yielddude
1月前
Fortitude Builds a Golden Future
May 2026 | Nevada Mining
Small U.S. gold producer permits properties in central Nevada to maintain gold production
By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief
Fortitude Gold operates three mines, Isabella Pearl, Scarlet South and County Line, in Mineral and Nye Counties, Nevada. The company has a total of seven high-grade gold properties located in the Walker Lane mineral belt and an eighth high-grade gold property in west central Nevada. The company owns all its properties, and 60% of the East Camp Douglas joint venture (JV).
sandvik
Using a hub-and-spoke strategy, Fortitude recovers gold from satellite mines at the Isabella Pearl plant, an absorption, desorption and recovery (ADR) facility that recovers gold from the heap leach process. The surrounding mines are relatively small pits operating in oxide caps and they truck ore to the Isabella Pearl leach pad.
Fortitude is currently paying the price from a permitting backlog under the previous Biden administration, which delayed the start-up of new mines feeding the hub. “Our ability to execute our business plan is directly tied to our ability to acquire the needed permits to bring new mines into production,” said Fortitude President and CEO Jason Reid. “With the new Trump Administration’s pro-business and pro-mining stance, the Biden era hangover is now lifting.”
The rich pink ore zone can been seen in the Pearl Deep pit just before the layback. (Photo: Steve Fiscor)
While Reid said he and the company were relieved to have been granted a new mine permit at year-end 2025, the Biden hangover for most of 2025 proved to be the most challenging year in the company’s history. “Our goal now is to obtain as many additional permits as possible under the Trump Administration just in case the American people vote back into power an anti-business and anti-mining administration again in the future,” he said.
Fortitude overcame many challenges in 2025, Reid explained. “As we waited for Trump to clear the massive Biden permit backlog, we took decisive action to protect shareholder value and preserve capital,” he said. The company reduced its dividend by 75%, suspended drilling programs, moved the home office to a modest space in south Colorado Springs, Colo., and eliminated employee bonuses.
In late 2025, the Trump Administration approved permits for the County Line mine and a connection to grid power at Isabella Pearl. In early 2026, they received permits for the Scarlet South project. With these permits and approvals in place, Fortitude began construction of two new mines and is in the process of connecting Isabella Pearl to grid power, which is expected to reduce energy costs by $80,000 to $100,000 per month.
Fortitude recently completed a $12 million private placement, which is being used to optimize the two new mines, and restart exploration drilling activities to identify more resources and extend mine life.
During March, Fortitude announced the JV agreement with Hawthorne Land & Minerals, LLC to accelerate exploration at its East Camp Douglas property. Under the agreement, approximately $40 million is expected to be deployed at East Camp Douglas over the next two years to expedite deposit discovery and project advancement. Fortitude is the majority owner of the JV (60%), and it will have operational control as the project advances. If exploration proves successful, the JV will fast-track East Camp Douglas toward production.
Regaining Its Momentum
During 2025, Fortitude sold 5,774 ounces (oz) of gold and 35,091 oz of silver, a considerable decrease over 2024. After byproduct credit for silver production, the company’s total gold cash costs were a respectable $1,104/oz. With an average 2025 sales price of $3,235/oz, the company recorded revenues of $18.4 million, and pretax net income of $400,000. Fortitude produced 15,825 oz of gold and 61,536 oz of silver in 2024. The total gold cash costs in 2024 were $827/oz and the company sold its gold for an average realized price of $966/oz.
During 2025, the company placed 145,868 metric tons (mt) of ore with a grade of 0.39 g/mt on the leach pad. That compares to 447,304 mt of ore at a grade of 0.57 g/mt in 2024. During 2025, they moved 1.8 million mt of waste compared to 1.38 million mt in 2024.
The company recently reported Q1 2026 gold production of 688 oz, which was a combination of mining from the Pearl Deep, County Line, Scarlet South and residual leach. During the quarter, the company installed a new 800 mt/h crusher to size ore before it’s placed on the leach pad at the Isabella Pearl mine. Both County Line and Scarlet South initiated mining operations during the quarter. The company is ramping up and planning to produce more gold in future quarters.
Isabella Pearl is mining from the Pearl Deep and Scarlet South pits. The top of the mineralized horizon at Pearl Deep was intercepted during Q4 2025 with mine operations estimated to continue into H2 2026. In January, the company began to place ore from Scarlet South and County Line pits on the leach pad. Exploration efforts in 2026 will focus on expanding mineralization at Scarlet South and North, as well as the County Line mine. The company also plans to expand the Isabella Pearl heap leach pad in 2026 to accommodate the additional ore from the three mines.
The rich pink ore zone can been seen in the Pearl Deep pit just before the layback. (Photo: Steve Fiscor)
Permitting More Properties
The company’s Golden Mile project has been included in the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Fast-41 transparency permitting project with an estimated final approval by Q2 2027. Fortitude is advancing a phase one open pit shell design at Golden Mile targeting production from near surface gold mineralization with further delineation efforts expected to add additional open pit phases. Golden Mile will use heap leach for gold recovery. The loaded carbon will be trucked to the Isabella Pearl ADR plant for final doré production.
The company is currently in the process of permitting an Environmental Assessment (EA) for East Camp Douglas with the BLM and hoping for EA approvals by H2 2026.
The company is also advancing Scarlet North toward production permitting with the BLM. Required studies and surveys have been initiated and the company expects to file for permits in the coming months. In addition, the company also expects to file an exploration EA for the acreage located north and east of Scarlet North in the coming months, which would open a significant area of prospective exploration.
Fortitude recently purchased five Komatsu 785 haul trucks and is operating the mine themselves now. (Photo: Steve Fiscor)
Isabella Pearl Bustles With Activity
E&MJ visited the bustling Isabella Pearl mine in April. At the time of the visit, the company was commissioning a new crusher and starting the layback for the Pearl Deep pit. Trucks were arriving on site with ore from the County Line mine.
Mark Henry has served as the general manager for the operation since it broke ground seven years ago. “We are processing large amounts of relatively low-grade ore, and the new crusher allows us to put more tons on the leach pad,” Henry said. “An 800 tph crusher is massive for us. The trucks are delivering ore from the County Line mine 20 miles away, which adds a higher-grade ore to the mix.
“We used to operate the mine under a contract,” Henry said. “We bought five Komatsu HD785 100-ton haul trucks, a Komatsu WA900 wheel loader and other ancillary equipment and we are running it ourselves now.”
Back in the day, Isabella Pearl produced heap leachable ore running at an average grade of more than 5 g/mt, which was unheard of, Henry recalled. “The first five years for Isabella Pearl were just amazing, and this layback will provide access to more high-grade ore at the end of this pit,” he said.
The mine uses a Komatsu single pass drill on 24-ft benches with a 4-ft subdrill. That bench height works well for the wheel loader, Henry explained, which loads the trucks in four passes. Ore is crushed to minus 3/4-in. and the operation uses Superior stackers to place the ore on the leach pad. A small dozer spreads the ore at the discharge point to create the cell before they install the drip lines.
Henry and his team are looking forward to a new leach pad expansion, and they currently have dozens of new Superior stackers ready to go.
The mine, which generates power from diesel gensets, expects to connect to grid power shortly. Isabella Pearl sits near an old FMC mine, which had installed a new substation just before it closed. “The connection was easy and relatively inexpensive,” Henry said. “The difficult part was permitting the 4-mile power line, which took four years.”
The ADR plant is the pearl these days at Isabella Pearl. It operates as a closed-loop system. Pregnant solution is pumped to a set of five carbon-in-liquid (CIL) columns. In the adsorption process, gold and silver adhere to the activated carbon in the CIL columns. The loaded carbon drops out and is recovered with fine screens.
Gold and silver is attached to activated carbon in five CIL tanks before entering the ADR plant. (Photo: Steve Fiscor)
In the desorption process, the loaded carbon is washed with a hot caustic soda and sodium cyanide solution under pressure (285°F at 65 psi) to release the gold and silver back into a concentrated solution (eluate). The eluate passes through an electrowinning (EW) cell, where the precious metals attach to cathodes (strips), as a sludge, which is later refined into gold doré.
“These days the plant produces about four strips per week, and we pour doré every two weeks,” Henry said. “Eventually, we will be processing carbon recovered from the Golden Mile operation. We have a second strip vessel that we can add to handle the extra production.”
Isabella Pearl also has an onsite lab where they test samples taken throughout the mining and recovery process. They regularly perform fire assays, but they rely more on the Atomic Adsorption spectrometer.
They routinely evaluate the grade from blasthole samples and enter the information into pit modeling software, which better defines the ore and waste zones for them. When they mine through the area, they analyze another set of samples as a set of checks and balances. “The process takes about a day or so, but we can get results in 90 minutes if we needed to,” Henry said.
The Pearl Deep layback and Scarlet South will provide ore for the leach pad this year. Scarlet North, County Line and Golden Mile will build momentum next year, Henry explained, and add multiple years of production after that. “East Camp Douglas will be a big property,” Henry said. “There was a lot of historic mining up there. The old timers always seemed to know where to find the gold.” Fortitude is currently fast tracking the Golden Mile, which sits about 35-40 miles from Isabella Pearl.
https://www.e-mj.com/news/nevada-mining/fortitude-builds-a-golden-future/
yielddude
3月前
Metallogenic Study of the East Camp Douglas Gold Prospect
Abstract:
East Camp Douglas is a gold prospect owned by Fortitude Gold Corp., located in the central portion of the Walker Lane belt along the western margin of the Great Basin, Nevada. The property is currently at an exploration stage due to the presence of Au anomalies associated with a silicified lithocap covering more than 1 km². The prospect has been intermittently explored by multiple companies over several decades, driven by localized values exceeding 20 g/t Au. However, the stratigraphy of the lithocap, the distribution of mineralization, and the nature of the hydrothermal system responsible for its formation remain poorly constrained.
This study characterizes the lithocap through detailed fieldwork, petrography, whole-rock geochemistry, and geochronology. Preliminary results reveal at least two distinct stages of silicification, both of early Miocene age. The first stage produced intense, pervasive alteration of the protolith, whereas the second stage resulted in hydrothermal brecciation and cementation of previously silicified rocks. Mineralization consists exclusively of free gold, spatially and temporally associated with the second stage of brecciation and silicification. Locally, zones of phyllic alteration were identified beneath the lithocap, suggesting the presence of a paleo–heat source at greater depth. Collectively, these preliminary results indicate that the hydrothermal activity recorded in the lithocap may represent the shallow expression of a deeper mineralizing system.
https://gsameetings.secure-platform.com/cd26/solicitations/103008/sessiongallery/schedule/items/95830/application/12914
yielddude
9月前
Pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 519A.010 to 519A.280, inclusive, and regulations
promulgated thereunder by the State Environmental Commission as Nevada Administrative Code
(NAC) 519A.010 to 519A.415, inclusive, and implemented by the Division of Environmental
Protection (hereinafter the Division), this permit authorizes County Line Minerals Corp. to reclaim
the County Line Mine consistent with the conditions ofthis permit and the reclamation plan dated,
August 15, 2025, entitled County Line Mine Project Plan of Operations and Nevada Reclamation
Permit Application.
This permit is effective as ofthe 30th day of September 2025, and upon receipt by the Division
of an acceptable surety, or verification from the federal land management agency that satisfactory
surety has been posted. A surety is required by NAC 519A.350 prior to engaging in the activities
authorized by this permit. Unless it is modified, suspended or revoked by the Division, this permit is
valid for the life of the project. The permit will not now or in the future serve as a determination of
ownership or the validity of any mining claim to which it might relate.
The Permittee must comply with all terms and conditions of this permit and all applicable statutes
and regulations.
Issued this 15th day of September 2025.
Also this ...
NOTICE OF FINAL DECISION – Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation
Date of Posting: 09/15/2025
Deadline for Appeals: 09/25/2025
Reclamation Permit No. 0452
County Line Minerals Corporation
County Line Mine
The Administrator of the Division of Environmental Protection (Division) has decided to issue
Reclamation Permit (0452) for a Mine Project to County Line Minerals Corporation
(Permittee). This Permit authorizes the Permittee to reclaim the County Line Mine located
in Nye and Mineral Counties, Nevada. The Division has been provided with an application, in
accordance with Nevada Revised Statutes and Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 519A to
assure the Division that the Permittee will leave the project site safe, stable, and capable
of providing for a productive post-mining land use.
This Permit will become effective (9/30/2025). The final determination of the
Administrator may be appealed to the State Environmental Commission (Commission)
pursuant to NAC 519A.415. All requests for appeals must be filed by 5:00 PM, (9/25/2025),
on Form 3 with the Commission at 901 South Stewart Street, Suite 4001, Carson City,
Nevada 89701-5249, and in accordance with administrative rules of the Commission.
This Permit authorizes 452 acres of surface disturbance on public lands administered by
the Bureau of Land Management as described in the revised permit application dated
August 15, 2025, County Line Mine Project Plan of Operations and Nevada Reclamation
Permit Application.
https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/documents/20250915ke_0452_NOFD.pdf
yielddude
9月前
Job Posting ...
Posted
10 September 2025
Job description
MERC, in partnership with Fortitude Gold Corp., is recruiting for an MSc student to undertake research adjacent to the Isabella Pearl Mine, which is in the Walker Lane structural corridor of western Nevada. This study is part of a larger multi-year initiative by Fortitude Gold Corp. that is
focused on mapping and drilling prospective portions of the Soda Springs fault system, which hosts the Isabella Pearl deposits. Mineralization at the Isabella Pearl Mine conforms to the highsulfidation deposit model, as evidenced by widespread vuggy silica replacement, and a quartzalunite mineral assemblage capping argillic alteration, resulting from acid leaching of ascending hydrothermal fluids.
This two-year, fully funded project involves extensive fieldwork, including mapping of geology along a 10 km structural corridor. Specific focus will be structural and lithological mapping of identified deposits along the corridor, and assessment of the ore deposit styles and their associated geochemical traps. The position will include two field seasons of work, transportation to and from site, and all room and board expenses while on-site and analytical costs. Student support will be CND$30,000/year through a combination of employment, teaching assistantships and grants.
The project will be supervised by Ross Sherlock, Bruno Lafrance and the technical team at Fortitude Gold Corp.
https://www.egu.eu/jobs/7371/msc-geology-project-isabella-pearl-mine-nevada/
yielddude
1年前
BLM seeks input on proposed County Line gold and silver mine
Nevada
Carson City DO
Media Contact
Lisa Ross
lross@blm.gov
775-885-6107
BLM Office:
June 17, 2025
CARSON CITY, Nev.– The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the Plan of Operations for the County Line gold and silver mine proposed on 452 public acres near Gabbs, NV in Nye and Mineral counties.
If approved, County Line Minerals Corp. could expand two existing open pit mines and a waste rock storage facility; create two additional in-pit waste rock storage facilities, growth media stockpiles, and low- and high-grade ore stockpiles; and construct an access road, stormwater controls, and crushing and ancillary facilities.
Additional information, including the preliminary environmental assessment, will be posted soon at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comments may be submitted through the ‘Participate Now’ option (preferred). Comments may also be delivered to BLM Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701, or faxed to 775-885-6147. The comment period will close July 16, 2025.
For more information, please contact blm_nv_ccdowebmail@blm.gov (comments will not be accepted through this email).
https://www.blm.gov/announcement/blm-seeks-input-proposed-county-line-gold-and-silver-mine
yielddude
1年前
The Director received an application for a new Class II Air Quality Operating Permit, AP1041-4684 (FIN A2580)
from the following applicant:
County Line Minerals Corp.
PO Box 247
Mina, Nevada 89422
County Line Minerals Corp. – County Line Project is located approximately 10 miles southwest of Gabbs, Nevada,
on Nevada State Route 361. The gate will be on the southeast side of Highway 361. The project is located in all or
portions of Section 1, Township 10N, Range 35; Sections 4 through 9, Township 10N, Range 36; and of Section 35,
Township 11N, Range 35 M.D.B.&M.
This action results in an issuance of a new Class II Operating permit for County Line Minerals Corp. The permit
encompasses a crushing system, a conveyance system, an ammonium nitrate prill silo system, diesel generators, and
gasoline and diesel storage tanks. Overall, there are 14 units across 7 systems, and there are 5 insignificant activities.
On the basis of the preliminary review and the requirements of the NRS, the NAC and the Clean Air Act, the Director
is hereby announcing his intent to issue the proposed Class II Air Quality Operating Permit based on a review of the
information submitted. A copy of this document, the draft permit, and the Director’s Review will be available for
public inspection at http://ndep.nv.gov/posts.
Persons wishing to comment regarding this proposed action, or to request a hearing pursuant to NRS 445B Air
Pollution and NAC 445B Air Controls, should submit their comments or request in writing, either in person or by mail
within thirty (30) days to:
Tanya Soleta, P.E.
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Air Pollution Control
901 South Stewart Street, Suite 4001
Carson City, Nevada 89701
aircomments@ndep.nv.gov
The application, Director’s Review, proposed permit, any comments received, and other relevant information may be
copied at the above address or copies may be obtained by written request to the above address. Written comments or
objections will be received at the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, above address, until March 29, 2025,
and will be retained and considered prior to final action on the proposed Class II Air Quality Operating Permit.
https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/documents/ap1041-4684-proposed-action.pdf
https://ndep.nv.gov/posts/nopa-bapc-county-line-minerals-corp-new-class-ii-aqop
yielddude
1年前
The Director received an application for an Operating Permit to Construct (OPTC) roll-over to Class I Air Quality
Opeating Permit, AP1041-4473 (FIN A2039) from the following applicant:
Walker Lane Minerals Corporation
P.O. Box 247
Mina, Nevada 89420
Walker Lane Minerals Corporation – Isabella Pearl Mine (Isabella Pearl) is located approximately 25 miles Northeast
of Hawthorne, Nevada. The project is located in all or portions of Section 34, Township 9N, Range 34E, M.D.B.&M.
Isabella Pearl is proposing to transition their OPTC (AP1041-3897) to a new Class I Title V Air Quality Operating
Permit. The facility is a gold recovery operation that utilizes metallic ore processes, heap leaching technology, and a
refinery to extract gold from the ore mined from the pits. Metallic ore processes include crushing, screening, and
transfers, which is included in the Class II AQOP (AP1041-3853). The refinery includes a mercury retort, melt furnace,
carbon regeneration kiln, and a fluid circuit.
On the basis of the preliminary review and the requirements of the NRS, the NAC and the Clean Air Act, the Director
is hereby announcing his intent to issue the proposed Class I Air Quality Operating Permit based on a review of the
information submitted. A copy of this document, the draft operating permit, and the Director’s Review will be
available for public inspection at https://ndep.nv.gov/posts.
Persons wishing to comment regarding this proposed action, or to request a hearing pursuant to NRS 445B Air
Pollution and NAC 445B Air Controls, should submit their comments or request in writing, either in person or by mail
within thirty (30) days to:
Jaimie Mara
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Air Pollution Control
901 South Stewart Street, Suite 4001
Carson City, Nevada 89701
aircomments@ndep.nv.gov
The application, Director’s Review, proposed permit, any comments received, and other relevant information may be
copied at the above address or copies may be obtained by written request to the above address. Written comments or
objections will be received at NDEP, above address, until May 15, 2024, and will be retained and considered prior to
final action on the proposed Class I Air Quality Operating Permit.
The BAPC will submit the proposed Class I Air Quality Operating Permit to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) for a 45-day review period on the same day the 30-day public comment period commences. If the
BAPC has not addressed any received comments in a satisfactory manner, and the EPA does not object to the Class I
Air Quality Operating Permit during its review period, the public may submit a petition to the EPA requesting to
reconsider issuance within 60 days after the expiration of the 45-day review period.
https://ndep.nv.gov/uploads/documents/ap1041-4473-proposed-action.pdf
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