i-80 Gold Corp. has taken a further step in its bid to become a mid-tier gold producer in Nevada by awarding the contract to study a restart at the autoclave processing facility at its Lone Tree property in the US state.
In simple terms, an autoclave is where a pressure oxidation process is carried out to prepare ore for conventional gold extraction. i-80's Lone Tree asset includes an autoclave, floatation circuit, tailings compound, and heap leach facility.
The idea is the complex will become the hub of the group's mining operation and provide the platform to realize its future production growth plans.
Hatch Ltd has been hired to carry out the engineering study, which will see a pre-feasibility study level review of all aspects necessary for the autoclave restart.
READ: i-80 Gold launches comprehensive plan to create Nevada-focused gold mining company
i-80 also reported that it had hired industry expert Tony Carroll, a former capital projects manager at Barrick, to lead the restart of the Lone Tree processing complex. Carroll is one of a number of recent key appointments by the company.
"The extensive experience and expertise brought by Hatch Ltd will be one of the crucial elements enabling i-80's success in re-commissioning and operating Nevada's newest refractory processing facility," said Matt Gili, the president and chief operating officer (COO) of i-80, in a statement.
"Additionally, few individuals have the demonstrated ability to successfully commission such a program and we are very fortunate to welcome Tony to our growing team."
Mark Miller is also joining the team as environmental and permitting manager, said the firm. Miller has over 30 years' environmental management experience.
Kelly Lippoth has been named as senior resource geologist. Most recently, Lippoth was senior resource geologist at McEwen Mining's Gold Bar Mine.
David Westhoff has been retained as project manager of the company's Granite Creek mine, while Kyle Kottwitz becomes the Lone Tree site superintendent. Kottwitz is a registered professional engineer in Nevada and joins i-80 from Nevada Gold Mines, and prior to that Newmont.
i-80 aims to develop four new open pit and underground mining operations that will ultimately process ore at its central Lone Tree complex.
Today's engineering study, along with an extensive metallurgical program from its Granite Creek, McCoy-Cove and Ruby Hill projects, will allow the company to consider a range of restart opportunities and associated capital costs.
In the interim, i-80 has secured processing agreements with Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) so that it can begin underground development at Granite Creek, seeing material delivered to NGM during the second half of 2022.
Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com