Name of the Project
Livengood gold project.

Location
The gold project is located near Fairbanks, in Alaska, US.

Client
International Tower Hill Mines.

Project Description
A prefeasibility study (PFS) completed on an optimised configuration of International Tower’s Livengood project evaluated several scenarios, ultimately selecting a project that will process 52 600 t/d and produce 6.8-million ounces of gold over 23 years, compared with 100 000 t/d in the 2013 feasibility study.

The project will process 432-million tons.

The project configuration evaluated in the PFS remains a conventional, owner-operated surface mine that will use large-scale mining equipment in a blast-load-haul operation.

Mill feed will be processed in a 52 600 t/d comminution circuit, consisting of primary and secondary crushing, and wet grinding in a single semiautogenous mill and a single ball mill, followed by a gravity gold circuit and a conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit.

The project will include a lined tailings management facility, an administration office/shop/warehouse complex, and will also include the construction of a an 80 km, 230 kV electrical transmission line to the mine site from the existing grid power near Fairbanks, Alaska.

The total power demand is estimated to be 55MW.

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
The PFS has reduced capital expenditure (capex) by 34%, or $950-million, to $1.84-billion.

The lower capex was achieved through a reduction in tonnage from 100 000 t/d to 52 600 t/d; the elimination of two previously planned freshwater supply reservoirs, owing to the inclusion of freshwater supply from a local aquifer; the elimination of a permanent accommodation camp, as a result of the planned daily transport of workers to the mine site during operations; changes in project execution strategy for the placement of large development earthworks using mine preproduction material by the owner instead of contractor and design changes to focus on bulk fills instead of cut/fills during construction.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
International Tower Hills Mines investor and community relations manager Rick Solie, email rsolie@ithmines.com.