Reserve / Resource

Reserve

The Project’s Mineral Reserves, which are a subset of the M&I Mineral Resources, are based on the mine plan developed for the PFS.  Mineral Reserves are estimated in accordance with the CIM 2019 Best Practices Guidelines and are classified using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards.

Notes:

1. The Mineral Reserve estimates were prepared by Marc Schulte, P.Eng. (who is also the independent Qualified Person for these Mineral Reserve estimates), reported using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards, and have an effective date of March 31, 2021.
2. Mineral Reserves are based on the PFS Life of Mine Plan.
3. Mineral Reserves are mined tonnes and grade, the reference point is the mill feed at the primary crusher and includes consideration for operational modifying factors
4. Mineral Reserves are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t Au.
5. Cut-off grade assumes US$1,500/oz. Au and US$20/oz Ag at a currency exchange rate of 0.76 US$ per C$; 99.8% payable gold; 95.0% payable silver; $5.00/oz Au offsite costs (refining, transport and insurance); a 1.5% NSR royalty; and uses a 91% metallurgical recovery for gold and 25% recovery for silver.
6. The cut-off grade equates to incremental operating costs of $17/t, which covers process, G&A and site, stockpile reclaim, and sustaining and closure capital costs.
7. Mined tonnes and grade are based on a selective mining unit (SMU) of 15mx15mx5m, including additional estimates for mining loss (3%) and dilution between ore and waste zones (6.6%, 0.24 g/t Au, 0.6 g/t Ag).
8. Factors that may affect the Mineral Reserve estimates include metal prices, changes in interpretations of mineralisation geometry and continuity of mineralisation zones, geotechnical and hydrogeological assumptions, ability of the mining operation to meet the annual production rate, process plant and mining recoveries, the ability to meet and maintain permitting and environmental licence conditions, and the ability to maintain the social licence to operate.
9. Numbers have been rounded as required by reporting guidelines.

Resource

As part of the PFS, an update of the Mineral Resources has been prepared based on the pit shell developed using assumed cost parameters and assumptions.  The Project’s Mineral Resources, inclusive of the Mineral Reserves reported above, are as follows:

Notes:

1. The Mineral Resource Estimates were prepared by Marc Jutras, P.Eng.; M.A.Sc. (who is also the independent Qualified Person for these Mineral Resource Estimates), in accordance to the 2014 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, with an effective date of February 3, 2021.
2. The Mineral Resource Estimates are reported at a cutoff grade of 0.15 g/t Au.
3. Cut-off grade assumes US$1,600/oz. Au at a currency exchange rate of 0.75 C$ per US$; 99.8% payable gold; $4.00/oz. offsite costs (refining and transport), a 1.5% royalty; and uses a 91% metallurgical recovery for Au and a 25% recovery for Ag.  The cut off-grade covers processing costs of $7.33/t and general and administrative (G&A) costs of $2.67/t.
4. The Mineral Resources are constrained by an open pit shell generated by applying the Lerchs-Grossman algorithm to the Spanish Mountain deposit. The pit shell was generated using the same inputs as the cutoff grade determination, as well as a $2.40/t mining cost for ore and a $2.20/t mining cost for waste.  Overall pit slope angles range from 21 degrees to 35 degrees and are estimated based on geotechnical analysis of various zones in the deposit.
5. Factors that may affect the estimates include: metal price assumptions, changes in interpretations of mineralization geometry and continuity of mineralization zones, changes to kriging assumptions, metallurgical recovery assumptions, operating cost assumptions, confidence in the modifying factors, including assumptions that surface rights to allow mining infrastructure to be constructed will be forthcoming, delays or other issues in reaching agreements with local or regulatory authorities and stakeholders, and changes in land tenure requirements or in permitting requirement. Any other known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Reserves are detailed below in the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements”.
6. Estimates have been rounded and may result in summation differences.

Cautionary Note

Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred Mineral Resources have insufficient confidence to allow the meaningful application of technical and economic parameters or to enable an evaluation of economic viability suitable for public disclosure.

Readers should refer to the Company’s current technical reports and other continuous disclosure documents filed by the Company, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for further information on the mineral resource estimates of the Company’s projects, which are subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein, as well as for additional information relating to the Company more generally.

Neither the Company, nor readers, should assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will be upgraded to indicated or measured mineral resources. Most projects at the inferred mineral resource stage do not ever form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, or achieve successful commercial production. Each stage of a project is contingent on the positive results of the previous stage and that there is a significant risk that the results may not support or justify moving to the next stage.