Item 2. Properties
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Introduction
This Item 2 provides summary information about our portfolio of stream and royalty interests, as well as more detailed information about our material stream and royalty interests.
Principal Properties
Royal Gold management periodically reviews the materiality of individual stream and royalty interests within our portfolio. As of December 31, 2024, we determined that four of our stream and royalty interests are material to our business or financial condition: Andacollo, Cortez, Mount Milligan, and Pueblo Viejo. We sometimes refer to these properties as our material, or principal, properties. In making this determination, management considers primarily the relative contribution of estimated future revenue and, to a lesser extent, historical revenue to our portfolio from each property. Estimated future revenue is based on several factors, including mineral resources and mineral reserves subject to our stream and royalty interests, production estimates, feasibility studies, technical reports, metal prices, and mine life assumptions.
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves
Under S-K 1300, disclosure of mineral resources and mineral reserves must be based on and accurately reflect information and supporting documentation prepared by a “qualified person,” as such term is defined in S-K 1300. A registrant is responsible for determining that a person meets the qualifications specified under the definition of qualified person and that the disclosure in the registrant’s filing accurately reflects the information provided by the qualified person.
As a stream and royalty company, we have limited access to and information regarding the properties in which we hold interests, and because of these limitations, qualified persons acting on behalf of the Company are not able to arrive at sufficient findings and conclusions, or prepare adequate supporting documentation, for us to disclose mineral resources or mineral reserves under the standards for disclosure established by S-K 1300 for any of the properties in which we hold
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interests. In addition, based on guidance from the staff of the SEC, we are not able to rely on disclosure of mineral resources and mineral reserves by the operators of the properties as a basis for our disclosure of mineral resources and mineral reserves under S-K 1300 because such disclosure does not constitute “required information” within the meaning of Item 1303(a)(3)(iii) or Item 1304(a)(2)(iii) of Regulation S-K, and the staff of the SEC further interprets S-K 1300 to preclude in SEC filings the supplemental disclosure of mineral resources and mineral reserves that do not satisfy the standards for disclosure established by S-K 1300. As a result, we are unable to disclose mineral resources and mineral reserves for the properties in which we hold stream and royalty interests in our filings with the SEC. However, we provide disclosure of resources and reserves for the properties in which we hold such interests, as provided to us by the operators or publicly disclosed by the operators, on our website at www.royalgold.com. The information on our website is not part of this or any other report filed with or furnished to the SEC.
Sources of Information
Our disclosures in this Item 2 are based on information provided to us by the operators of the properties or disclosed by the operators in their public filings with the SEC or Canadian securities regulators, including technical reports filed with Canadian securities administrators pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”), and the 2014 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Definition Standards and 2019 Best Practice Guideline (“CIM Standards”). We are providing this information because it represents information that we have in our possession and that we believe is responsive to the disclosure obligations set forth in S-K 1300. In some cases, we refer to information for our principal properties as of periods earlier than December 31, 2024 because the operators did not yet disclose more current information by the time we finalized this report.
Newmont Corporation (“Newmont”), a party to joint ventures with Barrick Gold Corporation (“Barrick”) on each of Pueblo Viejo and the mining operations operated by Nevada Gold Mines LLC, a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont with respect to their Nevada operations, which includes Cortez, has filed technical report summaries prepared under S-K 1300 for each of Pueblo Viejo and the Nevada Gold Mines operations. Such technical report summaries, while providing important information about the properties, do not provide information sufficient for qualified persons acting on behalf of the Company to be able to arrive at sufficient findings and conclusions, or prepare adequate supporting documentation, for us to disclose mineral resources or mineral reserves for such properties under the standards for disclosure established by S-K 1300 (see “Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves” above). Pueblo Viejo and Cortez are our only principal properties for which technical report summaries have been prepared by the operators under S-K 1300. For our other principal properties, we requested that the operators prepare technical report summaries under S-K 1300 or permit us the access and information necessary for us to prepare our own technical report summaries for filing with the SEC. In each case, the operator denied our request. None of the operators is an affiliate of Royal Gold.
Any references in this report to the technical reports, technical report summaries, or other information publicly disclosed by the operators of the properties subject to our stream and royalty interests shall not be deemed to incorporate such information by reference into this report or any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates such information by reference.
Omission of Certain Information
While S-K 1300 generally requires registrants that hold royalty, streaming, or other similar rights to provide the same disclosure regarding properties as the operators of the properties, S-K 1300 also provides certain accommodations to registrants that hold royalty, streaming, or other similar rights. We rely on the accommodations set forth in Item 1303(a)(3) and Item 1304(a)(2) of Regulation S-K to omit information required under Items 1303 and 1304 to which we lack access, and in accordance with Item 1303(a)(3) and Item 1304(a)(2) of Regulation S-K, we (i) specify the information to which we lack access, (ii) explain that we do not have access to the required information because obtaining the information would result in an unreasonable burden or expense or we requested the information from the applicable operator and our request was denied, and (iii) provide all required information that we do possess or can acquire without incurring an unreasonable burden or expense.
Absent an exemption, a registrant must obtain a dated and signed technical report summary from a qualified person identifying and summarizing the information reviewed and conclusions reached by the qualified person about the mineral resources or mineral reserves determined to be on each material property. As noted above, we do not have sufficient access and information for qualified persons acting on behalf of the Company to arrive at sufficient findings and conclusions, or prepare adequate supporting documentation, for us to disclose mineral resources or mineral reserves under the standards for
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disclosure established by S-K 1300 for any of the principal or other properties in which we hold stream or royalty interests, and accordingly, we have not sought to obtain dated and signed technical report summaries from qualified persons pursuant to Item 1302(b)(1) of Regulation S-K.
Applicable Internal Controls
We have in place procedures to gather certain limited information from operators concerning the properties over which we hold stream and royalty interests, including reviewing operator reports (mostly consisting of public filings by the operators, in most cases under foreign reporting regimes and not pursuant to S-K 1300), reviewing information provided to us by the operators under the terms of our stream or royalty agreements, and, in some cases, discussing the properties with operator personnel and reviewing information gained from site visits.
As noted above under “Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves,” we do not disclose mineral resources and mineral reserves pursuant to S-K 1300 for the properties with respect to which we hold stream and royalty interests. In addition, we do not engage in exploration efforts on those or any other properties. As such, we do not use internal controls in any exploration and mineral resource and reserve estimation efforts within the meaning of Item 1305 of Regulation S-K.
Summary
We own a large portfolio of stream and royalty interests on properties at various stages of review and development.
The following map shows the approximate geographic distribution of all properties on which we hold stream or royalty interests. In many cases, properties shown on the map are in close proximity and the individual properties are not separately identifiable.
Aggregate annual production for all properties on which we hold interests during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, is shown in the table below. The reported production relates to the amount of stream metal sales and sales
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attributable to our royalty interests and may differ from the operators' public reporting due to a number of factors, including timing of the operator's concentrate shipments, the delivery of metal to us and our subsequent sale of the delivered metal.
Years Ended
Stream Metal December 31,
2024 December 31,
2023 December 31,
2022
Mount Milligan Gold (oz) 164,248 165,844 193,696
Copper (lb) 63,066,689 62,985,699 78,742,419
Andacollo Gold (oz) 20,049 25,455 26,150
Pueblo Viejo Gold (oz) 332,184 360,931 442,592
Silver (oz) 1,151,253 1,362,568 1,622,221
Other Gold (oz) 495,446 503,390 470,167
Other Silver (oz) 1,751,266 1,937,089 1,322,674
Royalty
Cortez Gold (oz) 720,135 890,702 414,117
Silver (oz) 87,690 105,836 126,792
Other Gold (oz) 2,428,155 1,905,190 2,549,930
Other Silver (oz) 35,152,754 19,538,810 32,554,090
Other Copper (lb) 203,990,454 173,165,799 207,707,394
Other Nickel (lb) 37,912,955 27,753,538 50,797,143
Other Lead (lb) 212,854,866 106,938,075 146,789,281
Other Zinc (lb) 544,744,965 222,457,704 373,148,732
Location of the Properties
Approximately 83% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 came from properties outside of the United States, and most of our operators are organized outside of the United States. Our material properties are located in Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.
Type and Amount of Ownership Interests
A metal stream is a purchase agreement that provides, in exchange for an upfront deposit payment, the right to purchase all or a portion of one or more metals produced from a mine, at a price determined for the life of the transaction by the purchase agreement. See “Certain Definitions” in Item 1, Business, for more information.
Royalties are non-operating interests in mining projects that provide the right to a percentage of revenue or metals produced from the project after deducting specified costs, if any. See “Certain Definitions” in Item 1, Business, for more information.
As of December 31, 2024, we owned nine stream interests and 166 royalty interests.
Identity of Operator or Operators
We work with 132 different operators among our stream and royalty properties; of these 65 are headquartered in Canada, 21 are headquartered in the United States, and 46 are headquartered outside of Canada and the United States. In general, our operators are domiciled in the countries in which they operate. For further information about the operators of our material properties, refer to the section entitled “Material Properties” below.
Titles, Mineral Rights, Leases, or Options and Acreage Involved
The titles, mineral rights, leases, and options involved with our stream and royalty interests vary depending on the country and include exploitation concessions, unpatented and patented mining claims, fee lands, mining leases and prospecting and
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mining licenses. For information about the specific titles, mineral rights, leases, options and acreages involved at our material properties, refer to the section entitled “Material Properties” below.
We have an undeterminable number of acres relating to our stream and royalty interests because our interests do not always cover 100% of each property, in some cases our interests extend to an area of interest beyond the original property boundaries, and because the operators will, from time to time, add or subtract acreage from individual properties, which can, in some cases, modify the land position covered by a stream or royalty.
Stage of the Properties (Exploration, Development, or Production)
S-K 1300 subdivides mineral properties into three stages.
1. Production stage properties
2. Development stage properties
3. Exploration stage properties. Royal Gold further subdivides exploration stage properties into two categories:
a. Evaluation stage properties, for which mineral resources have been declared, supported by an appropriate technical report, and
b. Exploration stage properties, for which no mineral resources have been declared.
As of December 31, 2024, we owned stream interests on seven production stage properties and two development stage properties.
As of December 31, 2024, we owned royalty interests on 35 production stage properties, 16 development stage properties, and 115 exploration stage properties, of which we consider 50 to be evaluation stage properties.
Key Permit Conditions
Operators of the mines that are subject to our stream and royalty interests must comply with environmental, mine safety, land use, water use, waste disposal, remediation and public health laws and regulations promulgated by federal, state, provincial and local governments in the United States, Canada, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and other countries where we hold interests. Although we, as a stream or royalty interest owner, are not responsible for ensuring compliance with these laws and regulations, failure by the operators to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permits can result in injunctive action, orders to suspend or cease operations, damages, and civil and criminal penalties on the operators, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
In general, we have no decision-making authority regarding the development or operation of the mineral properties underlying our stream and royalty interests. Operators make all or substantially all development and operating decisions, including decisions about permitting, feasibility analysis, mine design and operation, processing, tailings storage facility (“TSF”) design and operation, plant and equipment matters, and temporary or permanent suspension of operations, as well as estimates of resources and reserves.
Mine Types and Mineralization Styles
Our operating stream and royalty interests cover all types of mineralization styles in a number of primary commodities. Table 1 shows mine types and mineralization styles at our principal properties.
Table 1 Mine Type and Mineralization Style for Principal Properties
Property Mine Type Mineralization styles
Andacollo Open Pit Porphyry copper-gold
Cortez Open Pit & Underground Carlin-Type Sediment-Hosted gold
Mount Milligan Open Pit Porphyry copper-gold
Pueblo Viejo Open Pit High-Sulfidation Epithermal gold-silver
Additional specific information on the Principal Properties is available in the section entitled “Material Properties”, below.
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Processing Plants and Other Available Facilities
Facilities and infrastructure for our properties vary widely based on the stage of each property.
Our Principal Properties are all production stage properties. As such, each of our Principal Properties has infrastructure and facilities appropriate to conduct mining and processing operations. A summary of key processing infrastructure is shown in Table 2.
Table 2 Key Process Infrastructure for Principal Properties
,
Property Processing
Andacollo 20.1 million tonne per annum (“Mtpa”) sulfide flotation mill producing a copper-gold concentrate
Cortez 4.90 Mtpa cyanide leaching mill along with heap leaching facilities for lower-grade, oxide gold ores and offsite processing of refractory ores, producing a gold-silver doré
Mount Milligan 21.9 Mtpa sulfide flotation mill producing a single concentrate containing copper, gold and silver
Pueblo Viejo 14 Mtpa whole ore and flotation pressure oxidation and cyanide leaching plant producing a gold and silver doré
Measurement units presented in this report are generally metric units, with the exception that gold and silver quantities are reported in troy ounces and the content for copper is presented in pounds. There may be small rounding differences due to unit conversions.
Summary of All Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves
As noted above under “Introduction—Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves,” we have limited access to, and limited information regarding, the properties in which we hold interests, and because of these limitations, qualified persons acting on behalf of the Company are not able to arrive at sufficient findings and conclusions, or prepare adequate supporting documentation, for us to disclose mineral resources or mineral reserves under the standards for disclosure established by S-K 1300 for any of the properties in which we hold stream or royalty interests. We have requested that the operators of our Principal Properties prepare technical report summaries that we may file with the SEC or permit us the access and information necessary for qualified persons acting on behalf of the Company to be able to arrive at sufficient findings and conclusions, and prepare adequate supporting documentation, for us to disclose mineral resources or mineral reserves and prepare the related technical report summaries. In each case, the operator denied our request, and as a result, we are omitting disclosure of mineral resources and mineral reserves from our summary disclosure and individual material property disclosure because we cannot provide such disclosure without incurring an unreasonable burden or expense.
Material Properties
The disclosures below regarding our Principal Properties are derived from publicly available reports of the operators and/or other reports provided to Royal Gold under the terms of Royal Gold's stream or royalty agreements with the respective operators and have generally been prepared pursuant to the mining disclosure regime of the applicable jurisdiction in which the operator reports. We do not independently prepare or verify this information and, as the holder of the stream or royalty interest, we do not have access to the properties or operations or to sufficient data to do so. We are dependent on the operators of the properties to provide information to us. There can be no assurance, and we cannot verify, that such third-party information is complete or accurate. We often refer to these material properties as “Principal Properties” in this report.
Andacollo
The disclosures below regarding Carmen de Andacollo (“Andacollo”) are derived from the Technical Report dated July 12, 2006, pursuant to NI 43-101, as well as the Annual Information Form, dated February 23, 2024, of Teck Resources Limited (“Teck”), attached as Exhibit 99.1 to Teck’s Annual Report on Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2023. Teck presents mineral resource and mineral reserve updates pursuant to CIM Standards. Royal Gold requested information prepared in accordance with S-K 1300 or access to underlying technical data sufficient to prepare its own technical report summary, and the operator denied the request.
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Location
Andacollo is an open pit mine and milling operation located in central Chile, Coquimbo Region at 30.25°S latitude and 71.10°W longitude and is operated by Compañía Minera Teck Carmen de Andacollo (“CMCA”), a 90% owned subsidiary of Teck. The Andacollo mine is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains approximately 2 kilometers (“km”) southwest of the town of Carmen de Andacollo, 55 km southeast from the regional capital of La Serena, and 350 km north of Santiago.
The mine property lies at the southern limit of the Atacama Desert at a mean elevation of 1,050 meters (“m”) above sea level. Geomorphologically, it is characterized by northerly trending valleys bounded by low rolling foothills of the Andes. The average annual temperature is 18.8°C with a range from -5°C in the winter to 32°C in the summer. Average annual rainfall is low (less than 100 millimeters (“mm”)) and concentrated within the months of May to August.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure to support the mining and processing operation is in place and fully supports the operation.
Access to the mine is provided by Route 43 (“R-43”) south from La Serena to El Peñon. From El Peñon, D-51 is followed east and eventually curves to the south to Andacollo. Both R-43 and D-51 are paved roads.
The mine is along a 2 km section of paved road from the town of Carmen de Andacollo. Airport facilities are available in La Serena with connections to Santiago and other cities located in the northern portion of the country. Port facilities are available at Coquimbo.
Andacollo is supplied with electric power by a 110 kilovolt (“kV”) line from El Peñon. In August 2020, Teck entered into a long-term power purchase agreement to provide 100% renewable power for Andacollo’s operations, which went into effect in September 2020 and will run through the end of 2031.
Process water is currently pumped to the site via a 30-centimeter (“cm”) diameter pipeline, primarily sourced from groundwater extracted near La Serena, approximately 50 km from the site.
Several mines operate within the same geographical area and, as such, supplies, material, and experienced mine labor are readily available. The majority of mine personnel live in the town of Carmen de Andacollo or in the nearby cities of Coquimbo and La Serena. These cities have a combined population of about 350,000 inhabitants.
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Area of Interest
The stream interest of our wholly owned subsidiary, RGLD Gold AG (“RGLD Gold”), at Andacollo covers 1,225 exploitation mining concessions, including 1,174 concessions termed the “Mining Properties” and 51 concessions termed the “Dayton Concessions.” RGLD Gold’s interest also covers any additional claims held before the effective date of the stream agreement, as described below, or acquired after the effective date which are wholly or partially located within an approximately 1.5 km radius from the external boundary of the “Mining Properties,” any mining concessions held by CMCA or acquired following the effective date of the agreement which are wholly or partially located within approximately 1 km radius from certain boundaries laid out in the agreement, and any Dayton Concession held by CMCA as of the effective date of the agreement, or acquired after the effective date.
Stream Agreement
Under the Long Term Offtake Agreement, dated July 9, 2015, between CMCA and RGLD Gold, RGLD Gold owns the right to purchase 100% of the gold produced from the Andacollo copper-gold mine until 900,000 ounces of payable gold have been delivered, and 50% thereafter. The cash purchase price equals 15% of the monthly average gold price for the month preceding the delivery date for all gold purchased. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 368,500 ounces of payable gold have been delivered to RGLD Gold.
Although Andacollo is primarily a copper mine, RGLD Gold’s stream agreement covers only gold and does not cover copper production. We provide certain information on copper production methods in order to provide a better understanding of the operation.
Property Description
The Andacollo operation consists of an open pit mine, sulfide concentrator, and an inactive copper heap leach facility.
The open pit mine is designed with a 10m bench height and an average overall pit slope of 53 degrees. A conventional owner operated and maintained truck and shovel mining operation is used for exploiting the hypogene reserve. See “Property Geology” below. Mining is carried out with 26 cubic meter (“m 3 ”) hydraulic shovels and 19 m 3 front-end loaders loading 180-tonne capacity haul trucks.
The life of mine waste to ore ratio was 0.35:1 at the start of the mine life and has reduced over time. With the majority of the mining activity, ore is delivered to stockpiles or the primary crusher and approximately 95% of the waste rock is used for the tailings dam construction.
Copper concentrate is produced by processing hypogene ore through semi-autogenous grinding and a flotation plant with the capacity to process up to 55,000 tonnes per day (“tpd”), depending on ore hardness.
Copper concentrates produced by the operation are sold under long-term contracts to smelters in Asia and Europe, using the LME Price as the basis for copper pricing, and with treatment and refining charges negotiated on an annual basis.
Tailings from the ore processing operation are stored in a single facility that has been used since the sulfide concentrator processing was initiated in 2010. The facility consists of five retention structures and high natural topography. The full facility is designed with six downstream embankment raises, which has a design capacity sufficient for the current ore reserve.
Age and Condition of Infrastructure
The sulfide concentrator was commissioned in 2010.
Royal Gold does not have specific information as to the physical condition or age of the equipment and infrastructure.
Book Value
Royal Gold is not permitted to disclose the operator’s book value or total cost detail for the property and associated plant and equipment.
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Property History
A predecessor to CMCA began mining the oxide and supergene enrichment zone of the Andacollo copper deposit in January 1996. Supergene and oxide ores were processed by heap leaching and production of copper cathode in a solvent extraction-electrowinning plant. Beginning in 2010, the mine began processing hypogene ore (which underlies the supergene ore) through a mill and concentration plant at site producing concentrates for third-party offtake.
Permitting and Encumbrances
In December 1994, CMCA prepared an environmental impact study for the Andacollo mine with the terms of reference of the study established by CMCA and the Comité Regional de Medio Ambiente (“COREMA”). The results of this study were presented before COREMA for approval. On July 13, 1995, COREMA granted CMCA an environmental permit to operate the existing Andacollo mine.
According to the operator, all major permits for current operations are in place and the operation is in material compliance with those permits. However, the operator discloses that the current life of mine for Andacollo is expected to continue until 2036 and that additional permitting or amendments will be required to execute the life of mine plan beyond 2031.
Property Geology
The Andacollo orebody is a porphyry copper deposit consisting of disseminated and fracture-controlled copper mineralization contained within a gently dipping sequence of andesitic to trachytic volcanic rocks and sub-volcanic intrusions. The mineralization is spatially related to a feldspar porphyry intrusion and a series of deeply-rooted fault structures. A primary copper-gold sulfide deposit (the “hypogene deposit”) containing principally disseminated and quartz vein-hosted chalcopyrite mineralization lies beneath the supergene deposit. The hypogene deposit was subjected to surface weathering processes resulting in the formation of a barren leached zone with a thickness of 10 to 60 m. The original copper sulfides leached from this zone were re-deposited below the barren leached zone as a copper-rich zone comprised of copper silicates (chrysocolla) and supergene copper sulfides (chalcocite with lesser covellite).
Recent Developments
Stream deliveries from Andacollo were approximately 19,300 ounces of gold during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to approximately 22,500 ounces of gold during the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in deliveries resulted primarily from Andacollo experiencing lower gold grades and lower tonnage milled as a result of water restrictions caused by extreme drought conditions which impacted production. Stream deliveries typically occur approximately six months after mine production and are based on a fixed payability factor of 89%.
On January 21, 2025, Teck reported that Andacollo continues to operate in extreme drought conditions, and that risk mitigation plans to increase water availability through increased well field capacity were implemented in 2024, enabling mill throughput rates consistent with the mine plan through the second half of 2024.
Further, Teck provided copper production guidance, and expects copper production to increase from approximately 39,700 tonnes in 2024 to a range of 45,000 and 55,000 tonnes per year in each of 2025, 2026 and 2027, before declining to a range of 35,000 to 45,000 tonnes in 2028. According to Teck, the annual production guidance reflects ongoing drought conditions that remain a risk to production. Gold and copper grades have been relatively well correlated at Andacollo and gold production has tended to track copper production, although there can be no assurance that these correlations will continue in the future.
Production at Andacollo has trended lower since the beginning of 2021 due to lower ore grades, as anticipated in the mine plan. Teck has reported that the current life of mine for Andacollo is expected to continue until 2036 although additional permits or amendments will be required to execute the life of mine plan beyond 2031.
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Mount Milligan
The disclosures below regarding Mount Milligan are derived from the Technical Report on the Mount Milligan Mine in North-Central British Columbia filed November 7, 2022, effective December 31, 2021, pursuant to NI 43-101 and CIM Standards, and from news releases, dated February 14, 2024, issued by Centerra Gold Inc. (“Centerra”). Royal Gold requested information prepared in accordance with S-K 1300 or access to underlying technical data sufficient to prepare its own disclosure, and the operator denied the request.
Location
Mount Milligan is an open pit mine and is located within the Omenica Mining Division in North Central British Columbia, at 55.12°N latitude and 124.01°W longitude, approximately 155 km northwest of Prince George, 85 km north of Fort St. James, and 95 km west of Mackenzie.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure to support the mining and processing operation is in place and fully supports the operation.
The Mount Milligan mine is accessible by commercial air carrier to Prince George, British Columbia, then by vehicle from the east via Mackenzie on the Finlay Philip Forest Service Road and the North Philip Forest Service Road, and from the west via Fort St. James on the North Road and Rainbow Forest Service Road. Road travel to the Mount Milligan property site is 775 km from Prince Rupert and 254 km from Prince George. These roads are maintained in good condition by the various user groups.
Electric power is accessed from the BC Hydro Kennedy Substation, located 35 km southeast of Mackenzie, and connected to the Mount Milligan mine via a 92 km, 230 kV transmission line. The system is fed from the Peace River hydro generation facilities.
Stored water inventory at the Mount Milligan mine is critical to the ability to process ore through the process plant on a sustainable basis. Water supply and make-up sources for the project include precipitation runoff, recycling of water from the TSF supernatant pond, pit dewatering, groundwater wells, fresh water from Meadows Creek, Rainbow Creek, and Philip Lake.
Water required for ore processing operations is reclaimed from the TSF by a barge-mounted pump station and booster pump station. Water sourced from the TSF is supernatant from the settled tailings.
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The communities of Mackenzie and Fort St. James are within daily commuting distance of the Mount Milligan mine, and both communities are serviced by rail, which connects to the major western and eastern rail routes.
Concentrate is transported by truck from the mine site to Mackenzie, transferred onto railcars of the Canadian National Railway to port storage facilities of Vancouver Wharves in North Vancouver, and loaded into bulk ore carriers. Concentrate is then shipped to customers via ocean transport.
Labor and services are readily available from the surrounding towns of Prince George, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Vanderhoof, Smithers, and Fraser Lake.
Area of Interest
At Mount Milligan, RGLD Gold’s stream interest covers Mining Lease 631503 and 110 mineral claims covering 51,078.2 hectares.
Stream Agreement
Under the Amended and Restated Purchase and Sale Agreement dated December 14, 2011, between Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc. (“TCM”), an indirect subsidiary of Centerra, and RGLD Gold (as amended, the “Milligan Stream Agreement”), RGLD Gold owns the right to purchase 35% of the payable gold and 18.75% of the payable copper produced from the Mount Milligan mine. The cash purchase price for gold is equal to the lesser of $435 per ounce, with no inflation adjustment, or the prevailing market price when purchased. The cash purchase price for copper is 15% of the spot price. On February 13, 2024, TCM, Centerra, and RGLD Gold entered into a Processing Cost Support Agreement (the “Cost Support Agreement”), whereby subject to certain conditions, RGLD Gold will provide cost support payments for gold and copper deliveries under the Milligan Stream Agreement in exchange for cash consideration of $24.5 million, 50,000 ounces of gold to be delivered in the future, and a free cash flow interest in Mount Milligan. Through approximately 2029, RGLD Gold will only provide cost support payments when the gold price is at or below $1,600 per ounce and the copper price is at or below $3.50 per pound. In such case, and only at Centerra’s election, RGLD Gold will provide cost support payments, in the case of gold, equal to the lower of either $415 or 66% of the gold spot price less $435 for each ounce of gold delivered, and in the case of copper, equal to 35% of the spot copper price for each pound of copper delivered. RGLD Gold will have the right to recover any such payments from future cash support payments beginning in approximately 2030 when metal prices are above $1,600 per ounce of gold and $3.50 per pound of copper. In addition, starting in approximately 2030, RGLD Gold will provide cost support payments, in the case of gold, equal to the lower of either $415 or 50% of the gold spot price less $435 for each ounce of gold delivered, and in the case of copper, equal to 35% of the spot copper price for each pound of copper delivered. Finally, starting in approximately 2036, RGLD Gold will provide cost support payments, in the case of gold, equal to the lower of either $615 or 66% of the gold spot price less $435 for each ounce of gold delivered, and in the case of copper, equal to 51% of the spot copper price for each pound of copper delivered. The Milligan Stream Agreement remains in place and is unaffected by the Cost Support Agreement. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 791,200 ounces of payable gold and 95.4 million pounds of payable copper have been delivered to RGLD Gold.
Property Description
Mount Milligan is a copper-gold porphyry deposit, consisting of two principal zones, the Main Zone and the Southern Star (SS) Zone. The Main Zone includes four contiguous sub-zones: MBX, WBX, DWBX and 66 (low-copper and high-gold grades, southeast of the MBX sub-zone). These geologic zones are the basis for the metallurgical test work.
Open pit operations are designed and scheduled to deliver peak annual production of 54 Mtpa, with a life-of-mine (“LOM”) stripping ratio of 0.92 tonnes of waste to 1 tonne ore. All waste material is used in the construction of the TSF or in the case of the material being classified as potentially acid producing, stored within the TSF.
The mining operation’s equipment fleet comprises two 30 cm electric blast hole drills, two 41 m 3 electric cable shovels, one 22 m 3 hydraulic excavator and two 19 m 3 front end loaders and thirteen 229-tonne capacity haul trucks and two 181-tonne capacity haul trucks. These major units are supplemented with a back-up equipment fleet of graders, track and rubber-tired dozers, backhoes, and water trucks. A 15m bench height is used for mining both ore and waste.
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The Mount Milligan sulfide flotation concentrator was designed to process ore at a nominal rate of 60,000 tpd, producing a marketable concentrate of copper, gold, and silver. A secondary crushing circuit, installed in 2016, together with process plant optimization projects, increased the capacity to a nominal rate of 62,500 tpd. It consists of the following unit operations:
• primary crushing;
• coarse ore stockpile;
• semi-autogenous/ball mill/pebble crushing (“SABC”) grinding circuit;
• rougher/scavenger flotation;
• concentrate regrinding;
• cleaner flotation;
• gravity concentration;
• concentrate dewatering; and
• tailings disposal.
The run of mine (“ROM”) ore is crushed to 80% passing 15 cm, and then ground to 80% passing 200 micron prior to flotation. The rougher-scavenger flotation circuit includes two trains of five 200 m 3 flotation cells. Each train has two rougher and three scavenger flotation cells. The concentrates from the first two cells of each train (rougher concentrate) and the concentrates from the last three cells of each train (scavenger concentrate) are reground separately. The rougher concentrate is reground to P80 30-50 μm in the vertically stirred mill using steel ball media while the rougher-scavenger concentrate together with the first cleaner, second cleaner, and third cleaner flotation tailings are reground to P80 18-25 μm in the horizontal stirred mills using ceramic ball media. To recover coarse metallic gold particles, approximately 20% of the rougher concentrate regrind hydrocyclone underflow is diverted to a centrifugal gravity concentrator. The reground concentrates undergo three stages of cleaning flotation to produce a final copper concentrate containing approximately 21.5% copper and 30 to 40 g/t gold.
The infrastructure at Mount Milligan includes a TSF and reclaim water ponds, an administrative building and change house, a workshop/warehouse, a permanent operations residence, a first aid station, an emergency vehicle storage, a laboratory, and sewage and water treatment facilities.
Age and Condition of Infrastructure
The mine was commissioned in 2013.
Royal Gold does not have specific information about the physical condition of equipment and infrastructure at site.
Book Value
The operator does not provide us with the operator’s book value or total cost detail for the property and associated plant and equipment.
Property History
Limited exploration activity was first recorded in 1937. In 1984, prospector Richard Haslinger (“Haslinger”) and BP Resources Canada Limited (“BP Resources”) located claims on the current site.
In 1986, Lincoln Resources Inc. (“Lincoln”) optioned the claims and in 1987 completed a diamond drilling program that led to the discovery of significant copper-gold mineralization. In the late 1980s, Lincoln reorganized, amalgamated with Continental Gold Corp. (“Continental Gold”) and continued ongoing drilling in a joint venture with BP Resources.
In 1991, Placer Dome Inc. (“Placer Dome”) acquired the project from the joint-venture partners, resumed exploration drilling and completed a pre-feasibility study for the development of a 60,000 tpd open pit mine and flotation process plant.
Barrick purchased Placer Dome in 2006 and sold its Canadian assets to Goldcorp Inc. (“Goldcorp”), who then in turn sold the project to Atlas Cromwell Ltd. (“Atlas Cromwell”). Atlas Cromwell changed its name to Terrane Metals Corp. (“Terrane”) and initiated a comprehensive work program.
In October 2010, TCM acquired the project through its acquisition of Terrane, entered a stream agreement with us and subsequently constructed the Mount Milligan mine, which commenced commercial production in February 2014.
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In October 2016, TCM was acquired by a subsidiary of Centerra and, in connection with that acquisition, Terrane and certain other subsidiary entities of TCM were amalgamated into TCM. The Mount Milligan mine is now fully owned by TCM, an indirect subsidiary of Centerra.
Our interest in Mount Milligan evolved over time as a result of adapting the stream to address the needs of the operating partner. Our original 52.25% gold stream was acquired in three transactions from TCM, as part of the financing for the initial project acquisition and construction:
1. On July 15, 2010, we announced the acquisition of a 25% gold stream interest on the Mount Milligan project from TCM for $311.5 million and cash payments equal to the lesser of $400 or the prevailing market price for each payable ounce of gold until the delivery of 550,000 ounces to us, and the lesser of $450 or the prevailing market price for each additional ounce thereafter.
2. On December 15, 2011, we increased our gold stream interest on the Mount Milligan project by an additional 15% for $270 million and cash payments equal to the lesser of $435 or the prevailing market price for each payable ounce of gold delivered to us (replacing the payment structure of the July 15, 2010 transaction).
3. On August 9, 2012, we increased our gold stream interest in the Mount Milligan project by an additional 12.25% for $200 million and cash payments equal to the lesser of $435 or the prevailing market price for each payable ounce of gold delivered to us.
Subsequently, on October 20, 2016, after the first few years of operations, Centerra acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of TCM. Our stream interest at Mount Milligan was amended as part of this transaction to facilitate the acquisition and provide more gold exposure to Centerra. Under the terms of the amendment, our 52.25% gold stream at Mount Milligan was amended to a 35% gold stream with a purchase price equal to the lesser of $435 per ounce, or the prevailing market price, and an 18.75% copper stream with a 15% of spot cash price.
Permitting and Encumbrances
As of the 2022 Technical Report, TCM held or was in the process of obtaining all permits required for the operation of Mount Milligan for the defined LOM.
Mount Milligan was designed to use surface water and groundwater sources for processing. Stored water inventory is critical to the ability to process ore through the mill on a sustainable basis. In the winter months of 2018 and 2019, due to sustained periods of low precipitation in the preceding months and corresponding low levels of stored water inventory, Mount Milligan experienced a lack of sufficient water resources that caused temporary suspensions and reductions of processing operations. In February 2019, the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office approved an amendment to the Mount Milligan environmental assessment certificate (EAC #M09-1) to permit access to additional sources of surface water and groundwater until November 30, 2021, which was subsequently extended in early 2021 to November 2023.
In addition to accessing water from Rainbow Creek and Meadows Creek, Mount Milligan received approvals to pump water from Philip Lake during a portion of the spring run-off period. Mount Milligan continues to access groundwater from the Lower Rainbow Valley wellfield as well as other groundwater wells near the TSF. The operation has received approval to draw groundwater from within a 6 km radius of the operation for the LOM.
On January 6, 2022, TCM received the approval of an amendment to EAC #M09-01 to utilize LOM surface water withdrawals external to the TSF during the open water season (April 1 to November 30) from either the Nation River as a single surface water source or Rainbow Creek and Philip Lake 1 as a combined surface water source.
Property Geology
The Mount Milligan deposits are categorized as silica-saturated alkalic copper-gold porphyry deposits associated with alkaline monzodioritic-to-syenitic igneous rocks. Two styles of mineralization have been identified.
• Early-stage porphyry gold-copper mineralization (and early-stage vein types) associated with composite monzonite porphyry stocks and related hydrothermal breccia, and narrower dyke and breccia complexes.
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• Late-stage structurally controlled high-gold low-copper mineralization (and intermediate- to late-stage vein types) that is associated with faults and fault breccias, crosscuts/overprints the earlier stage porphyry mineralization and is more spatially widespread.
Recent Developments
Gold stream deliveries from Mount Milligan were approximately 58,000 ounces during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to approximately 56,800 ounces for the year ended December 31, 2023. Copper stream deliveries from Mount Milligan were approximately 11.8 million pounds during the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to approximately 10.9 million pounds during the year ended December 31, 2023. Gold and copper stream deliveries for the year ended December 31, 2024, relate to mine production during the approximate period August 2023 to July 2024. During this period Centerra reported the increase in production was primarily attributed to higher head grades and higher mill throughput. The increase in deliveries was primarily due to higher gold grade. Gold stream deliveries are based on a fixed payability factor of 97% and copper stream deliveries are based on a minimum payability factor of 95%.
On February 13, 2024, we entered into the Cost Support Agreement described above to incentivize Centerra to continue to invest and maximize the value of the large mineral endowment at Mount Milligan. The Cost Support Agreement provided a basis for a reserve increase and extension of the Mount Milligan mine life to 2035 and may provide a basis for further extension of the mine life beyond 2035.
On October 31, 2024, Centerra reported that work continued on the site-wide optimization program, and notable achievements during the first nine months of 2024 include an improved safety record, increased availability and utilization of the haul fleet, and consistent ore supply which has led to increased mill throughput per operating day. In addition, Centerra is progressing work on a preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”) to evaluate the substantial mineral resources at Mount Milligan with a goal to unlock additional value beyond its current 2035 mine life. Centerra expects the PEA to be completed towards the end of the first half of 2025.
Pueblo Viejo
The disclosures below regarding Pueblo Viejo are derived from the Technical Report on the Pueblo Viejo Mine, Sánchez Ramírez Province, Dominican Republic dated March 17, 2023 in accordance with NI 43-101 and CIM Standards. Royal Gold requested information prepared pursuant to S-K 1300 or access to the underlying technical data sufficient to prepare its own technical report summary, and the operator denied the request.
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Location
The Pueblo Viejo mine is located in the province of Sánchez Ramírez, Dominican Republic, at 18.94°N latitude and 70.17°W longitude, approximately 100 km northwest of Santo Domingo, and is owned by a joint venture in which Barrick holds a 60% interest and is responsible for operations, and in which Newmont holds a 40% interest. Pueblo Viejo is accessed from Santo Domingo by traveling northwest on Autopista Duarte, Highway #1, approximately 77 km to Piedra Blanca and proceeding east for approximately 22.5 km on Highway #17 to the gatehouse for Pueblo Viejo. Both Highway #1 and Highway #17 are paved.
Elevation at the mine site ranges from 565 m at Loma Cuaba to approximately 65 m at the Hatillo Reservoir. The site is characterized by rugged and hilly terrain covered with subtropical wet forest and scrub cover. The region has a tropical climate with little fluctuation in seasonal temperatures. The heaviest rainfall occurs between May and October.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure to support the mining and processing operation is in place.
The main road from Santo Domingo to within about 22.5 km of the mine site is a paved, four-lane, divided highway that is generally in good condition. Access from the divided highway to the site is via a two-lane, paved highway. Gravel surfaced internal access roads provide access to the mine site facilities.
The Pueblo Viejo mine is supplied with electric power from two sources via two independent 230 kV transmission circuits. In 2013, Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation (“PVDC”) commissioned a 218-megawatt (“MW”) Wartsila combined cycle reciprocating engine power plant, together with an approximately 72 km transmission line connecting the plant to the minesite. The power plant is located near the port city of San Pedro de Macoris on the south coast and provides the long-term power supply for the Pueblo Viejo mine. The plant is dual fuel and was converted to natural gas from heavy fuel oil in 2020. In 2019, PVDC signed a 10-year natural gas supply contract with AES Andres DR, S.A. (“AES”) in the Dominican Republic. AES also completed a new gas pipeline to the facility. The power plant began supplying power to the mine using natural gas in the first quarter of 2020.
In addition to the existing access roads, the site infrastructure includes accommodations, offices, a truck shop, a medical clinic and other buildings, water supply, the TSF, and water treatment facilities. A double and single fence system protects the process plant site. Within the plant site area, the freshwater system, potable water system, fire water system, sanitary sewage system, storm drains, and fuel lines are buried underground. Process piping is typically left above ground on pipe racks or in pipe corridors.
A TSF is operating in the El Llagal valley approximately 3 km south of the plant site and the progressive raising of a large rock-filled dam with an impermeable saprolite core is underway.
The site has sufficient access, surface rights, and suitable sources of power, water, and personnel to maintain an efficient mining operation.
The city of Santo Domingo is the principal source of supply for the mine. It is a port city with a population of over three million with daily air service to the USA and other countries. Most non-technical staff positions and labor requirements are filled from local communities. The mine operates year round.
Area of Interest
At Pueblo Viejo, our stream interest covers a Special Lease Agreement of Mining Rights (“SLA”), as amended in November 2009 and in October 2013. The Lease has a term of 25 years with one extension by right for 25 years and a second 25 year extension at the mutual agreement of Barrick and the Dominican state, allowing a possible total term of 75 years.
Under the SLA, PVDC is obligated to make the following payments to the Dominican Republic: a net smelter return royalty of 3.2% based on gross revenues less some deductible costs (royalties do not apply to copper or zinc); a net profits interest of 28.75% based on an adjusted taxable cash flow; a corporate income tax of 25% based on adjusted net income; a withholding tax on interest paid on loans and on payments abroad; and other general tax obligations. The SLA tax regime includes a stability clause.
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Stream Agreement
Under the Precious Metals Purchase and Sale Agreement dated August 5, 2015 between RGLD Gold and BGC Holdings Ltd., and Barrick, as amended, RGLD Gold owns the right to purchase 7.5% of Barrick’s interest in the gold produced from the Pueblo Viejo mine until 990,000 ounces of gold have been delivered, and 3.75% thereafter. The cash purchase price for gold is 30% of the spot price of gold per ounce delivered until 550,000 ounces of gold have been delivered, and 60% of the spot price of gold per ounce delivered thereafter. RGLD Gold also owns the right to purchase 75% of Barrick’s interest in the silver produced from the Pueblo Viejo mine, subject to a fixed silver recovery of 70%, until 50 million ounces of silver have been delivered, and 37.5% thereafter. The cash purchase price for silver is 30% of the spot price of silver per ounce delivered until 23.1 million ounces of silver have been delivered, and 60% of the spot price of silver per ounce delivered thereafter. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 369,300 ounces of payable gold and 13.1 million ounces of payable silver have been delivered to RGLD Gold. As noted above, Barrick holds a 60% interest in the Pueblo Viejo mine, and RGLD Gold does not have the right to purchase gold or silver attributable to the remaining 40% not held by Barrick.
Property Description
Pueblo Viejo is a production stage property consisting of a conventional open pit surface mine and a complex processing circuit designed to process refractory gold-silver ore through pressure oxidation. Gold and silver are recovered through a carbon-in-leach (CIL) circuit and electrowinning. Barrick is ramping up production after completing a plant expansion project designed to increase throughput from 9 Mtpa to 14 Mtpa and allow the mine to maintain average annual gold production of approximately 800,000 ounces (100% basis, including the 40% interest not held by Barrick). Barrick is also working on a mine life extension that will extend the mine life to 2046.
The pit stages have been chosen to facilitate the early extraction of the most profitable ore. The driver of the mine schedule is the sulphur blending requirement. Sulphur grade is important because the metallurgical aspects of the processing operation, the recoveries achieved, and the processing costs, all strongly depend on a very consistent, low-variability sulphur content in the plant feed.
The Pueblo Viejo mine operates a conventional open pit, utilizing a truck and shovel mining operation mining on 10 m high benches. It achieved commercial production in January 2013 and completed its ramp-up to full design capacity in 2014. Current mining operations supplement fresh ore from the Monte Negro and Moore pits with stockpiled ore to achieve the required ore blend for ore processing.
Equipment planning has considered mine design production of approximately 57 to 63 Mtpa total material movement, including limestone. This includes mill feed, reclamation from stockpiles, and simultaneous mining in the limestone quarries and several operating pit phases. Loading is carried out with 20 m 3 hydraulic shovels and 22 m 3 front-end loaders, loading 175-tonne haul trucks.
Gold and silver are recovered through pressure oxidation (autoclave) of whole ore and flotation concentrate, followed by hot cure and hot lime boil, prior to cyanidation of gold and silver in a CIL circuit. The autoclave circuit was initially designed to oxidize approximately 1,750 tonnes of sulfide per day, which is equivalent to about 24,000 tonnes of run-of-mine ore at 7.5% of sulfide. The process plant expansion flowsheet includes an additional primary crusher, coarse ore stockpile and ore reclaim delivering to a new single stage semi-autogenous (SAG) mill, and a new flotation circuit that concentrates the bulk of the sulfide ore prior to oxidation. The concentrate is blended with fresh milled ore to feed the modified autoclave circuit, which has additional oxygen supplied from a new 3,000 tonnes per day facility. The existing autoclaves have been upgraded to increase the sulfur processing capacity of each autoclave through additional high-pressure cooling water and recycle flash capability using additional slurry pumping and thickening.
The currently-operating Lower Llagal TSF, comprised of one main dam and three saddle dams, is located in the El Llagal valley, approximately 4 km south of the plant site. In conjunction with the plant expansion project, Barrick is currently advancing work on the new El Naranjo TSF. Barrick’s timeline for commissioning of the El Naranjo TSF is by late 2029, and Barrick expects the facility to provide storage capacity for 8 additional years beyond the current mine life, which is expected to be to 2046.
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Age and Condition of Infrastructure
The mine initiated pre-stripping in 2010 and the mill was commissioned in 2012. The plant expansion project was substantially completed in 2024. However, various optimization projects remain ongoing to achieve the expected throughput and recovery rates.
Royal Gold does not have specific information about the physical condition of equipment and infrastructure at site.
Book Value
The operator does not provide us with the operator’s book value or total cost detail for the property and associated plant and equipment.
Property History
Early mining activity at the site dates back to the 1500s. Subsequent to that early mining activity, Rosario Resources commenced mining operations on the property in 1975. In 1979, the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic purchased all foreign-held shares in Rosario Resources and the Dominican Government continued operations as Rosario Dominicana S.A. Gold and silver production from oxide, transitional, and sulfide ores occurred from 1975 to 1999. The mine ceased operations in 1999. In 2000, the Dominican Republic invited international bids for the leasing and mineral exploitation of the Pueblo Viejo mine site. In July 2001, PVDC (then known as Placer Dome Dominicana Corporation), an affiliate of Placer Dome, was awarded the bid. PVDC and the Dominican Republic subsequently negotiated the SLA for the Montenegro Fiscal Reserve, which was ratified by the Dominican Republic National Congress and became effective on July 29, 2003. In March 2006, Barrick acquired Placer Dome and in May 2006 amalgamated the companies. At the same time, Barrick sold a 40% stake in the Pueblo Viejo project to Goldcorp (acquired by Newmont in 2019). On February 26, 2008, PVDC delivered the Project Notice to the Government of the Dominican Republic pursuant to the SLA and delivered the Pueblo Viejo Feasibility Study to the Government. In 2009, the Dominican Republic and PVDC agreed to amend the terms of the SLA. The amendment became effective on November 13, 2009 following its ratification by the Dominican Republic National Congress. The Pueblo Viejo mine achieved commercial production in January 2013. A second amendment to the SLA became effective on October 5, 2013, and has resulted in additional and accelerated tax revenues to the government of the Dominican Republic.
Permitting and Encumbrances
PVDC has acquired all of the permits necessary to operate the mine at the present time. General Environmental and Natural Resources Law No. 64-00 (“Law 64-00”) of August 18, 2000, and its complementary regulations, governs all environmental related issues, including those applicable to mining, in the Dominican Republic. Law 64-00 sets out the general rules of conservation, protection, improvement, and restoration of the environment and natural resources by unifying segregated rules concerning environmental protection and creating a governmental body (the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources) with wide authority to oversee and regulate its application. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources enforces Law 64-00 and establishes the process of obtaining environmental permits.
PVDC completed a Feasibility Study on the Mine in September 2005 and presented an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) to the Dominican state in November of the same year. The terms of reference for the Mine were approved by the Environmental Authority on May 30, 2005, and the Ministry of Environment approved the EIA in December 2006 and granted the Environmental License 101-06. Other changes have been submitted to the authorities for additional facilities. The last amendment to the Environmental License was issued on June 29, 2017, which authorized the construction of an emulsion plant. Requirements of the Environmental License included submission of detailed design of tailings dams, installation of monitoring stations, and submission for review of the waste management plan and incineration plant.
An environmental evaluation report was submitted in 2008 to address an increase in the planned processing rate to 24,000 tpd and in September 2010 the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources issued the Environmental License 101-06 Modified.
When the former Rosario mine shut down its operations in 1999, proper closure and reclamation was not undertaken. The result has been a legacy of polluted soil and water and contaminated infrastructure. Responsibility for the clean-up is now shared jointly between PVDC and the Dominican government. Terms have been set for both parties in the SLA that governs the development and operation of the mine.
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In November 2009, following approval by the Dominican Republic National Congress, President Leonel Fernandez ratified the first amendment to the SLA for Pueblo Viejo. The amended SLA better reflected the scope and scale of the project since its acquisition by Barrick in 2006. The amendments set out revised fiscal terms and clarified various administrative and operational matters to the mutual benefit of PVDC and the Dominican state. In particular, the agreement stipulates that environmental remediation within the development area is the responsibility of the company with the exception of the hazardous substances; the Dominican government is responsible for historic impacts outside the mine development area and hazardous substances at the plant site.
In the second half of 2016, PVDC was contracted to act as an agent of the Dominican State to carry out activities for which the Dominican State is responsible under the SLA pursuant to the Environmental Management Plan of the State (Plan de Administración del Estado). The requisite environmental permits were received in November 2016 to carry out the first stage of the closure plan, and work has progressed since then on dewatering, buttressing, and covering the old Mejita TSF.
In addition to the mine operations, by means of the Second Amendment to the SLA, the Dominican government granted PVDC a power concession to generate electricity for consumption by the mine and the right to sell excess power. Also, in March 2012, PVDC obtained an environmental permit for the Quisqueya 1 power plant and a power transmission line from San Pedro where the power plant is situated to the mine site.
Barrick is currently advancing work on the new El Naranjo TSF, and permitting activities are underway.
Property Geology
The Pueblo Viejo deposit consists of high sulfidation or acid sulfate epithermal gold, silver, copper, and zinc mineralization that was formed during the Cretaceous Age island arc volcanism. Pueblo Viejo is hosted by the Lower Cretaceous Los Ranchos Formation, a series of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks that extend across the eastern half of the Dominican Republic, generally striking northwest and dipping southwest. The Los Ranchos Formation consists of a lower complex of pillowed basalt, basaltic andesite flows, dacitic flows, tuffs and intrusions, overlain by volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks and interpreted to be a Lower Cretaceous intra-oceanic island arc, one of several bimodal volcanic piles that form the base of the Greater Antilles Caribbean islands. The unit has undergone extensive seawater metamorphism (spilitization) and lithologies have been referred to as spilite (basaltic-andesite) and keratophyre (dacite).
The Pueblo Viejo Member of the Los Ranchos Formation is confined to a restricted, sedimentary basin measuring approximately 3.2 km north-south by 1.9 km east-west. The basin is interpreted to be either due to volcanic dome collapse forming a lake, or a maar-diatreme complex that cut through lower members of the Los Ranchos Formation. The basin is filled with lacustrine deposits that range from coarse conglomerate deposited at the edge of the basin to thinly bedded carbonaceous sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone deposited further from the paleo-shoreline. In addition, there are pyroclastic rocks, dacitic domes, and diorite dikes within the basin. The sedimentary basin and volcanic debris flows are considered to be of Neocomian age (121 Ma to 144 Ma). The Pueblo Viejo Member is bounded to the east by volcaniclastic rocks and to the north and west by Platanal Member basaltic-andesite (spilite) flows and dacitic domes.
To the south, the Pueblo Viejo Member is overthrust by the Hatillo Limestone Formation, thought to be Cenomanian (93 Ma to 99 Ma), or possibly Albian (99 Ma to 112 Ma), in age.
Recent Developments
Gold stream deliveries from Pueblo Viejo were approximately 26,500 ounces for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to approximately 25,400 ounces for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in gold production was primarily a result of increased throughput. Deliveries are quarterly and typically occur 1 to 3 months after mine production. Gold stream deliveries are based on a fixed payability factor of 99.9%.
Silver stream deliveries were approximately 859,900 ounces for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 907,000 ounces for the year ended December 31, 2023. Silver stream deliveries are based on a fixed payability factor of 99.0%. Deliveries are quarterly and typically occur 1 to 3 months after mine production. During the year ended December 31, 2024, an additional 816,500 ounces of silver deliveries were deferred. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 1.67 million ounces remain deferred. The deferred ounces are the result of a mechanism in the stream agreement that allows for the deferral of deliveries in a period if Barrick’s share of silver production is insufficient to cover its stream delivery obligations. The stream agreement terms include a fixed 70% silver recovery rate but permits the deferral of ounces if recovery rates fall below 52.5%.
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On November 22, 2024, Barrick provided an update on the ramp-up of the plant expansion and a production outlook for Pueblo Viejo. Barrick outlined several projects that are intended to achieve planned throughput and recoveries, and Barrick expects plant throughput to increase steadily from 2024 and reach the expanded 14 million tonne per year capacity in 2028. As part of this throughput optimization, Barrick noted a planned 35-day impact to production in the first quarter of 2025 to complete a thickener optimization. Barrick expects gold recovery to increase from approximately 80% at the end of 2024 to 90% by the end of 2026, and Barrick reported that a project to improve silver recovery is expected to be complete by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Barrick further reported that gold production is expected to increase steadily from approximately 600,000 ounces in 2024 to over 800,000 ounces in 2026 (100% basis). Barrick did not provide forecasts for silver production.
In conjunction with the plant expansion project, Barrick reported that it is currently advancing the construction of the new El Naranjo TSF. Barrick also reported that the timeline for commissioning the El Naranjo TSF is by late 2029, with the facility expected to provide storage capacity for eight additional years beyond the current mine life, which is expected to be to 2046.
On February 12, 2025, Barrick announced 2025 gold production guidance of 370,000 to 410,000 ounces for its 60% share of Pueblo Viejo.
Cortez
The disclosures below regarding Cortez are derived from the Technical Report on the Cortez Complex dated March 18, 2022 pursuant to NI 43-101 and CIM Standards, and from Barrick’s Annual Information Form, dated March 15, 2024, and Management’s Discussion and Analysis, dated February 13, 2024, pursuant to NI 43-101. Royal Gold requested information prepared pursuant to S-K 1300 or access to underlying technical data sufficient to prepare its own technical report summary, and the operator denied the request.
Location
Cortez is a series of large open pit and underground mines, utilizing mill and heap leach processing, which are operated by Nevada Gold Mines LLC (“NGM”), a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont with respect to their Nevada operations. We refer to the Cortez property and its multiple mines and projects as the Cortez Complex, and the terms “Cortez” and “Cortez Complex” are used interchangeably. The operation is located approximately 95 km southwest of Elko, in Lander County, Nevada, at 40.24°N latitude and 116.71°W longitude at an elevation of approximately 1,525 m (mill and administration facility).
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Cortez is located in the high desert region of the Basin and Range physiographic province. The mean annual temperature is 11°C. Precipitation averages 15 cm per year, primarily derived from snow and summer thunderstorms.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure to support the mining and processing operation is in place and well established.
The site is accessed by driving west from Elko on Interstate 80 approximately 75 km, and proceeding south on State Highway 306 approximately 56 km. Both US Interstate 80 and State Highway 306 are paved roads.
The Union Pacific Rail line runs parallel to US Interstate 80 to the north of Cortez. Elko, the closest city to Cortez, is serviced by daily commercial airline flights to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Electric power is provided to the Cortez site by NV Energy by an approximately 80 km long radial transmission line originating at its Falcon substation. The incoming NV Energy line terminates at the Barrick owned Pipeline Substation. Two 120 kV lines that tap onto the NV Energy power line feed Barrick owned 120 kV power lines: an approximately 15 km extension to serve the Cortez Hills development and an approximately 5 km extension to serve the South Pipeline and Crossroads pits. Wells Rural Electric Company provides power to Goldrush via a separate 120 kV power line.
Water for process use at Cortez Mill No. 2 is supplied from the Pipeline open pit dewatering system. Approximately 6,600 liters per minute of the pit dewatering volume is diverted for plant use. Additional water can be sourced as needed from wells at Mill No. 1.
Cortez is located in a major mining region and labor, contractors and suppliers are well established resources. The majority of the workforce lives in the nearby towns of Elko, Spring Creek, Carlin, and Battle Mountain and travel daily to the mine.
Area of Interest
At Cortez, NGM directly controls approximately 124,000 hectares of mineral rights with ownership of mining claims and fee lands. There are 10,869 claims consisting of: 10,012 unpatented lode claims; 575 unpatented mill-site claims; 129 patented lode claims; 125 patented mill-site claims; and 28 unpatented placer claims.
We own multiple royalty interests at the Cortez Complex that have been acquired over time. Table 1 below summarizes those royalty interests for each of the deposits at the Cortez Complex. To simplify the overlapping royalties that cover each of the deposits, Table 1 also provides approximate blended royalty rates.
For purposes of simplified disclosure, we have divided our royalty interests at the Cortez Complex into two zones: the Legacy Zone and the Cortez Complex Zone ("CC Zone"). The Legacy Zone is our largest royalty exposure at the Cortez Complex, representing an equivalent 9.4% GSR royalty rate over the Pipeline and Crossroads deposits. The CC Zone includes an equivalent 1.6% GSR royalty over the Cortez Hills, Cortez Pits, Fourmile, and Goldrush deposits, a 2.2% GSR royalty rate over the Goldrush SE deposit, and a 0.45% GSR royalty rate over the Robertson deposit.
NGM does not provide guidance or production results for the individual mines within the Cortez Complex, and both of the NGM partners provide consolidated guidance and results for their respective interests. We have typically provided, and subject to approval by Barrick, expect to continue to provide, annual guidance for the total gold production subject to the Legacy Zone royalty interest. This guidance includes overlapping contributions from the Pipeline and Crossroads deposits in certain areas and is not directly comparable to actual production from these deposits.
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Table 1 Cortez Complex – Royal Gold Royalty Interests
Mine/Deposit/Area Mine Type Ore Process Simplified Royalty Rates Detailed Royal Gold Royalty Coverage and Rates
Approximate Blended
GSR Rate 1
Legacy Royalties 2
Rio Tinto Royalty Idaho
Royalty
Royalty Applicable Royalty Rate Royalty Rate Royalty Rate 8
Royalty Rate Approximate Blended Rate 3
Producing Pipeline Open Pit Heap leach, oxide mill, roaster, autoclave Legacy Zone 9.4% GSR1, GSR2 5% GSR 4
8% GSR 1.2% GVR 7
0.24% GSR
GSR3 0.7125% GSR
NVR1 4.91% NVR
Crossroads Open Pit Heap leach, oxide mill, roaster GSR2 5% GSR 4
GSR3 0.7125% GSR
NVR1C 4.52% NVR 5
Cortez Hills Underground Oxide mill, roaster, autoclave CC Zone 1.6% 0.45% GSR
Cortez Pits Open Pit Oxide mill, heap leach, roaster
Development Fourmile Underground Roaster, autoclave
Goldrush Underground Roaster, autoclave
Goldrush SE Underground Roaster, autoclave 2.2% NVR2 1.0% NVR 6
Robertson Open Pit Oxide mill, heap leach 0.5%
_______________________________
(1)
Approximate equivalent royalty after blending the detailed royalty rates. Assumes total deduction to the Rio Tinto Royalty of 3% for the Legacy Royalties and the Idaho Royalty, and a 60% conversion from NVR to GSR rates.
(2)
Legacy Royalties are those royalties held by Royal Gold prior to August 2, 2022, and consist of overlapping royalties on the Pipeline and Crossroads deposits, with additional royalties covering a portion of the Goldrush deposit and other exploration areas.
(3)
The overlapping royalties in the Legacy Zone are equivalent to an approximate 8% GSR royalty on production subject to this interest.
(4)
GSR1 and GSR2 are sliding-scale gross value royalties that vary from a rate of 0.4% at gold prices less than $210/oz to 5.0% at gold prices greater than $470/oz.
(5)
A small portion of the Crossroads deposit has a royalty rate of 4.91%.
(6)
NVR2 covers the south-east extension of the Goldrush Project on the Flying T Ranch.
(7)
The Rio Tinto Royalty is a sliding-scale gross value royalty that varies from a rate of 0.0% at gold prices less than $400/oz to 3.0% at gold prices greater than $900/oz on 40% of the production from the undivided Cortez Complex, excluding the existing Robertson deposits. Deductions from the royalty payment are limited to third party royalties that existed prior to January 1, 2008, which include the Legacy Royalties and the Idaho Royalty.
The Rio Tinto Royalty calculation is:
1.2% x {[ (gold produced from all areas excluding Robertson) x (gold price) ] LESS
[ (gold produced from Pipeline and Crossroads) x (gold price) x (8% GSR approximate royalty rate) +
(gold produced from Goldrush SE) x (gold price) x (1.4167% NVR) +
(gold produced from Pipeline and Crossroads) x (gold price) x (0.689% GSR) +
(gold produced from Cortez Hills, Cortez Pits, Goldrush, Fourmile and Robertson) x (gold price) x
(1.2859% GSR) ]}
The total third-party royalty deduction for the Legacy Royalties and the Idaho Royalty can be approximated as 3% through 2032 and 1.4% thereafter.
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Idaho Royalty rates are rounded.
We also own two additional royalties in the Cortez area where there is currently no attributable production.
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Royalty Agreements
Cortez GSR1 and GSR2 - Royalty Agreement dated April 1, 1999 between The Cortez Joint Venture (“Cortez JV”), Placer Dome U.S. Inc., and Royal Crescent Valley Inc. (“Royal Crescent”); as amended by that First Amended Memorandum of Grant of Royalty dated April 1, 1999 between Cortez JV, Placer Dome U.S. Inc., Royal Gold and Royal Crescent; that Second Amended Memorandum of Grant of Royalty dated December 8, 2000 between Cortez JV, Placer Dome U.S. Inc., Royal Gold and Royal Crescent; that Third Amended Memorandum of Grant of Royalty dated December 17, 2001 between Cortez JV, Placer Dome U.S. Inc., Royal Gold and Royal Crescent; that Fourth Amended Memorandum of Grant of Royalty dated October 1, 2008 between Cortez JV, Royal Gold and Royal Crescent; and subject to that Royalty Deed and Assignment dated October 1, 2008 from Royal Gold to Barrick Gold Finance Inc.
Cortez GSR3 - Special Warranty Deed Conveying Overriding Royalty Interest dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 23 in Lander County and Book 248, commencing at Page 284 in Eureka County, as corrected by Correction Special Warranty Deed Conveying Overriding Royalty Interest dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 328 in Lander County, and in Book 253, commencing at Page 405 in Eureka County.; Special Warranty Deed and Bill of Sale dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 160 in Lander County, and in Book 248, commencing at Page 422 in Eureka County, as corrected by Correction Special Warranty Deed and Bill of Sale dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 599 in Lander County, and in Book 254, commencing at Page 142 in Eureka County; Special Warranty Deed Conveying Interest in Overriding Royalty dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 276 in Lander County, and in Book 249, commencing at Page 1 in Eureka County, as corrected by Correction Special Warranty Deed Conveying Interest in Overriding Royalty dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 458 in Lander County, and in Book 254, commencing at Page 001 of the Official Records of Eureka County; Memorandum of Surviving Provisions of the Exchange Agreement dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 151 in Lander County, and in Book 248, commencing at Page 412 in Eureka County, as corrected by Corrected Memorandum of Surviving Provisions of Exchange Agreement dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 589 in Lander County, and in Book 254, commencing at Page 132 in Eureka County; Exchange Agreement dated June 30, 1993 as amended by First Amendment of Exchange Agreement dated August 9, 1993; Clarification Agreement dated August 11, 1995 between Cortez Joint Venture, Cortez Gold Mines, Placer Dome U.S. Inc., Kennecott Exploration (Australia), Ltd., Idaho Resources Corporation and the Idaho Group of royalty holders, recorded in Book 421, commencing at Page 205 in Lander County, and in Book 287, commencing at Page 552, in Eureka County; subject to certain special warranty deeds dated September 1, 1999; and subject to that Royalty Deed and Assignment dated October 1, 2008 between Royal Gold, Inc. and Barrick Gold Finance Inc.
Cortez NVR1 and Cortez NVR1C - Mining Lease dated April 15, 1991 between ECM, Inc. and Placer Dome U.S. Inc., as assigned by that Assignment and Quitclaim Deed dated August 14, 1991 from Placer Dome U.S. Inc. to Cortez Gold Mines, as amended by that First Amendment to Mining Lease dated December 22, 1992 between ECM, Inc. and Placer Dome U.S. Inc., that Second Amendment to Mining Lease dated May 26, 1994 between ECM, Inc. and Cortez Gold Mines, that Third Amendment to Mining Lease dated December 13, 1999 between ECM, Inc. and Cortez Gold Mines, that Fourth Amendment to Mining Lease dated March 23, 2001 between ECM, Inc. and Cortez Joint Venture, dba Cortez Gold Mines, that Fifth Amendment to Mining Lease dated December 6, 2001 between ECM, Inc. and Cortez Joint Venture, dba Cortez Gold Mines, and that Sixth Amendment to Mining Lease dated December 6, 2002 between ECM, Inc. and Cortez Joint Venture, dba Cortez Gold Mines; that Royalty Deed and Agreement dated April 15, 1991 between Royal Crescent and ECM, Inc., as assigned by that Assignment dated April 16, 1992 from Royal Crescent to Crescent Valley Partners, L.P.; as assigned by that Royalty Deed and Assignment dated October 1, 2008 between Crescent Valley Partners, L.P., and Barrick Gold Finance Inc., and that Deed and Assignment dated September 19, 2016 between ECM, Inc. and Denver Mining Finance Company, Inc.
Cortez NVR2 - North Mining Lease dated October 16, 2002 between Tom and Volina Connolly, and the Jeannette L. Baumann Trust, and Barrick Gold U.S. Inc., successor to Placer Dome U.S. Inc. (“Barrick Gold U.S.”); South Mining Lease dated October 16, 2002 between Tom and Volina Connolly, and the Jeannette L. Baumann Trust, and Barrick Gold U.S.; North Option Agreement dated October 16, 2002 between Tom and Volina Connolly, and Barrick Gold U.S.; South Option Agreement dated October 16, 2002 between Tom and Volina Connolly, and Barrick; as assigned by that Assignment of Lease dated November 2, 2004 from Tom and Volina Connolly to The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust, assigning its interest in the North Mining Lease; that Assignment of Lease dated November 2, 2004 from Tom and Volina Connolly to The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust; that General Warranty Deed with Reservation of Royalty (North) dated December 11, 2007 from The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust to Barrick Gold U.S., recorded as Document No. 2007-211323 in Eureka County; that General Warranty Deed with Reservation of Royalty (South) dated December 11, 2007 from The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust to Barrick Gold U.S.,
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recorded as Document No. 2007-211324 in Eureka County; as assigned by that Assignment of Mining Leases and Option Agreements dated January 7, 2014 between The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust and Royal Gold, Inc., recorded as Document No. 2014-226564 in Eureka County; as assigned by that Deed of Royalty and Assignment of Rights dated January 7, 2014 between The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust and Royal Gold, Inc., recorded as Document No. 2014-226563 in Eureka County; and assigned by that Deed of Mineral Rights dated January 7, 2014 between The Thomas and Volina Connolly Family Trust and Royal Gold, Inc., recorded as Document No. 2014-226562 in Eureka County.
Rio Tinto Royalty - Rio Tinto Production Royalty Deed dated March 5, 2008 between Kennecott Royalty Company, successor to Kennecott Explorations (Australia) Ltd., and Barrick Gold Finance, Inc., recorded as Document No. 2008-211704 in Eureka County, and as Document No. 250801 in Lander County; as assigned by that Assignment of Production Royalty (Cortez Royalty; Lander and Eureka Counties, Nevada) between Kennecott Royalty Company and RG Royalties, LLC, recorded as Document No. 2022-248598 in Eureka County, and as Document No. 306208 in Lander County.
Idaho Royalty - Special Warranty Deed Conveying Overriding Royalty Interest dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 23 in Lander County and Book 248, commencing at Page 284 in Eureka County, as corrected by Correction Special Warranty Deed Conveying Overriding Royalty Interest dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 328 in Lander County, and in Book 253, commencing at Page 405 in Eureka County.; Special Warranty Deed and Bill of Sale dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 160 in Lander County, and in Book 248, commencing at Page 422 in Eureka County, as corrected by Correction Special Warranty Deed and Bill of Sale dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 599 in Lander County, and in Book 254, commencing at Page 142 in Eureka County; Special Warranty Deed Conveying Interest in Overriding Royalty dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 276 in Lander County, and in Book 249, commencing at Page 1 in Eureka County, as corrected by Correction Special Warranty Deed Conveying Interest in Overriding Royalty dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 458 in Lander County, and in Book 254, commencing at Page 001 of the Official Records of Eureka County; Memorandum of Surviving Provisions of the Exchange Agreement dated June 30, 1993, recorded in Book 396, commencing at Page 151 in Lander County, and in Book 248, commencing at Page 412 in Eureka County, as corrected by Corrected Memorandum of Surviving Provisions of Exchange Agreement dated August 9, 1993, recorded in Book 400, commencing at Page 589 in Lander County, and in Book 254, commencing at Page 132 in Eureka County; Exchange Agreement dated June 30, 1993 as amended by First Amendment of Exchange Agreement dated August 9, 1993; Clarification Agreement dated August 11, 1995 between Cortez Joint Venture, Cortez Gold Mines, Placer Dome U.S. Inc., Kennecott Exploration (Australia), Ltd., Idaho Resources Corporation and the Idaho Group of royalty holders, recorded in Book 421, commencing at Page 205 in Lander County, and in Book 287, commencing at Page 552, in Eureka County; subject to certain special warranty deeds dated effective December 30, 2022.
Property Description
The Cortez Complex is a combination of open pit and underground mining operations and projects owned and operated by NGM. NGM combined Newmont and Barrick assets across Nevada in 2019 to allow for operational integration between projects held by Newmont and Barrick. NGM is operated by Barrick.
The Cortez Complex comprises the Pipeline, Crossroads, Cortez Hills, Cortez Pits and Gold Acres open pit operations, the Cortez Hills and Goldrush underground mining operations, and the Fourmile and Robertson development projects. The Fourmile project is 100% owned by Barrick and is not currently included in the NGM joint venture, but may be contributed to the joint venture if certain criteria are met in the future.
Deposits within the Pipeline/Crossroads complex and Cortez Pits are mined by conventional open pit methods. Open pit operations moved 115 million tonnes of combined ore and waste in 2023. Two different mining methods are used at the underground operations, long-hole open stoping and drift-and-fill. Underground operations at the Cortez Hills and Goldrush mines are based on ore production rates of 3,500 tpd and 6,000 tpd, respectively.
The gold-recovery process used at the Cortez Complex is determined by considering the grade and metallurgical character of the particular ore: lower grade ROM oxide ore is heap leached at existing facilities; higher-grade non-refractory ore is treated in a conventional mill using cyanidation and the CIL process; and refractory ore is stockpiled on site in designated areas and trucked to the nearby Carlin Complex for processing. Gold recovered from the ore is processed into doré on site and shipped to outside refineries for processing into gold bullion.
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The active heap leach facilities are located at the Pipeline and Cortez Hills complexes. Milling activities at Cortez are conducted at the Pipeline complex, which includes crushing and grinding facilities, CIL circuits, reagent storage areas and a recovery/refining circuit. Plant throughput can reach up to 16,300 tpd depending on the hardness of the ore being processed.
The Goldrush underground mine is currently ramping up to full production levels after officially opening in early 2024. The primary access is a set of twin declines and the primary method of extraction at the Goldrush mine is longhole open stoping. The basic mining unit is a stope with the dimensions of 15 m (width) by 15 m (strike length) by 20 m (height). The stopes are extracted on a transverse primary/secondary system with (where possible), a continuous mining front. Broken material is hauled from the mine using 63-tonne capacity haul trucks out of the mine declines. Void space is then filled with cemented rock fill. A paste plant is expected to be constructed to provide backfill.
Most of the Goldrush deposit contains typical double refractory roast-type ore (gold locked in sulfides and organic preg-robbing carbon present). Both the Carlin and Gold Quarry roasters at NGM’s Carlin Complex are capable of generating high gold recoveries from the Goldrush ore, and ore is trucked and processed at both facilities.
Barrick has reported that development of the Robertson open pit project is proposed to be in alignment with the Cortez Complex open pit operations, using conventional drill and blast techniques and truck and shovel fleet. Material is expected to be drilled, blasted and mined on 12 m benches. All mineralization is anticipated to be oxide and is currently planned to be processed at the Pipeline mill or on a future leach pad that will be constructed at the Robertson complex.
Source: Barrick, 2022
Age and Condition of Infrastructure
Construction of Mill #2 and associated infrastructure was completed in 1997 with the initial mining of the Pipeline deposit.
Royal Gold does not have current specific information on the physical condition of the equipment, facilities, infrastructure, or underground development of the Cortez complex mining operations.
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Book Value
The operator does not provide Royal Gold with the operator’s book value or total cost detail for the property and associated plant and equipment.
Property History
In 1964, a joint venture was formed to explore the Cortez area. In 1969, the original Cortez mine went into production. From 1969 to 1997, gold ore was sourced from open pits at Cortez, Gold Acres, Horse Canyon and Crescent. In 1991, the Pipeline and South Pipeline deposits were discovered, with development approval received in 1996. In 1998, the Cortez Pediment deposit was discovered, with the Cortez Hills discovery announced in April 2003. The Cortez Hills development was approved by Placer Dome and Kennecott, then joint venturers, in September 2005 and confirmed by Barrick in 2006. Barrick obtained an interest in the Cortez property through its acquisition of Placer Dome in 2006. Barrick consolidated its 100% interest in the property following its purchase of the Kennecott interest in 2008. On July 1, 2019, Barrick’s interest in Cortez was contributed to NGM.
Barrick purchased the Robertson property from Coral Gold Resources Ltd. in June 2017. The property is located 10 km due north of the Pipeline mill and administration complex. Robertson is the subject of a feasibility study based on open pit mining and ore processing at the Pipeline mill and heap leach facilities.
Permitting and Encumbrances
A number of federal and state permits are required to operate the Cortez mine. Cortez adheres to permitting guidelines from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”), the Nevada Revised Statutes, the Nevada Administrative Code, and additional federal government requirements.
The Cortez Operations are predominantly located on public lands administered by the BLM with a small portion on private lands owned by Barrick Cortez Inc. The operations are located in Eureka and Lander Counties with BLM jurisdiction from the Battle Mountain and Elko field offices. No facilities are located in Eureka County, however, the Cortez boundary extends onto BLM-administered lands in Eureka County to accommodate a portion of the Cortez Hills Open Pit and ancillary facilities.
The major permits required for operating on public lands are the approval of the Plan of Operation (“POO”) by the BLM and a Reclamation Permit from the BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (“NDEP”). The Cortez property has received approval for a number of POOs and reclamation permits since the early 1980s. Permits were issued to allow mining and processing of ore from the East Pit, Horse Canyon Pit, Gold Acres, South Extension Pit, Cortez Canyon, and other areas that are no longer actively mined. The major environmental analysis documents (e.g. Environmental Assessment, EIS, Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Record of Decision (“ROD”), Finding of No Significant Impact and POOs) have been issued for the currently active areas of Cortez (i.e., Crossroads, Pipeline, Goldrush and Cortez Hills). The ROD for the Robertson project was received in November, 2024.
Reclamation of disturbed areas resulting from mining activities will follow the approved Reclamation Plan and will be completed in accordance with BLM and NDEP regulations that are intended to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands by operators authorized by the mining laws. The state of Nevada requires a reclamation bond based on the disturbed areas. The surety amount is reviewed every three years or whenever a POO amendment is submitted for review and approval to determine if the current bond is still adequate to execute the approved Reclamation Plan. The permit is valid for the life of the mine unless it is modified, suspended, or revoked by NDEP.
The State of Nevada imposes a 5% Net Proceeds of Minerals tax on the value of all minerals severed in the State. This tax is calculated and paid based on a prescribed net income formula which is different from book income.
Property Geology
The Cortez property is situated along the Cortez/Battle Mountain trend. The principal gold deposits and mining operations are located in the southern portion of Crescent Valley, which was formed by basin and range extensional tectonism.
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Mineralization is sedimentary rock-hosted and consists of submicron to micrometer-sized gold particles and gold in solid solution in pyrite. Mineralization is disseminated throughout the host rock matrix in zones of silicified, decarbonatized, and/or argillized, silty calcareous rocks.
The Cortez Hills deposit consists of the Breccia Zone, Middle Zone, Lower Zone, Renegade Zone and the Pediment deposit. The maximum strike length of mineralization in the Cortez Hills deposit is approximately 1,300 m, and the maximum width is approximately 420 m. The mineralized zone starts at approximately 120 m below surface and continues to more than 600 m below surface. Select areas of the underground mineral resource have expansion potential. Exploration to fully delineate the extent of the Cortez Hills deposit is ongoing.
Ore at the Pipeline complex deposit is hosted within silty carbonates associated with the Roberts Mountain and Wenban formations. The maximum strike length of mineralization in the Pipeline deposit is approximately 2,400 m and the maximum width is approximately 1,500 m. The mineralized zone starts approximately 60 m below surface and continues to 600 m below surface.
The Goldrush deposit has a maximum thickness of 76 m, a width of about 425 m, and extends along strike for approximately 5,275 m. The deepest significant intercept is currently at 1,435 m. The Goldrush system remains open to the north into Fourmile, to the southeast, and in multiple directions in the Ken Balleweg (KB) Domain.
Robertson is an igneous related gold system. Gold mineralization is found in Upper Plate siliciclastics of the Devonian Slaven and Silurian Elder formations, as well as inside Eocene intermediate composition igneous rocks, primarily diorite and granodiorite. Mineralization is primarily concentrated around the Tenabo Stock in three main areas: Gold Pan in the northwest, Porphyry in the east to northeast, and Altenburg Hill in the southeast. Gold is associated with bismuth and tellurium and is commonly found in association with arsenopyrite and loellingite (FeAsS). Gold at Robertson is present as native gold, with minor electrum, and all gold present is free-milling.
Recent Developments
Production attributable to our royalty interests at the Cortez Complex for the year ended December 31, 2024, was approximately 720,200 ounces of gold, of which 209,200 ounces were attributable to the Legacy Zone, and 511,000 ounces were attributable to the CC Zone, compared to approximately 890,700 ounces of gold for the year ended December 31, 2023, of which 396,000 ounces were attributable to the Legacy Zone, and 494,700 ounces were attributable to the CC Zone.
In its 2023 Annual Information Form issued in March 2024, Barrick reported that the Cortez open pit operation is expected to continue until 2034 and the underground operation until 2042, and the planned conversion of existing resources to reserves at Cortez has the potential to extend open pit and underground mining operations to at least 2038 and 2052, respectively.
On November 22, 2024, Barrick provided an update on various projects currently underway, as well as a production outlook for the Cortez Complex. With respect to the near term, Barrick is expecting overall gold production from within the Cortez Complex to increase with the mining of ore in the Crossroads pit following waste stripping, as well as the continued ramp-up at the Goldrush underground mine, which is expected to produce 400,000 ounces of gold per year at full production levels. Barrick is forecasting production from the Cortez Complex of over one million ounces in 2027, largely driven by these increases.
Relating to the longer-term potential within the Cortez Complex, Barrick reported several developments, including the receipt of the Record Of Decision for the Robertson Project in mid-November 2024, a significant increase in gold resources at the Fourmile Project after incorporating recent results from recent drilling, and further exploration progress at the Hanson target at Cortez Hills Underground and the Swift target to the west of the Pipeline deposit. According to Barrick, a PEA for the Fourmile Project, which covers approximately one-third of the known orebody as defined by drilling to date, indicates the potential for gold production levels exceeding 500,000 ounces per year. Barrick indicated that it intends to advance these projects with feasibility work ongoing for the Robertson open pit project, a pre-feasibility study planned to begin in 2025 at the Fourmile Project, and continued exploration at the Hanson and Swift targets.
On February 12, 2025, Barrick announced 2025 gold production guidance of approximately 680,000 to 765,000 ounces (100% basis) at the Cortez Complex.
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