The Mill

Ixtaca: One of Mexico’s Premier Precious Metal Discoveries

Watch the Rock Creek mill being dismantled and prepared for shipping to Ixtaca!

On October 19, 2015 Almaden announced that it had entered into an option agreement entitling it to purchase assets (the “Assets”) which, when taken together, constitute the Rock Creek mill. Read release +

The Rock Creek mill is located just outside of Nome, Alaska. The mill was built to process 7,000 tonnes per day, and includes a three-stage crushing plant, gravity circuit, ball mill, flotation cells and leaching facilities. Also included in the Assets are conveyors, metallurgical and chemical fire assay laboratories, a water treatment plant, full electrical circuitry including generators, and a number of spare parts for the ball mill and crushers.

Continuous gravity concentrators (4 Falcon units operating in parallel) with distribution box on top

The Rock Creek mill only operated for several months before the mining operation was curtailed in 2008 and has been kept in excellent condition during subsequent care and maintenance.

Pursuant to the agreement, Almaden will purchase the mill for a total of US$6,500,000 and 407,997 common shares. The purchase price will be payable according to the following schedule:

On Closing: US$250,000 and 407,997 Almaden Shares

On or before Dec. 31, 2015: US$250,000

On or before Mar. 31, 2016: US$250,000

On or before Jun. 15, 2017: US$2,000,000

On or before Jun. 15, 2018: US$3,750,000

The Rock Creek Mill formed part of the Rock Creek mine which commenced construction in the summer of 2006. Commissioning start-up and systems testing at the mine began in September 2008, but these activities were suspended in November 2008. Since that time the mill has been on care and maintenance, and remains in excellent condition at the mine site.

Major items comprised in the Assets include:

Primary jaw crusher and secondary and tertiary cone crushers;
Various sizing screens and fine ore stacking conveyer;
Ball mill feed conveyer;
Semi-batch gravity concentrator;
18.4 ft. by 25.63 ft. wet grinding overflow ball mill with dual 2000 kW drives and liners;
Four Falcon C4000 continuous gravity concentrators;
CIL tanks agitator (including impellers) and discharge pumps;
Tailings thickening circuit;
Gold room including electrolytic cell, carbon reactivation kiln, and gold melting furnace;
Fully-equipped laboratory;
Water treatment plant including Pall Aria Ultra water filter and Mitsubishi Ozone Generation System;
Various pumps, hoists, motors, and spare parts required for mill operation.