The project is based on processing 2,600 tpd ore through a conventional copper flotation plant followed by a carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit to recover gold in the tailings. The plant will produce gold doré and copper concentrate.
Ore was mined at the site from an existing underground mine that was formerly mined by BP-Stelco in the late 1980s to 1990s. In 2011, then owner, Coastal Gold, began an exploration program around and below the existing Hope Brook mine, resulting in the development of an underground resource. First Mining acquired Coastal Gold and the Hope Brook property in July 2015.
The overall scope of work included the provision of engineering and study management services for the process plant and associated infrastructure, to prepare a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and NI 43-101 Technical Report. This included the development of engineering information and deliverables required to support capital and operating cost estimates, including the coordination and incorporation of input from other consultants.
