PRECIOUS METALS

i-80 Gold begins underground mining programme at Granite Creek

Permit for open pit is also advancing at US gold project

Petra Witowski
i-80 Gold begins underground mining programme at Granite Creek

The decision follows the success of last year's drill program, which delineated high-grade mineralisation in multiple areas close to the existing workings.

The Granite Creek project is located near the north end of the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend in Humboldt County, Nevada. It includes open-pit and underground resources.

The first stoping area has been defined and mining is now underway. This means the company is on track to begin production this year.

i-80 Gold increased the drilling programme for 2022 to 30,000m as a result of the recent success it had expanding mineralisation. The company also advanced permitting for an open-pit mine on the property. 

i-80 Gold's president and chief operating officer, Matt Gili, said the interim processing arrangement with Nevada Gold Mines had allowed the company to fast-track development at Granite Creek.

"Our highly successful drill programme has not only defined areas for mining, but also resulted in new discoveries, including the South Pacific Zone that has the potential to materially increase resources," he said.

i-80 Gold is focused on developing operations in Nevada. It is the sole owner of the Lone Tree property in the Battle Mountain Trend and is anticipated to become the company's flagship project. It also owns the nearby properties of Ruby Hill, McCoy-Cove and Buffalo Mountain.

On February 23, i-80 Gold Corporation traded on the TSX at C$2.75/share, which was unchanged on the day and valued the company at $658 million.

i-80 Gold's shares have traded within a tight range of between $2.50 and $3 this year. This was below the highs seen in September and October last year.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.