2026 Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) & Updated Resource
Property Description, Location and Access
Wind Mountain is a past-producing, brownfield gold-silver heap-leach project located in Northern Nevada, approximately 160 km northeast of Reno. The Wind Mountain mine was operated from 1989 to 1999 primarily by AMAX and was last operated by Kinross Gold Corporation following its acquisition of AMAX in 1998.
Wind Mountain benefits from existing infrastructure, including a paved access road to the property boundary, an existing power substation adjacent to the site, and proximity to labour, with Reno less than a two-hour drive from the Project.
In August 2026, the Company announced a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) on the Project.
The 2026 PEA evaluates the potential restart of Wind Mountain through the processing of existing waste rock dumps and open-pit mining of Mineral Resources, using contract mining with conventional trucks and loaders and a 25,000 short ton per day run-of-mine heap-leach processing facility with Merrill-Crowe recovery.
- After-tax NPV (5%) of US$415 million (C$593 million), with an after-tax IRR of 60% and a 2.0-year payback , at a base case of US$3,600/oz gold and US$48/oz silver;
- 11.2-year mine life producing an average of 40.7 koz gold and 280 koz silver per year (44.4 koz AuEq/year), for total life-of-mine production of 454,000 oz gold and 3.1 million oz silver ;
- Total project capital of US$139.0 million (US$98.1 million initial, US$41.0 million sustaining), inclusive of a 20% contingency on direct and indirect costs;
- All-in sustaining cost of US$1,653/oz and cash cost of US$1,504/oz, against an exceptionally low strip ratio of 0.20:1 ;
- LOM cumulative (undiscounted) after-tax cash flow of US$593 million ;
- The mine plan is supported by 56.0 million tonnes Indicated (623,700 oz AuEq) and 40.0 million tonnes Inferred (210,200 oz AuEq) , captured within a US$3,100/oz gold and US$36.00/oz silver price-optimized pit.
2026 PEA Economic Summary
|
Metric |
2026 PEA |
|
After-tax NPV (5%) |
US$415 M (C$593 M) |
|
After-tax IRR |
60% |
|
Payback period |
2.0 years |
|
Mine life |
11.2 years |
|
Heap leach processing rate |
22,680 t/d (25,000 tons/d) |
|
Average gold recovery (oxide) |
62% |
|
Average silver recovery (oxide) |
15% |
|
Percent of processed tonnes classified as oxide |
99.8% |
|
Average annual gold production |
40.7 koz |
|
Average annual silver production |
280 koz |
|
Average annual gold-equivalent production |
44.4 koz AuEq |
|
LOM gold production |
454,000 oz |
|
LOM silver production |
3.1 million oz |
|
Average annual after-tax cash flow |
US$53 M |
|
LOM cumulative after-tax cash flow |
US$593 M |
|
Initial capital |
US$98.1 M |
|
Sustaining capital |
US$41.0 M |
|
Total project capital |
US$139.0 M |
|
Cash cost |
US$1,504/oz |
|
All-in sustaining cost (AISC) |
US$1,653/oz |
|
Strip ratio |
0.20:1 |
Project economics calculated at a base case of US$3,600/oz gold and US$48/oz silver. C$:US$ = 0.70
Figures may not sum exactly due to rounding. See “Cautionary Statement Regarding the PEA” below.
Capital Cost Summary
The capital cost shown below reflects the simple construction requirements, with the sustaining capital comprised primarily of expansion of the heap leach pad.
|
Initial (US$ millions) |
Sustaining (US$ millions) |
Total (US$ millions) |
|
|
Mining |
$24.1 |
$0.4 |
$24.5 |
|
Process plant |
$22.2 |
– |
$22.2 |
|
Leach pad & ponds |
$12.6 |
$26.5 |
$39.2 |
|
Owner's costs |
$6.8 |
– |
$6.8 |
|
Infrastructure |
$2.1 |
– |
$2.1 |
|
Total directs |
$67.8 |
$26.9 |
$94.7 |
|
EPCM |
$4.4 |
$3.2 |
$7.6 |
|
Freight |
$2.4 |
$0.02 |
$2.4 |
|
Spares / first fill |
$2.8 |
$2.1 |
$4.9 |
|
Construction support |
$4.3 |
$1.9 |
$6.2 |
|
Total indirects |
$13.9 |
$7.2 |
$21.1 |
|
Total directs & indirects |
$81.7 |
$34.2 |
$115.9 |
|
Contingency (~20%) |
$16.3 |
$6.8 |
$23.2 |
|
Total project cost |
$98.1 |
$41.0 |
$139.0 |
Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding.
Gold and Silver Price Sensitivity
The table below shows the sensitivity of the project economics to variations in gold and silver prices.
|
NPV5% (US$ M) |
Gold Price (US$/oz) |
|||||
|
IRR % |
||||||
|
Payback (Yrs) |
$3,000 |
$3,600 |
$4,000 |
$4,500 |
$5,000 |
|
|
Silver Price (US$/oz) |
$40 |
$253 |
$407 |
$506 |
$630 |
$754 |
|
43% |
59% |
69% |
81% |
93% |
||
|
2.35 |
2.02 |
1.78 |
1.56 |
1.40 |
||
|
$48 |
$272 |
$415 |
$520 |
$644 |
$767 |
|
|
44% |
60% |
70% |
83% |
94% |
||
|
2.32 |
2.00 |
1.76 |
1.54 |
1.39 |
||
|
$60 |
$292 |
$441 |
$540 |
$659 |
$787 |
|
|
46% |
62% |
72% |
84% |
96% |
||
|
2.27 |
1.95 |
1.72 |
1.52 |
1.37 |
||
|
$70 |
$303 |
$458 |
$552 |
$681 |
$804 |
|
|
48% |
64% |
74% |
86% |
97% |
||
|
2.23 |
1.91 |
1.69 |
1.49 |
1.35 |
||
|
$80 |
$320 |
$474 |
$574 |
$697 |
$820 |
|
|
50% |
65% |
75% |
87% |
99% |
||
|
2.20 |
1.87 |
1.66 |
1.47 |
1.34 |
||
Updated Mineral Resource Estimate
Wind Mountain Mineral Resources were estimated from drill data, Bravada’s geologic interpretations, statistical analysis of mineralized domains, and three-dimensional block modelling. Gold domains and low- and high-grade silver domains were modelled on 100-ft sections, with separate domains applied within the Wind Mountain fault zone to reflect post-mineralization movement. Resources were estimated using inverse-distance methods, with domain-specific estimates combined into a fully block-diluted model designed to reflect potential open-pit mining units.
|
Category |
Tonnes (M) |
Au (g/t) |
Ag (g/t) |
AuEq (g/t) |
Au (oz) |
AuEq (oz) |
|
Indicated |
56.0 |
0.32 |
8.51 |
0.35 |
574,400 |
623,700 |
|
Inferred |
40.0 |
0.15 |
5.37 |
0.16 |
192,400 |
210,200 |
Resource Notes:
- The Effective Date of the Wind Mountain Mineral Resources is June 23, 2026.
- The estimate of Mineral Resources was done by Mr. Lindholm in Imperial tons and have been converted to metric tonnes.
- Mineral Resources comprised all model blocks at 0.003oz AuEq/ton, 0.006oz AuEq/ton, and 0.008oz AuEq/ton cutoffs for Oxide, Mixed, and Unoxidized material, respectively, within an optimized pit.
- The project Mineral Resources comprise all block-diluted Mineral Resources potentially amenable to open-pit mining methods within pit shells optimized using a gold price of US$3,100/oz, a silver price of US$36.00/oz, and a throughput rate of 25,000 tons/day. Assumed metallurgical recoveries for gold are 62% for oxide, 20% for mixed, and 15% for unoxidized. Assumed metallurgical recoveries for silver are 15% for oxide and 0% for mixed and unoxidized. Mining costs of US$3.25/ton mined, heap leach processing costs of US$3.29/ton processed, and general and administrative costs of $0.57/ton processed. Gold and silver commodity prices were selected based on analysis of the three-year running average as of May 2026, and prices used to report resources recently filed on SEDAR.
- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
- The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by geology, environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues.
- Rounding may result in apparent discrepancies between tonnes, grade, and contained metal content.
- Gold-equivalent (AuEq) grades are based on the ratios of the two-year running averages of gold and silver prices, and adjusts for metallurgical recovery. The formula applied is AuEq g/t = Au g/t + (Ag g/t)/(75*(0.62/0.15)) for oxide. Since silver recoveries for mixed and unoxidized is 0%, AuEq g/t = Au g/t.
Qualified Person and Technical Report
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael S. Lindholm, C.P.G. and Kyle Murphy, PE, of RESPEC Company LLC., and Jeffrey Woods, SME QP, of Woods Process Services LLC, independent “qualified persons” as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”).
In accordance with NI 43-101, the Company will file a technical report supporting the 2026 PEA results disclosed in this news release on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under the Company's issuer profile within 45 days of the date of this news release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding the PEA
The 2026 PEA is preliminary in nature. It includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the 2026 PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The economic outcomes presented above are based on a base case of US$3,600/oz gold and US$48/oz silver and a C$:US$ exchange rate of 0.70 and are highly sensitive to changes in these assumptions and to future capital and operating cost estimates. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this preliminary information.