Located in the Thompson-Okanagan mining district’s heart, the Merritt mill and tailings site spans roughly 980 acres of fee simple land. This facility, capable of processing 200 tonnes of ore per day through crushing, grinding, and flotation, is authorized for custom milling and is situated 10 kilometers northwest of Merritt, BC.
Nicola’s Merritt Mill stands as the only facility in British Columbia permitted to process third-party gold and silver mill feed from across the province.
The facility, constructed on 980 acres of freehold, I-3 Industrial zoned land purchased in 2011 for $8 million, encompasses a mill and infrastructure developed in 2012 at a cost of approximately $22 million. Further investment of $1.8 million was allocated to build a fully lined tailings facility, aiming to minimize operational impact. Since 2021, the mill has seen significant upgrades, including the adoption of a gravity jig separation system for extracting free gold from mill feed, and a tabling system for refining gold concentrate post-flotation. These enhancements enable the production of free gold concentrate, gold flotation concentrate, and silver concentrate, with the expansive mill building designed for future expansion, including additional flotation tanks and gold screening units.
The Company has secured Milling and Profit Share Agreements with notable partners including Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. and Osisko Development Corporation, the latter announced on January 9, 2023. Through a purchase contract with Ocean Partners UK Limited, a firm specializing in global trading services, Nicola is enabled to sell gold and silver concentrate worldwide.
Furthermore, the Company holds a 75% economic interest in the Dominion Creek Property, located 43 kilometers northeast of Wells and approximately 110 kilometers east-southeast of Prince George. This position is maintained through a Mineral Purchase Agreement with High Range Exploration Ltd. A permit for a 10,000-tonne bulk sample extraction destined for the Merritt mill is currently pending approval from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
Beyond operating the only mill in BC authorized to process mill feed from across the province, the Company is dedicated to upholding environmental standards and fostering positive relationships with First Nations. Notably, on March 14, 2022, it announced a partnership with Lower Nicola Site Services Ltd. through a Rock and Gravel Extraction and Preferential Engagement Agreement. This partnership underscores the Company’s commitment to community engagement and environmental stewardship, Lower Nicola Site Services Ltd. being a joint venture between the Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation and Infracon Construction Inc.
