 13-cubic meter (16.7-cubic yard) loaders to load 136-tonne capacity haul trucks. The haul trucks will haul waste and ore out of the pit and to dumping locations. Due to the length of ore hauls, the ore will be stockpiled near the pits followed by loading into a Railveyor system which will convey the ore into a crusher. The Railveyor system will be supplemented with haul trucks on an as needed basis.
Waste material will be stored in waste-rock storage facilities ("WRSFs") located near each of the Florida Mountain and DeLamar Areas, as well as backfilled into pits where available. The exception is the Milestone pit, from which waste material will be fully utilized for construction material for the tailing storage facility ("TSF").
Production scheduling was completed using Geovia's MineSched™ (version 2021) software. The production schedule considers the processing of DeLamar and Florida Mountain oxide and mixed material by crushing and heap leaching, with some of the DeLamar material requiring agglomeration prior to leaching. DeLamar and Florida Mountain non-oxide material would be processed using flotation followed by cyanide leaching of the flotation concentrate.
An autonomous Railveyor light-rail haulage system will be used to transport ore from the open pits to the crusher facility. Utilizing the Railveyor system allows the opportunity to realize cost savings compared to typical truck haulage. This system, in conjunction with the planned solar and liquid natural gas electrical microgrid will reduce the overall fuel consumption and carbon footprint of the project.
The production schedule was used along with additional efficiency factors, performance curves, and productivity rates to develop the first-principal hours required for primary mining equipment to achieve the production schedule. Primary mining equipment includes drills, loaders, hydraulic shovels, and haul trucks. Support, blasting, and mine maintenance equipment will be required in addition to the primary mining equipment.
Processing and Recovery Operations
Processing
The Company envisions the use of two process methods for the recovery of gold and silver:
1. Lower-grade oxide and mixed materials will be processed by crushed-ore cyanide heap leaching; and
2. Non-oxide material will be processed using grinding followed by flotation, and very fine grinding of flotation concentrate for agitated cyanide leaching.
Heap-leach and milling ores will be coming from both the Florida Mountain and DeLamar deposits. Pregnant solutions from the heap-leach operation and from the milling operation will be processed by the same Merrill-Crowe zinc cementation plant. Processing will start with heap leaching in the first two years of operation. Milling of higher-grade non-oxide ore will start in the third year of operation.
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Both Florida Mountain and DeLamar oxide and mixed ore types have been shown to be amenable to heap-leach processing following crushing. Material will be crushed in three stages to a nominal size of 80% finer than (P80) 12.7-millimeter (0.5 inches), at a rate of 35,000 tonnes per day. About 45% of DeLamar ore is expected to require agglomeration.
Crushed and prepared ore will be transferred to the heap-leach pad using overland conveyors and stacked on the heap using portable or grasshopper conveyors and a radial stacking system. Pregnant leach solution will be collected at the base on the heap leach and transferred to the Merrill-Crowe processing plant for recovery of precious metals by zinc precipitation. The precipitate will be filtered, dried, and smelted to produce gold and silver doré bullion for shipment off site.
The milling process will start with primary crushing of the ore to a nominal P80 of 120 millimeter (4.72 inches), followed by grinding in a SAG mill-ball mill circuit to a P80 of 150 microns. The ball mill discharge will be pumped to hydrocyclones, with the hydrocyclone overflow advancing to flotation and the underflow returning to the ball mill.
The flotation circuit will produce a sulfide concentrate that will recover gold and silver from the ore. This flotation concentrate will be reground to a nominal P80 of 20 microns before being leached in agitated leach tanks. Pregnant solution will be separated using a CCD circuit that employs dewatering cyclones and thickeners. The pregnant solution is then sent to the Merrill-Crowe plant and gold smelting facility to produce gold and silver doré bullion.
The flotation tailing stream will be thickened and pumped to the tailing storage facility. The concentrate leach residue will be sent to cyanide destruction, then stored in a separate concentrate leach tailing storage facility.
Recovery
Preliminary heap leach recovery estimates for the historical backfill and waste dump materials were made based on available bottle roll test results and are summarized in Table 1.2 below.
Table 1-2 Pit-Optimization Metal Recoveries by Deposit and Oxidation State
See "Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing" above.
Infrastructure, Permitting and Compliance Activities
Project Infrastructure
The infrastructure for the DeLamar Project has been developed to support mining and processing operations. This includes the access road to the facilities, power supply, Railveyor, communication, heap-leach pads, process plant, and ancillary buildings. This also includes haul roads within the mining area as well as the mine waste storage facilities.
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The main access to the DeLamar Project is via gravel roads from Jordan Valley, Oregon, as used for previous mining at DeLamar. The existing DeLamar Project site access road is located on the east side of Henrietta Ridge extending from the DeLamar Road across Jordan Creek to the western side of the existing reclaimed Kinross tailing impoundment. This existing site access road is expected to become unusable due to its proximity to the proposed Milestone pit haul road and DeLamar West WRSF. Therefore, the Company proposes relocating the site access road to the west side of Henrietta Ridge.
Haul road access between the DeLamar Area mine and Florida Mountain Area will need to be improved for use with the proposed mining equipment. This access will be utilized for delivery of all consumables, as well as any required construction materials and equipment. This will also be the primary access for all personnel working at the Florida Mountain Area.
The electrical power demand at the DeLamar Project facilities is currently estimated at 13.5 MW for initial heap-leach process operations, with an additional load of 9.8 MW for the mill circuit. The demand will vary according to the quantity of each ore type to be processed. The average load for the mine is forecast to be 11.6 MW (Table 18.1) with a peak demand of 23.4 MW. Lifetime electricity consumption is estimated to be 1.8 million MWh.
Existing electrical infrastructure on the DeLamar Project site consists of a 69 kV transmission line operated by Idaho Power Company. Significant upgrades to existing electrical infrastructure would be required to meet the anticipated load increase associated with the DeLamar Project, including construction of new 138 kV transmission lines, substations and tap station upgrades. To reduce capital expenditures of energy infrastructure, ensure power supply resilience and reduce emissions, Integra plans to power the project through an on-site microgrid with a solar electrical generation system and an LNG plant.
The DeLamar Project will utilize a Railveyor light rail haulage system to transport ore from the open pits to the crusher facility. The Railveyor system is an autonomous materials haulage system consisting of transport trains, light-rails, electrical drive stations, and materials loading and discharge stations. The system functions similar to a conveyor, but is designed to be modular and relocatable, allowing improved operational flexibility and lower cost. By leveraging the Railveyor system, the DeLamar Project has a unique opportunity to realize cost savings compared to typical truck haulage, while reducing its overall fuel consumption and carbon footprint and automating many essential functions that typically would require on-site personnel.
The heap-leach pads ("HLP" or "HLPs") will be located immediately north of the crushing facility in portions of Sections 3, 4, 9 and 10, Township 5 South, Range 4 West. The site slopes northerly toward Jordan Creek at an average gradient of 12.5 percent. The HLPs will be constructed in two phases. The phase 1 portion will be constructed on a feature locally identified as Jacobs Ridge and into an adjacent valley to the west (herein referred to as the "unnamed gulch" or the "valley"). The site is generally underlain with a basalt which is overlain with a thin veneer of colluvium derived from weathering of the basalt and interbeds of tuff. Upper portions of the HLPs are underlain with porphyritic latite lava flows. The northern extent of the Jacobs Ridge pad area is underlain by a Miocene age rhyolite dike or plug. Geotechnical drilling in the Jacobs Ridge portion of the site in 1988 identified discontinuous layers of weathered tuff that had low shear strength. An initial auger drilling program on the western side of the site did not encounter the tuffaceous material encountered on Jacobs Ridge.
Phase 2 portion of the HLP will consist of a westerly extension of the pad and tying in the area between the west side of the Jacobs Ridge pad and the east side of the phase 1 valley pad. Construction of phase 2 will begin two years ahead of when the extended pad is needed, assumed in year 3 of operation. Phase 2 construction will be performed in the same sequence of activities and will add approximately 30% to the pad footprint. The total volume of ore to be placed on the HLP is between 95 million tonnes and 100 million tonnes which may include up to 2 million tonnes placed at the southern end of the Jacobs Ridge portion of the phase 1 pad to minimize recovery time from the final ore placed on the pad.
The primary flotation TSF for the DeLamar Project will be located in Sections 30 and 31, Township 4 South, Range 4 West, and Sections 25 and 36, Township 4 South, Range 5 West, in Slaughterhouse Gulch, approximately 6.0 kilometers (3.7 miles) west of the new mill site. Slaughterhouse Gulch is a natural drainage that descends to the south primarily on State and BLM lands. The TSF will be a zoned earth and rockfill embankment that will be located where the valley narrows approximately 1km (0.6 miles) north of its confluence with Jordan Creek. The Slaughterhouse Gulch TSF will impound flotation tailing that have not been processed by cyanidation and therefore will not be lined in accordance with IDEQ Rules 58.01.013. The earth dam will be designed in accordance with Idaho dam safety regulation IDAPA 37 - DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Water Allocations Bureau 37.03.05 - Mine Tailings Impoundment Structures.
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The concentrate leach tailing storage facility ("CLTSF") will be a smaller, 26 hectare (64.2 acre) impoundment for containment of flotation concentrates from the milling process after they have been leached with cyanide to remove precious metals. To aid in settling, this fine material (P80 of 20 microns) will be blended with a small stream of coarser flotation tailing in roughly a 1:1 blend. The location of this CLTSF is immediately south of the HLP at the head of the unnamed drainage. The construction of the CLTSF in this location will involve placing fill from the Jacobs Ridge pad area to provide initial stormwater storage and then installing a liner system in year 2 that will meet the lining requirements of the IDEQ Rules 58.01.13 - Rules for Ore Processing by Cyanidation. In accordance with the regulation, the lining system will consist of 61 centimeters (24 inches) of compacted clay overlain with an 80-mil thick HDPE liner - or approved equivalent. The downstream side of the TSF will be constrained by crushed ore placed in the south end of the HLPs. A geotextile will be placed on the ore to allow drainage from the CLTSF into the ore to enhance consolidation of the tailing during operation and following closure. Excess fluids will be decanted from the surface of the impoundment and pumped back to a tank for re-introduction into the process water stream. Since this impoundment will be constructed in accordance with the IDEQ Cyanide Rules, in may also be used for temporary storage of excess fluids containing cyanide due to precipitation events on the HLP.
The proposed heap-leach facility will be located between the DeLamar and Florida Mountain Area pits. The primary crusher and process facilities will be located just south of the HLPs. Ore will be conveyed from the primary crusher to oxide or non-oxide coarse ore stockpiles accordingly.
WRSFs, along with backfill areas, have been designed to contain the waste material mined from the different pit phases. A single WRSF design is planned for the Florida Mountain Area along with a two backfill dumps into the Florida Mountain Area phase 1 and 2 pits. Material from Florida Mountain Area phase 1 will be placed into the primary WRSF. Phase 2 waste material will also be placed into the primary WRSF except for some upper areas of the pit where some waste will be backfilled. Phase 3 waste material is planned to be placed into the backfill dump as available while the remaining waste material will be placed into the Florida Mountain Area WRSF. The total capacity of the WRSF is 32.2 million cubic meters (42.1 million cubic yards). The remaining 23.4 million cubic meters (30.6 million cubic yards) of waste material will be placed into backfill.
Three WRSF designs were created for the DeLamar Area which includes a West WRSF, East WRSF, and a North WRSF. The West and East WRSFs are intended for storage of material from the DeLamar Main phase 1 pit. Both dump designs include a roadway that will be built into the WRSFs to allow haulage through the main pit exits for both DeLamar Main and Sullivan Gulch pits. The East WRSF creates its haulage road through a valley to the south of the deeper Sullivan Gulch phase 2 pit. This road is anticipated to be in place well before the mining of Sullivan Gulch phase 2. The total West DeLamar WRSF total capacity is 5.9 million cubic meters (7.7 million cubic yards). After the roadway is completed, the East WRSF is to be expanded to the south. The total East DeLamar WRSF total capacity will be 50.0 million cubic meters (65.4 million cubic yards).
The North WRSF will be located in a valley to the north of the Main and Sullivan Gulch pits. This will be used for the Main pit phase 2 waste along with Sullivan Gulch pit waste. The designed capacity of the North WRSF is 26.4 million cubic meters (34.5 million cubic yards). As available, additional waste will be placed into the Main phase 1 pit and from the Main phase 2 pit as backfill. Additional backfill material will be placed into the Main phase 2 pit from Sullivan Gulch phase 1 mining.
Other buildings located on or near the process facilities pad include the administration/change building, a substation, assay lab, Merrill-Crowe plant, and water treatment plant.
It is anticipated that there will be several freshwater wells on-site that will provide the requirements of the DeLamar Project. Fresh water will be stored in a fresh/fire water tank that will have reserve storage dedicated for fire protection. The balance of the fresh/fire water volume will be utilized to supply the demands of the process as well as mine dust suppression.
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Stormwater from the site will be managed as contact and non-contact stormwater. Non-contact stormwaters are the flows that do not come in contact with ore or mine processing facilities. Non-contact flows will be diverted and conveyed around the sites and directly discharged to existing stream channels. Contact stormwater will be utilized within the process to the greatest extent that allows the process to maintain a neutral balance. If there is excess contact water within the process, the excess will be routed to a water treatment plant. There is an existing water treatment plant at the project site. An allowance has been included for additional water treatment capacity consisting of a plant with solids separation and treatment, as required, to allow for discharge to existing stream channels or re-use in the process system.
Mine site personnel requirements are shown in the table below. This includes administrative, mining, and processing. In addition, there would be approximately 80 additional personnel working on-site during construction.
Table 1-6 Mine, Process and Administrative Personnel
Units Pre-Prod Yr_1 Yr_2 Yr_3 Yr_4 Yr_5 Yr_6 Yr_7 Yr_8 Yr_9 Yr_10 Yr_11 Yr_12 Yr_13 Yr_14 Yr_15 Yr_16 Yr_17 Yr_18 Max
Administration # 24 27 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 17 14 14 14 14 14 - 27
Mining Personnel
Mine General Personnel # 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 15 15 15 15 15 11 - 22
Operators # 60 97 113 117 117 117 117 97 91 91 91 91 60 44 36 32 32 28 - 117
Mechanics # 30 49 59 59 59 59 59 51 47 47 47 47 31 23 19 15 15 13 - 59
Maintenance # 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 15 15 15 15 15 14 - 25
Total Mine Personnel # 137 193 219 223 223 223 223 195 185 185 185 185 121 97 85 77 77 66 - 223
Process Personnel
Process General Personnel # 7 7 7 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 - 14
Operators # 10 21 21 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 - 46
Assay Lab # 6 6 6 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 - 12
Maintenance # 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 - 7
Total Process Personnel # 30 41 41 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 - 79
Total Project Personnel # 191 261 284 326 326 326 326 298 288 288 288 288 217 190 178 170 170 159 - 326
Environmental Studies
The review and approval process for the PoO by the BLM constitutes a federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") and BLM regulations. Thus, for the BLM to process the PoO, the BLM is required to comply with the NEPA and prepare either an Environmental Assessment, or an Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS"). Based on discussions with the BLM, Integra anticipates an EIS will be required to comply with NEPA.
Integra has contracted qualified third parties to perform environmental adequacy reviews of all available existing environmental baseline reports and data compiled from 1979 through present. Additionally, an EA was approved in 1987 for the DeLamar Silver Mine and an EIS was approved in 1995 for the Stone Cabin Mine by previous operators for the site.
In 2020, Integra conducted a technical adequacy audit of all existing environmental information, and began the collection of surface water hydrology and quality, ground water hydrology and quality, geochemistry, water rights and geotechnical/engineering.
Baseline studies for surface water were initiated in spring of 2020 and ground water studies were initiated in the spring of 2020. Geotechnical investigations for site features commenced in 2021 and geochemical fieldwork and kinetic testing commenced in 2020 and will continue into 2024.
In 2021, Integra, working closely with the BLM and state agencies, completed the review and approval of the initial environmental baseline work plans. In conjunction with the MPO proposed action, baseline studies were updated in 2022 and 2023 to account for revised and new proposed site features. Baseline surveys initiated in accordance with the 2021 plans of study and continued in 2023 with the updated 2023 plans of study where all baseline studies were completed by the end of the 2023 field season in preparation for filing of the preliminary MPO in late 2023.
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The entire DeLamar mining district has been studied extensively, both historically and currently; therefore, ensuring scientific integrity of the methodologies and analysis used to collect the data and ultimately a meaningful analysis would be conducted allowing for a reasonable comparative assessment of the alternatives.
Permitting
The MPO is submitted to the BLM for any surface disturbance in excess of five acres (2.02 hectares). The MPO describes the operational procedures for the construction, operation, and closure of the project. As required by the BLM, the MPO includes a waste-rock management plan, quality assurance plan, a storm water plan, a spill prevention plan, reclamation plan, a monitoring plan, and an interim management plan. In addition, a reclamation report with a Reclamation Cost Estimate ("RCE") for the closure of the project is required. The content of the MPO is based on the mine plan design and the data gathered as part of the environmental baseline studies. The MPO includes all mine and processing design information and mining methods. The BLM determines the completeness of the MPO and, when the completeness letter is submitted to the proponent, the NEPA process begins. The RCE is reviewed by BLM and the bond is determined prior to the BLM issuing a decision on the MPO.
In December 2023, the operational and baseline surveys for the project were completed and operations and design for the project were at a level where a preliminary MPO could be developed to the necessary level of detail. On December 20, 2023, the Company announced that it had submitted the preliminary MPO to the BLM.
Social and Community
The project is located in rural Owyhee County, close to the Oregon border. The closest substantial community is Jordan Valley, in Malheur County Oregon. This community is primarily an agricultural-based economy. However, when the mine previously operated in the 1980s and 1990s, many of the employees lived in Jordan Valley.
Internal Controls Disclosure
The Company has internal controls for reviewing and documenting the information from exploration activities, describing the methods used, and ensuring the validity of the information.
Information that is used to compile mineral resources and reserves is prepared and certified by appropriately qualified persons at the location of drilling or other exploration activities and is subject to our internal review process which includes review by appropriate project management and the Company's corporate qualified person. The corporate qualified person presents the technical information to the Technical & Safety Committee members for their review.
Nevada North Project, Nevada
The Nevada North Project consists of the Wildcat Deposit and the Mountain View Deposit.
The Company has not estimated mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300. Information regarding estimated mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with NI 43-101 are not contained herein as such estimates were not made in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300; however, information from prior technical reports not in accordance with Regulation S-K 1300 are available for review under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca or the Company's website but are not included herein or incorporated herein by reference.
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Property Map for the Nevada North Project, Nevada, U.S.A.
Project Description, Location and Access
The Wildcat and Mountain View deposits (collectively, the "Nevada North Project") comprise certain patented and unpatented lode claims located in northern Nevada, United States of America. Both deposits are northeast of Reno, which is the nearest large city. The Wildcat deposit is located in Pershing County and the Mountain View deposit is located in Washoe County. The two deposits are located approximately 40 miles (65 km) from one another and Integra plans to combine the two deposits and operate them sequentially as one continuous project. The book value of the Nevada North Project and its associated plant and equipment is $27,280,226.
Wildcat Deposit
The Wildcat deposit is located on the northeastern portion of the Seven Troughs Range, about 35 miles northwest of the town of Lovelock in Pershing County, Nevada. The Wildcat deposit is accessible from the city of Reno, Nevada, via both paved and dirt roads. Access is primarily via Intestate 80 to the town of Lovelock, at approximately 91 miles from Reno. State Route 398 from Lovelock is followed (1 mile) to the intersection with State Route 399. After 12 miles, Route 399 reaches the intersection with a good-condition dirt road, which runs to the northwest. After approximately 15.6 miles, there is an intersection with a dirt road, in regular driving condition. The Wildcat deposit is located 4.7 miles after the intersection of this dirt road.
The deposit is located in all or portions of: sections 32-36, T32N, R29E; sections 1 and 12 of T31N, R28E; sections 1-36 of T31N, R29E; and sections 4 and 5 of T30N, R29E, Mount Diablo Baseline and Meridian. The latitude and longitude of the Wildcat deposit are 40.5425° N, 118.7550° W and the Wildcat deposit is at an elevation of approximately 6,299 ft.
The Wildcat deposit consists of 4 patented (Fee Tracts) and 916 unpatented lode claims. The total area is 17,612 acres. The claims are on publicly owned lands administered by the BLM. All of the claims are located in Pershing County in northwest-north-central Nevada. The maintenance fee of US$151,140 has been paid, and the federal fee requirements were met for each of the claims for the assessment year ending on September 1, 2024.
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According to federal and state regulations, the lode claims are renewed annually. In order to keep the claims current, a 'Notice of Intent to Hold' and payments are filed with the BLM and the counties. Tenure is unlimited, as long as filing payments are made each year.
The mineral claims comprising the Nevada North Project were originally purchased from Clover Nevada Limited Liability Company ("Clover Nevada") a subsidiary of Waterton Precious Metals Fund II Cayman, LP ("Waterton"). On April 29, 2021 all rights were assigned to Millennial NV LLC ("Millennial NV").
The Wildcat mineral claims are currently owned 100% by Millennial NV, which is a subsidiary of Integra.
According to certain title opinions, the following royalties apply to the Wildcat deposit:
Clover Nevada reserved a NSR royalty (the "Clover Royalty"), payable by Millennial NV and its successors, applicable to any sale of gold (and only gold) from the original properties. The amount of the Clover Royalty is 0.5%. The Clover Royalty runs with the original properties (which includes the Mountain View deposit) and covers any amendments, relocations, replacements, modifications or conversions of the original properties.
1% NSR royalty on the SS claims. This royalty is held of record by RG Royalties, LLC.
Scaled royalty (0% to 2%) on the Fee Tracts. The royalty is held of record by RG Royalties, LLC.
0.4% NSR royalty on Tag #15 through Tag #18 claims. This royalty is held by Raymond Wittkopp.
US$500,000 production payment on the SS claims and the Tag and Easter claims. This royalty is held by Monex Explorations.
On June 21, 2023, Integra announced that it had received notice from Royalty Consolidation Company, Limited Liability Company ("Royalty Consolidation"), a private company controlled by Waterton of the sale of 100% of its existing royalty interests in the Nevada projects (including the Nevada North Project) to a wholly owned subsidiary of Franco-Nevada Corporation ("Franco-Nevada"). The transaction closed on June 15, 2023. No new royalties on the Nevada projects (including the Nevada North Project) were granted as part of the transaction between Waterton and Franco-Nevada and no net proceeds from the sale will be recognized by Integra.
Mountain View Deposit
The Mountain View deposit is located in northwest Nevada, United States, near the Granite Range, at a latitude and longitude of 40.8314° N and 119.5027° W and at an approximate elevation of 5,000 ft. The Mountain View deposit is easily accessed from Reno, via 124 miles of paved routes and 2.8 miles of good condition dirt roads. Access is primarily via Intestate Highway 80 up to the intersection with paved state route 447, located 33 miles east of Reno. State route 477 runs north for 75 miles, to the town of Gerlach. At Gerlach, State Route 47 turns to the northeast and at 17.6 miles, once the Squaw Valley Reservoir is reached, there is a junction with a dirt road that runs to the northwest. This dirt road is generally in good driving condition up to the Mountain View deposit, which is located at 2.8 miles from the intersection with the paved route.
The Mountain View deposit lies approximately 15 miles northwest of Gerlach, Nevada in Washoe County. The Mountain View deposit straddles the boundary between the Squaw Valley and Banjo topographic quadrangles.
The Mountain View deposit currently consists of 284 un-patented lode claims with a total area of approximately 5,476 acres. The maintenance fee of US$46,860 was paid, and that the federal fee requirements were met for each of the claims for the assessment year ending on September 1, 2024.
According to federal and state regulations, the lode claims are renewed annually. In order to keep the claims current, a 'Notice of Intent to Hold' and payments are filed with the BLM and the counties. Tenure is unlimited as long as filing payments are made each year. The land on which the claims are located is administered by the BLM.
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The mineral claims were originally purchased from Clover Nevada a subsidiary of Waterton. On April 29, 2021, all rights were assigned to Millennial NV, a subsidiary of Integra.
The ownership of the claims listed in the fee filings is in the name of Millennial NV and Leslie Wittkopp. Currently Millennial NV owns 100% interest in the Mountain View deposit.
In a lease/option agreement dated June 30, 2000 (the "Wittkopp Lease"), the vendor leased all interest in the Mountain View, Jack (except Jack 67A and Jack 77R) and the Harlen claims to Franco-Nevada. The initial term was for 10 years, with five additional 10-year terms, expiring on June 30, 2060. The Wittkopp Lease requires that the lessee pay a NSR royalty of 1.0% on minerals produced from the Harlan and the Jack claims and an NSR of 0.1% on minerals produced from the Mountain View claims. The Wittkopp Lease grants the lessee a preferential purchase right if the Wittkopp's wish to sell or otherwise transfer the Wittkopp Lease royalty (except in the case of the death of Mr. or Mrs. Wittkopp).
The Wittkopp Lease contains an area of interest provision, such that any new mining claims staked by the lessee or lessor within one-half mile of the initial leased claims are subject to the lease agreement, including the NSR at a rate of 1.0.%. However, there is no specific provision for a claim partly inside and partly outside the specified area.
In addition to any royalties noted above, according to certain title opinions, the following royalties apply to the Mountain View deposit:
1% NSR royalty on the Jack claims. This royalty is held of record by Franco-Nevada.
1.5% NSR royalty held by Triple Flag.
Clover Nevada reserved a NSR royalty, payable by Millennial NV and its successors, applicable to any sale of gold (and only gold) from the original claims. The amount of the Clover Nevada royalty is 0.05%, not subject to proportionate reduction as to production from the Mountain View claims and 0.5%, not subject to proportionate reduction, as to production from the Jack Claims, the Harlan claims and the Rich Claims held of record by RG Royalties, LLC.
History
Wildcat Deposit
The history of the property and district has been taken directly from internal documents belonging to a prior property-holder, Lac Minerals (USA) Limited Liability Company (Lac Minerals). Mining began in the early 1900's and concentrated on epithermal quartz veins hosted within Cretaceous granodiorite. Production was small but high-grade, at less than 100,000 short tons with a grade in excess of one ounce per short ton (oz/st) gold. The patented claims on the Wildcat deposit were located in 1906 and 1907 and patented in May, 1912 by the Seven Troughs Monarch Mines Company. Surface cuts were taken on three main surface veins: Hero, Hillside and Wildcat. An 1,800 ft tunnel was completed in 1912 to intersect these veins at the 300 ft to 400 ft level. The veins were reported barren, but were wider than projected.
Monex Explorations (Monex) purchased five unpatented lode claims around 1980 and worked the Tag mine intermittently. Homestake Mining Company (Homestake) took an interest in the hydrothermally altered volcanic cap northwest of the Wildcat mine area in 1982 and drilled three core holes in 1983. Based on these holes Homestake retained an interest in the property between 1984 and 1990.
Touchstone Resources Company Inc. ("Touchstone"), an exploration subsidiary of Cornucopia, leased the property from Homestake in 1983. Touchstone completed a 30-hole, 6,260 ft program of reverse circulation drilling in 1984. Although Touchstone reportedly developed an "inferred reserve" of 21 million short tons grading 0.021 oz/st gold at a 1.1:1 stripping ratio (Tullar, 1992), Touchstone dropped the property in 1985. Homestake drilled one 400 ft core hole to cover the 1986/1987 assessment requirement. Kincaid Exploration and Mining Co. II ("Kemco") optioned the claims in 1987 and completed a 35-hole, 6,150 ft reverse circulation drilling program in the same year. Kemco dropped the property in 1988, when the Star Valley Resources/Pactolus Corporation optioned the Homestake ground, along with the Monex ground. During 1989, the Star Valley Resource/Pactolus Corporation partnership completed 12 reverse circulation drill holes totalling 3,280 ft. The partnership dropped its interest in 1989. Homestake sold its interest in the property to Monex in 1990 but retained an underlying NSR interest. Amax optioned the property in 1991 and completed a single 500 ft reverse circulation drill hole.
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Lac Minerals acquired the Wildcat deposit in 1992 and conducted a significant amount of exploration mapping, sampling, geophysics and the majority of the drilling on the property. In the process, it identified a large, low-grade gold resource. Sagebrush Exploration worked on the property during the period of 1996-1998 and completed some reverse circulation drilling on the property.
Mountain View Deposit
The Mountain View deposit is located in the Deephole mining district and includes the old Mountain View mine, located approximately 8,000 ft north of the Severance zone. The Mountain View vein zone averaged about 15 ft in width and cut PermoTriassic metasediments near the contact with the Granite Range batholith. The mine was originally explored from underground by the Anaconda Company in 1938, under option from the original claimants. However, no commercial mineralization was defined.
From 1939 to 1941, the Burm-Ball Co. optioned the property and produced some gold ore from a winze sunk from the main (lower) adit level. Production was said to be 1,480 ounces of gold, 6,668 oz of silver, 11,000 pounds (lbs) of copper and 6,400 lbs of lead, mostly prior to 1940. This production was followed by intermittent unsuccessful attempts to rework the mine, most recently in 1961 and 1962.
There was little exploration or mining activity from 1940 until 1984, when the Mountain View area became the focus of a significant amount of exploration effort. The property was staked or re-staked in 1979 and there was visible activity at the time of a field examination in 1984 by NBMG staff geologists.
Rejuvenated exploration began with St. Joe in 1984 in the vicinity of the Mountain View mine and was followed by programs from US Borax in 1986, N.A. Degerstrom Inc. ("Degerstrom") from 1988 to 1990, Westgold in 1989, Canyon Resources Corp. ("Canyon") from 1992 to 1994, Homestake Mining Co. ("Homestake") from 1995 to 1996 and, finally, Franco-Nevada in 2000 and 2001.
In 1992, the Severance zone was discovered by Canyon in drill hole MV92-6, which intersected 400 ft of 0.017 oz/t gold. Canyon was in a joint venture with Independence Mining at that time and went on to acquire 100% ownership in 1995. Subsequently, Homestake entered into a joint venture agreement with Canyon, with Homestake as operator.
Geological Setting, Mineralization and Deposit Types
The Wildcat and Mountain View deposits both lie within the Great Basin, a region and geologic province within the North American Cordillera. The Great Basin is bounded by the Colorado Plateau on the east, Sierra Nevada on the west, Snake River Plain on the north, Garlock fault and Mojave block on the south, and is approximately 600 km by 600 km in size. The majority of the Great Basin is occupied by the state of Nevada. The evolution of geology in the Great Basin spans from the Archean to present.
The present-day surface geology of northwest Nevada, where both the Wildcat and Mountain View deposits are located, is at the intersection of two geologic domains, 1) the Western andesite assemblage, commonly referred to as the Walker Lane, and 2) the Bimodal basalt-rhyolite assemblage. Underlying these Western andesite assemblage and Bimodal basalt-rhyolite assemblage are Cretaceous granodiorites, Triassic sedimentary rocks, and Paleozoic metavolcanic rocks.
Rocks within the Western andesite assemblage are interpreted to have a tectonic setting related to subduction along the continental margin arc, have a high magmatic oxidation state, and are typified by andesite-dacite, minor rhyolite, and rare basalt. Gold deposits found in the Western andesite assemblage include the Comstock Lode, Goldfield and Tonopah.
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The Bimodal basalt-rhyolite assemblage, the host assemblage of the Wildcat and Mountain View deposits, differs from the Western andesite assemblage in that these rocks are tectonically related to continental rifting, have a low magmatic oxidation state, and the most common rock types are basalt-mafic andesite and rhyolite with minor trachydacite. Aside from Wildcat and Mountain View, other gold deposits found within the Bimodal basalt-rhyolite assemblage are Fire Creek, Sleeper, Midas, Florida Canyon, and Hog Ranch. Located in northwestern Nevada, where the Walker Lane (Western andesite assemblage) and Bimodal basalt-rhyolite assemblages intersect, the project areas around Wildcat and Mountain View are clearly in a favourable geologic terrain for the formation of economic gold deposits.
The Wildcat and Mountain View deposits are both low-sulphidation (quartz-calcite-adularia-illite) epithermal gold deposits within the Biomodal basalt-rhyolite assemblage in the northwestern Great Basin.
Wildcat Deposit
The Wildcat deposit lies in the Seven Troughs Range, which is underlain by Triassic and Jurassic sedimentary rocks and has been intruded by Cretaceous granodiorite. Cenozoic igneous activity emplaced andesite, diorite, trachyte, trachyandesite, rhyolite and basalt domes and plugs. Cenozoic flows, pyroclastic debris, and vitrophyres of rhyolitic, trachytic and andesitic composition blanket much of the area, and these are broadly related to at least four intrusive events that are mappable on the surface at the Wildcat deposit. Post-mineral and Late Cenozoic conglomerates, basalt plugs and flows, tuffs, and Quaternary alluvium mask much of the area.
Deformation in the property area is varied and locally intense. Previous workers interpreted the presence of low-angle normal faults. High-angle normal faults at the deposit and along the range front are interpreted to be related to Basin and Range faulting and regional extension. The relationship between these is uncertain, though the low angle faults have both controlled mineralization and post-dated mineralization.
Cataclastic deformation has been described in the granodiorite and probably played a role in controlling the mineralization.
Precious metal mineralization at the Wildcat deposit occurs with low-temperature silica, chalcedony and pyrite and can be best-described as epithermal precious metal mineralization. The entire known deposit has a footprint approximately 1,500 m long, 1,500 m wide and 150 m deep, with some areas containing significantly higher gold mineralization than others. Principal controls on the mineralization are lithologic, high-angle faults, and the contact between the granodiorite and lapilli tuff breccia.
Precious metal mineralization is identified in two lithologies at Wildcat, the granodiorite and lapilli tuff breccia. Mineralization in the granodiorite is typically limited to discontinuous quartz veins that strike north-northeast, dip steeply (70° to 80°), display localized and intense acid-bleaching (kaolinization) in the adjacent host rock, and appear to occupy a set of faults shown to predate the bulk of magmatic-hydrothermal activity in the district. Typically, these veins range in thickness from 10 cm to 2.5 m.
Mountain View Deposit
The geology around the Mountain View deposit consists of Miocene volcanic and volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, greenschist facies, Jurassic rocks, and a large granodiorite (99.9 Ma) intrusion just to the east of the deposit.
Mapping shows that the western portion of the property area consists of Quaternary alluvium and Miocene rocks, including mafic tuffs, rhyolite tuffs and flows, volcaniclastic sediments and basalts. At the range front, Miocene rocks are in the hanging wall of a structural contact with Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks. The normal range front fault on the western edge of the Granite range runs northwest-southeast, dips steeply southwest, and is has geometry consistent with broader Basin and Range faulting in northwestern Nevada.
Since the late 1980s two mineralized zones, Severance and Buffalo Hills, have been the target of exploration at Mountain View. The Severance area is where drilling during 2021 and 2022 was completed.
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The Severance zone is hosted in the Severance Rhyolite (15.4 Ma). The deposit is located in the hanging wall of the northwest-striking southwest-dipping range-bounding fault on the western side of the Granite range. Juxtaposed to the zone, in the footwall side of this fault, is Cretaceous granodiorite. In only a couple of instances, the Severance rhyolite outcrops along the range front and drilling evidence suggests it occupies an area approximately 3,200 ft long and 1,000 ft wide. Much of the Severance zone is overlain by 500 ft to 700 ft of Quaternary alluvial cover.
A second body of rhyolite (Cañon Rhyolite) crops out near the Squaw Valley reservoir and is interpreted to extend to the northeast toward the Buffalo Hills zone, located approximately 5,000 ft to the west-northwest of Severance. The Cañon and Severance rhyolites are likely the same unit.
Structure on the property is dominated by northwest and northeast trending faults and fracture sets, though a number of north-south lineaments have been identified from aerial photographs. Major dip-slip offsets occur along the range-front fault system and these are, in turn, offset by the northeast trending structures. The latest movement on the range front fault system is interpreted to offset recent alluvium.
The mineralized zone at the Mountain View deposit has a roughly tabular shape, striking towards the northwest and dipping steeply to the southwest. The mineralization occurs beneath unconsolidated alluvium, between approximately 400 ft and 1,000 ft below surface. Two different styles of epithermal gold mineralization are recognized as occurring on the deposit:
Sheeted quartz veins within Permo-Triassic units at the old Mountain View mine.
Multi-stage hydrothermal breccias and veins cutting Cenozoic rhyolites at the Severance zone area.
Both styles of mineralization are interpreted to be the same age and are products of the same mineralizing event. Potassium-argon dating indicates that the age of mineralization is approximately 14 Ma to 15 Ma.
Both types of mineralization are geochemically similar, with high arsenic, mercury and antimony levels, low base metal levels, and high silver to gold ratios of approximately 7:1. Petrographic and microprobe work by Homestake on high grade gold samples from the Severance deposit has identified abundant silver selenides and coarse grains of electrum.
The high-grade zones at the Severance zone occur along northwest and east-northeast trending structures.
Low sulphidation epithermal mineralization at the Severance zone has been interpreted as a somewhat planar zone of low to moderate grade gold mineralization, hosted primarily by the Severance Rhyolite. The zone has a roughly tabular shape striking toward the northwest and dipping steeply toward the southwest, roughly parallel with the interpreted orientation of the range-front fault. The mineralization occurs beneath the unconsolidated alluvium at the top of bedrock. Several small high-grade zones are interpreted as being strongly structurally controlled and are completely encompassed by lower grade mineralization. They are interpreted to have generally northwest trending and northeast trending cross-cutting orientations.
Exploration
Millennial, prior to the acquisition by Integra, undertook a mapping and surface sampling program at Wildcat during the 2021 and 2022 field seasons. The aim of this program was to identify areas of interest for additional exploration drilling and to gain a broader understanding of the mineral potential of Wildcat. In addition to trying to collect high-grade samples, Millennial sampled each mapped lithology on the property, thus gaining a comprehensive and representative understanding of which lithologies and areas have the best potential for hosting potentially economic gold mineralization.
A field mapping program of the lithology, alteration and geological structures was carried out by Millennial at Wildcat. Field mapping covered the entire Wildcat deposit area, but particular attention was given to the main Wildcat deposit area. Results of the mapping and exploration campaigns indicated that there is good potential for additional mineralization.
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Neither Millennial nor Integra has undertaken any surface exploration at Mountain View.
Drilling
Wildcat Deposit
In 2022, Millennial completed a 12-hole (1,297.99 m) drill program on the Wildcat deposit, totalling 1,297.99 m.
Historical drilling provided ample evidence for a gold deposit at Wildcat and, thus the 2022 drill holes were designed to primarily collect metallurgical and geotechnical information. Each hole drilled in 2022 intersected mineralization within the planned oxide open pit. Holes WCCD-0005, WCCD-0010 and WCCD-0012, intersected mineralization outside the previous 2020 mineral resource pit shell, suggesting there is additional mineralization at Wildcat and that further exploration is warranted.
Mountain View Deposit
The drill program at Mountain View consisted of 32 drill holes, totalling 8,107.6 m. Two of the holes, MVRC-0001 and MVRC-0002 were drilled using reverse circulation. These holes were drilled with an RC685 drill rig. Twenty-five of the holes drilled at Mountain View were diamond bit core holes that were all collared using a PQ hole diameter. One hole, MVCD-0015 had to be reduced twice in size while drilling, from PQ to HQ and from HQ to NQ, due to difficult drilling conditions. Five holes (MVCD-0001A, 0011, 0012, 0013 and 0014) were collared with reverse circulation drilling and then transitioned to PQ diamond core drilling closer to the interpreted location of the mineralization. Core holes were drilled with CT14 and CT20 drill rigs.
Throughout the program, drilling conditions were difficult, and nine holes were lost.
Historical drilling provided ample evidence for a gold deposit at Mountain View, and holes for the Millennial drilling campaign were designed primarily to collect metallurgical and geotechnical information, while focusing on minimal environmental disturbance. The program was designed to confirm continuity of the mineralization in a number of areas within the deposit.
Over 50% of the holes drilled at Mountain View in 2021 and 2022 intersected mineralization, suggesting that the mineralization is fairly continuous. Some drill holes intersected economic gold grades outside the area of the pit designed for the PEA and this tends to reinforce the hypothesis that there are areas with the potential to host additional economic mineralization at Mountain View.
Sampling, Analysis and Data Verification
Sample handling and security procedures were managed by Millennial personnel. These procedures are described below:
Following extraction from the core tube, diamond drill core is placed in wax-impregnated core boxes with depths marked by wooden marking blocks. The boxes were labelled with the drill hole number, the box number, and the depth interval, then lidded and stacked. Boxes were picked up on a regular basis and delivered to the core logging facilities. Wildcat samples were delivered to the core logging facility in Lovelock (Nevada) and Mountain View samples were delivered to a core logging facility in Gerlach (Nevada).
At the core logging facility, drill core is marked with footage depths and recovery and rock quality are measured and recorded using MX Deposit database. Geological logs (Lithology, Alteration, Oxidations, Structures) and sample intervals are marked with aluminum tags and unique sample identification numbers, and input into MX Deposit as well. Drill core was then photographed and sent to the core cutting facility. Millennial core cutters half cut the drill core using a Corewise Automatic Core Saw. Half the core is placed back in the core box and the other half is placed in a sample bag, labelled with the corresponding sample identification number. Boxes of half cut core are palleted and moved to core storage. Sample bags are moved to a staging area for dispatch to AAL.
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During staging for dispatch, standard and blank samples are inserted into the sample sequence for QA/QC. Bagged samples are then placed in rice bags in groups of five to ten samples, depending on weight. Rice bags are labelled with a unique shipment ID and sequential numbering. A sample list and sample submittal form are inserted into the first bag for each shipment. All samples were delivered to AAL by Millennial staff. Chain of custody forms are signed by Millennial and AAL staff.
Samples are dried and crushed to a size of -6 mesh and then roll-crushed to -10 mesh. Two-kilogram splits of the -10-mesh materials are pulverized to 95% passing -150 mesh. 30-gram aliquots are then analyzed for gold by fire-assay fusion with ICP finish. Silver and 38 major, minor and trace elements are determined by ICP and ICP-MS, following a 5-acid digestion of 0.50-gram aliquots. Samples that assay greater than 10 g Au/t are re-analyzed by fire-assay fusion of 30-gm aliquots with a gravimetric finish. Samples with greater than 100 g Ag/t are also re-analyzed by fire-assay fusion with a gravimetric finish.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control Programs ("QA/QC")
The following summarizes the 2022 QA/QC program for samples from Wildcat and Mountain View:
Calibration and repeatability of measurements are monitored by the use of CRMs. This part of the QA/QC program allows for verification of the proper calibration of the laboratory analytical equipment (AA, ICP or ICP-MS), the possible analytical drift of equipment, and the accuracy and precision of the measurements. It assists in the detection of any potential systematic errors and identifies the need for implementation of corrective actions.
Contamination during preparation is monitored by the routine insertion of coarse barren material (a "blank"), that goes through the same sample preparation and analytical procedures as the core samples. Elevated values for blanks may indicate sources of contamination in the fire assay procedure or sample solution carry-over during instrumental finish. The blank samples used at both Wildcat and Mountain View were white pebbles or coarse marble chips purchased from a hardware store.
Samples variability and representativeness of the sampling is assessed using duplicate samples. The duplicate samples are prepared by the laboratory after the crushing of original samples. The duplicates assay informs on the repeatability of the grade, providing useful information on the nugget effect and sampling error related to the homogeneity present in the samples.
Data Verification
During applicable site visits, a third-party consultant focussed his inspection on the verification of drilling methodology and procedures, drill logging and sampling procedures and the QA/QC procedures. Logging procedures and sampling of the core were discussed along with the insertion of standards, blanks and duplicate samples. A number of samples from the Nevada North Project were chosen for independent re-assaying, under the third-party consultant's control.
Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing
Historical metallurgical testwork has been undertaken on both the Wildcat and Mountain View deposits and Millennial, prior to its acquisition by Integra, undertook further testwork, summarized below.
Wildcat Deposit
The composite samples selected by Millennial to represent typical oxide mineralization within the Wildcat mineral resources were amenable to heap leaching. Column leach tests suggest that gold extractions of around 60% to 80% could be achieved for the predominant mineralization-type (oxide rhyolite volcaniclastic) under typical design conditions. Gold recoveries of about 50% from oxide granodiorite were achieved from column leach tests. Corresponding silver extractions of between 20% to 30% would be expected from oxide mineralization. Column test results using sulphide mineralization suggested that this material was not amenable to heap leaching.
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Bottle roll tests with both coarse and fine material indicated a significant negative relationship between gold recovery and sulphur content, with a steep drop off of gold extraction with sulphide sulphur assays higher than 0.3%. Silver recoveries also tended to reduce with higher sulphur.
Bottle roll cyanide and lime requirements for oxide rhyolite volcaniclastic samples tested were reasonable, typically about 0.2 kg NaCN /t and 1.4 kg lime /t. However, reagent requirements for the oxide granodiorite samples were significantly higher. Corresponding cyanide consumptions for the column tests were 3 to 5 times higher, primarily due to long extended leaching times.
Hydraulic conductivity testing showed that permeability was high for the P80 9.5 mm oxidized rhyolitic volcaniclastic samples (4832-002 and 003), although it was lower for 4832-001, the oxidized granodiorite composite. This result suggests that oxidized granodiorite may require cement agglomeration or blending with high permeability material.
During the column tests there was very little slumping (typically less than 1%) and there were no issues with solution channelling or fines migration during leaching.
Wildcat samples were classified as "very soft" in terms of crusher work index and "moderate to very abrasive" based on Bond abrasion index tests.
Mountain View Deposit
The Mountain View composite samples selected by Millennial to represent typical oxide mineralization within the mineral resources were amenable to heap leaching. Column leach tests suggest that high gold extractions (>90%) could be achieved under typical design conditions. Corresponding silver extractions of around 20% would be expected.
Bottle roll and column leach tests on transition mineralization, which would be found at the deposit oxide-sulphide boundaries, suggest that gold extraction from this material will be about 30% lower than gold extraction from oxide mineralization.
Bottle roll cyanide and lime requirements for all samples tested were reasonable, averaging 0.2 kg NaCN/t and 1.82 kg lime/t for the P80 75 µm tests. Cyanide consumptions for the column tests were relatively high (up to 2.14 kg NaCN/t), primarily due to long extended leaching times.
Hydraulic conductivity testing showed that permeability was high for all the P80 19 mm oxide samples.
During the column tests, there was very little slumping (typically less than 1%) and there were no issues with solution channeling or fines migration during leaching.
Mountain View samples were classified as "very soft" in terms of crusher work index and "moderately abrasive to abrasive" based on the Bond abrasion index tests.
Preliminary flotation tests on four transition and sulphide variability samples gave gold recoveries between 59% and 78%.
Mining Operations
Economic pit limit analysis for the Nevada North Project was carried out using the Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm, incorporating economic and geometrical parameters provided for the Nevada North Project. Various mining and processing scenarios based on different throughput rates were examined.
Pit Optimization Parameters
For all scenarios, leaching is assumed to be conducted in a valley for the Wildcat deposit and adjacent to the pit for the Mountain View deposit. A conveyor is included in the Wildcat scenario to transport crushed ore from the crusher to the leach pad.
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Recoveries were based on the results of metallurgical testwork conducted.
Geometrical parameters typically include property boundaries, royalty boundaries, and pit slope parameters. Recent pit slope stability studies provided recommendations for the design parameters. These recommendations were incorporated into the optimization work, ensuring that the pit slopes maintain stability and meet the necessary safety standards.
The pit design was developed using the optimized pit shells. This pit design was created to ensure efficient access for equipment and personnel involved in the mining operations.
Wildcat Pit Design
The Wildcat pit was divided into two main pits, each consisting of two phases, along with the addition of two satellite pits, resulting in a total of six phases in the design. It is planned to mine all six phases simultaneously to achieve a well-blended production.
The two main phases, Phase 1 and Phase 2, were further divided into initial pushbacks, denoted as Phase 1A and Phase 2A, as well as final phases. This subdivision allows for efficient sequencing of mining activities and facilitates the optimal utilization of equipment and personnel.
The mineral resources within the final pit designs were estimated using a volumetric report. Due to lower recovery rates in the fresh material at the Wildcat deposit, only oxide and transition material from the pit was included for processing in the production schedule.
Mountain View Pit Design
The Mountain View deposit consists of a single main pit, which is divided into two phases: Phase 1 and Phase 2. Both phases are mined simultaneously. The primary objective of the pit design was to achieve a balance between material flows and the cost/revenue streams.
Wildcat Waste Disposal
The site at Wildcat has varying topography with very few level areas upon which to locate a waste dump. Two waste storage areas were designed for the Wildcat deposit with the south waste dump primarily accommodating material from Phase 2A and Phase 2F, while the north dump is designated for the remaining phases.
The waste dump designs were based on a bench face angle of 35º, with 15-m lift heights. Catch benches measuring 24 m were incorporated on each lift, resulting in an inter-ramp angle of 18°. The road to the dump is 30 m wide with a gradient of 10%. This configuration allows for final reclamation at the overall slope. In-pit dumping was also included in the mine plan.
The total dump capacity at Wildcat is 22.5 million tonnes, considering a swell factor of 1.25 and a loose density of 2.2 tonnes per cubic metre (t/cm3).
Mountain View Waste Disposal
The site at Mountain View slopes to the southwest. The design for Mountain View incorporates a waste dump, based on the same parameters as at Wildcat. The dump is situated to the south of the pit, with a 100 m buffer around the pit edge and two main ramps to facilitate short hauling from the Phase 1 and Phase 2 pit exits.
The total dump capacity at Mountain View is 105.4 million tonnes, considering a swell factor of 1.25 and a loose density of 2.0 t/m3.
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Mineralized Material Stockpile Facilities
Two mineralized material stockpiles have been designed, one for each deposit, utilizing the waste dump design criteria. The stockpiles were designed with a bench face angle of 35º, 15-m lift heights, and catch benches of 24 m, resulting in an inter-ramp angle (IRA) of 18°.
At Wildcat, a small stockpile with a capacity of 0.5 million tonnes has been designed. This stockpile primarily serves the purpose of blending to maintain the granodiorite ratio in the feed below 15%.
At Mountain View, a larger stockpile with a capacity of 9.2 million tonnes is planned to store mineralized material during the pre-stripping period before processing commences. The stockpile capacities have been estimated using a swell factor of 1.25 and a loose density of 2.2 t/m3.
Production Scheduling
The mine production schedule was created with a cut-off grade of 0.15 g/t of gold applied to all material across both deposits.
Various scenarios were run to determine the optimal processing rate. The scenarios ranged from 10,000 t/d to 30,000 t/d, in increments of 5,000 t/d. The highest NPV for Wildcat was achieved at a processing rate of 30,000 t/d, while Mountain View showed the highest NPV at a rate of 20,000 t/d.
To minimize capital requirements and maximize NPV, the Nevada North Project has been designed to share resources. Consequently, a processing rate of 30,000 t/d was retained for the Nevada North Project. However, due to factors such as high stripping ratios, bench advance rates, and mining rate constraints, the processing capacity at Mountain View is not optimized.
The scheduling process was designed to optimize NPV and IRR. There is synergy between the Wildcat and Mountain View operations, with shared resources enhancing operational efficiency.
Production at Wildcat is scheduled to commence in Year 1, with construction of Phase 1 of the heap leach pad. The objective is to maximize the processing rate and generate cash to fund the expansion of the leach pad. Additional mining resources will be acquired and allocated to Mountain View from Year 5 to Year 7, during which pre-stripping activities will be initiated. Leachable material will be stockpiled during this period. In Year 7, Wildcat will be completed, and the remaining mining resources will be relocated to Mountain View to increase the mining rate. The processing facilities, including the crusher and plant, will also be relocated from Wildcat to Mountain View, and metal production will commence at the Mountain View site in Year 7. Table 1.7 summarizes the mine production schedule for the Nevada North Project.
Mine Equipment Requirements
Owner mining was selected over more costly contract mining. The production schedule, along with additional efficiency factors, performance curves, and productivity rates, was utilized to calculate the hours required for primary mining equipment to meet the production schedule. The primary mining equipment includes drills, loaders, hydraulic shovels, and haul trucks.
In addition to the primary mining equipment, provision has been made for support equipment, blasting equipment, and mine maintenance facilities.
Mine Operations Personnel
Based on the production schedule and equipment requirements, the estimate for mine operations personnel was performed. The mine is expected to operate 24 h/d, employing three crews of workers who will work 12-hour shifts on a fourteen-days on and seven-days off rotation. These crews will alternate between day shift and night shift.
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Processing and Recovery Operations
Run-of-mine ("ROM") material will be truck dumped into the primary jaw crusher feed hopper. The undersize ore will be scalped prior to the jaw crusher by a grizzly screen and deposited on the secondary crusher feed conveyor. The undersize ore and primary crushed ore will be screened with oversize crushed by secondary and tertiary cone crushers. Material will then be dosed with lime and conveyor stacked on the leach pad.
The stacked ore will be leveled and ripped by a dozer prior to the deployment of drip emitters. Dilute cyanide solution (NaCN) will be applied to the mineralization. The cyanide solution will flow through the heap by gravity and report to a pregnant solution tank within the pregnant solution pond.
The pregnant solution will be pumped through a series of activated carbon beds to remove the gold. The barren solution will be dosed with additional cyanide and anti-scalant and recirculated back to the heap. The activated carbon will be advanced counter-current to the solution. The loaded carbon will be transferred to an acid wash / elution circuit to remove contaminants and gold from the carbon. The carbon will then be re-introduced to the adsorption circuit. After year 7 of operation, loaded carbon from Wildcat will be shipped by tanker trailers for acid wash / elution at the Mountain View facility.
After stripping of metals at the Adsorption, Desorption, Recovery ("ADR") plant, the carbon will be sized, washed in dilute hydrochloric acid, neutralized, regenerated in a kiln, and then recycled into the carbon column. Some additional carbon will be added to account for carbon losses in the system.
Material from the elution circuit will be smelted into doré bars to be sold to a gold refinery.
For each of Wildcat and Mountain View, facilities will include a single large leach pad, a single process pond (barren/pregnant pond), an emergency drain-down pond, carbon columns, an ADR plant, a laboratory and the other associated facilities.
Energy requirements were estimated at approximately 49,000,000 kWh/y for Wildcat and approximately 40,400,000 kWh/y for Mountain View. Power will be generated on site, using LNG generators, at an estimated cost of US$0.13/kWh.
Reagents and consumables were estimated using the metallurgical testwork performed at McClelland. Reagent costs were estimated using actual quotes for lime, cyanide and carbon) and benchmark costs for lesser items.
Water will be supplied from wells near the processing facility. The Wildcat processing facility will need approximately 800 gpm (600 gpm at Mountain View) of make-up water to saturate new mineralization stacked, provide dust control, and off-set evaporation. In addition, it is estimated that 100,000 m3 (approximately 80 acre-feet) per year will be required for mining activities (including dust control) per year.
Infrastructure, Permitting and Compliance Activities
All buildings at the Nevada North Project will be designed using modified shipping containers/conexes on a concrete floor, with a prefabricated roof anchored to the containers. This will allow buildings to accommodate storage, offices, change rooms, and restrooms. The following buildings are planned for both Wildcat and Mountain View: maintenance facility, warehouse, process facility, and assay laboratory.
A separate process facility will be installed at each of Wildcat and Mountain View. The Wildcat facility will be larger and will include a barren solution tank, a vertical carbon-in-column ("VCIC"), an elution circuit, a refining circuit, reagent tanks, carbon holding tanks, and a tanker bay. The smaller Mountain View process facility will include a barren solution tank, a VCIC, carbon holding tanks and a tanker bay. The reagent tanks will be insulated and in containment external to the building. Both processing facilities will be erected on a concrete containment which will drain to the pregnant solution pond.
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The preliminary designs for the Wildcat and Mountain View heap leach pads were prepared in accordance with the requirements outlined in the State of Nevada Regulations, Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 445A Governing the Design, Construction, Operation and Closure of Mining Operations.
Both the Wildcat and Mountain View deposits will use conventional open pit mining techniques. For both sites, mineralized material will be produced from the respective deposits, with recovery utilizing a conventional cyanide heap leach process. This will consist of a non-impounding leach pad, with composite lining and solution collection systems. The Wildcat pad will have a total lined area of approximately 10.0 million square feet (ft2), (0.93 Mm3) and the Mountain View pad will have a total lined area of approximately 5.9 million ft2 (0.54 Mm3). Mineralized material for both pads is planned to be placed to a maximum height up to 330 ft.
The Wildcat pad will have a capacity of approximately 70 million metric tonnes (approximately 77.2 million short tons) of mineralized material based on an estimated dry unit weight of 1.6 kg/m3 (100 lb/ft3). The Mountain View pad will have a capacity of approximately 31 million metric tonnes (approximately 34.2 million short tons) of mineralized material also based on an estimated dry unit weight of 1.6 kg/m3 (100 lb/ft3).
For both Wildcat and Mountain View, barren leach solution (BLS) is assumed to be applied to each pad at a rate of 0.0025 gpm/ft2 to 0.003 gpm/ft2 with a total flowrate of approximately 2,500 gpm. Collection and recovery of pregnant leach solution at the toe of both pads will be via gravity flow, promoted using an integrated piping network.
For the purposes of heap sizing and stacking, the recovery cycle for Wildcat was estimated at 45 days, and the recovery cycle for Mountain View was estimated at 35 days.
Both of Wildcat and Mountain View will require permitting through the same state and federal regulatory agencies. County level permitting will be separate permitting paths. As a result, the type of permits required as well as the permitting process, costs and associated timelines for both Wildcat and Mountain View will generally be similar.
Exploration Plan of Operations/Reclamation Permit Applications ("ExPO") for both Wildcat and Mountain View were submitted in 2023 to the BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection - Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation ("NDEP-BMRR"). The ExPOs will allow for large scale mineral exploration and additional baseline data collection for the mine-level projects at both sites. Exploration baseline data collection at both Wildcat and Mountain View has been conducted in support of the ExPO since 2021, with some of the data being relevant to future mine-level permitting. These baseline reports have been submitted to the BLM and are currently under review. Once accepted the baseline data will be utilized to analyze the potential impacts of both Wildcat and Mountain View exploration level under the NEPA which mandates federal agencies to analyze and consider likely environmental impacts of a proposed action and alternatives of a project occurring on federal land. The exploration projects will most likely be analyzed through the development of a separate Environmental Assessment ("EA") for each location. Once the Nevada North Project has been analyzed, exploration-level activities will be authorized by the BLM and NDEP-BMRR. No significant additional permitting will be required for exploration level operations.
Integra will then develop a MPO for each of Wildcat and Mountain View. Initial engagement with the BLM regarding the MPO for each of Wildcat and Mountain View has already occurred. Approval of the MPO requires an environmental analysis be performed by the BLM under NEPA. This analysis will be presented in either an EA or an EIS which is the major Federal permitting requirement for Wildcat and Mountain View. The Finding of No Significant Impact ("FONSI") or the ROD will be the final approval and will allow mine-level operations to proceed. Mine level activities are most often analyzed with an EIS but can be analyzed with an EA if the operation would not result in significant impacts. A brief outline of the EIS schedule follows:
Begin baseline studies and engage with BLM (Months 1 to 24).
Prepare and submit Plan of Operations and other local and state permit applications (Months 20 to 30).
Prepare and issue draft EIS including public review (Months 25 to 42).
Final EIS and ROD (Months 42 to 44).
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This schedule assumes a best-case scenario of approximately three and a half years and assumes a concurrent baseline data collection program. There are currently no know environmental issues at either the Nevada North Project that would drastically delay the schedule.
Internal Controls Disclosure
The Company has internal controls for reviewing and documenting the information from exploration activities, describing the methods used, and ensuring the validity of the information.
Information that is used to compile mineral resources and reserves is prepared and certified by appropriately qualified persons at the location of drilling or other exploration activities and is subject to our internal review process which includes review by appropriate project management and the Company's corporate qualified person. The corporate qualified person presents the technical information to the Technical & Safety Committee members for their review.