Name and Location
Haile gold mine project, South Carolina, US.

Client
Romarco Minerals.

Project Description
The Haile gold mine has measured and indicated gold resources of 71.2-million tonnes at 1.77 g/t of gold, as well as an inferred gold resource of 20.1-million tonnes at 1.24 g/t of gold.

Proven and probable gold reserves are estimated at 30.5-million tonnes at 2.06 g/t.

The feasibility study envisages a conventional openpit mine, based on variable pit-slope angles.

The bulk of material from the mine will be hard rock, which will be drilled and blasted prior to loading. The mine is expected to produce 2.55-million tonnes of ore a year for delivery to the process plant.

The processing plant design incorporates conventional precious metals recovery processes, including jaw crushing, semiautogenous and ball milling, flotation, fine grinding of the flotation concentrate and carbon-in-leach cyanidation.

Final plant tailings will be stored in a conventional tailings facility.

Value
In the quarter ended March 31, 2013, Romarco reported that its initial capital cost for the Haile project remained $320-million. The project team continues to work through opportunities to manage or offset possible increases in the cost estimate.

Duration
A timeframe has not been confirmed.

Latest Developments
The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has advised Romarco that it will post a schedule for completing the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the federal 404 Wetlands permit for the Haile project. The schedule includes the key remaining milestones for the EIS process, including the publication of the draft EIS and the final EIS.

The federal 404 Wetlands permit is the only federal permit Romarco requires for the Haile project. Romarco has applied for its state mine operating permit, a national pollution discharge elimination system permit, 401 water quality certification, an air quality permit and a dam safety permit for the proposed tailings storage facility. Once the draft EIS is publicly filed, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control can hold public meetings and process the state permits necessary for beginning operations at the Haile project.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Romarco had expected to break ground on the Haile project at the end of 2011, but this was halted when the Corps decided to request an EIS process rather than the simpler environmental assessment the company was hoping for.

Contact Details for Project Information
Romarco Minerals, Dan Symons, tel +1 416 367 5500, fax +1 416 367 5505 or email info@romarco.com.