Horne 5 is a gold-silver-copper and zinc mining development located beneath the former producing Horne gold mine in Quebec, Canada.
Project developer and operator Falco Resources completed a feasibility study in October 2017. An updated feasibility study was completed in March 2021.
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A new updated feasibility study was published in June 2026 highlighting a mining life of 15 years for an initial investment of approximately $1.2bn (C$1.7bn).
Process plant construction is expected to commence in mid-2029 in time for pre-production from the mine in the second quarter of 2031 (Q2 2031), with production expected in Q3 of the same year.
Horne 5 project location
The Horne 5 property is located in the Abitibi region of Rouyn-Noranda, in the Canadian province of Quebec. The project site is easily accessible via provincial highways 117 and 101.
The project area includes the historical Horne and Quemont mines, along with the Horne 5 deposit. Discovered in 1920, the Horne mine was operated by Noranda from 1926 to 1976, while the Quemont mine, located 600m from the Horne mine, was active between 1949 and 1971.
Geology and mineralisation
The Horne 5 project lies in the Rouyn-Noranda mining district within the Archean Abitibi greenstone belt.
Mineralisation consists of multiple stacked, pyrite-dominated semi-massive and massive sulphide lenses, which locally exceed 10m in thickness. These lenses are enclosed by broad zones of altered felsic rock containing disseminated and stringer sulphides.
The gold-rich polymetallic sulphide mineralisation forms a substantial, near-vertical tabular body measuring close to 2km in length, 500–850m in width and 20–130m in thickness. The deposit is hosted within dacitic to rhyodacitic volcaniclastic rocks and a shallow intrusive unit.
The Horne 5 deposit is dominated by pyrite, with smaller quantities of sphalerite, chalcopyrite and magnetite.
Ore reserves
The proven and probable mineral reserves at the Horne 5 project were estimated at 80.9 million tonnes (mt), grading 1.44 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 14.4g/t silver, 0.17% copper and 0.77% zinc, as of June 2026.
Mining method for the Horne 5 project
The Horne 5 project underground mine design is structured to yield an average of approximately 15,800 tonnes per day (tpd) during full operational years.
The project will utilise transverse long hole stoping primarily, supplemented in select areas by longitudinal retreat, uppers or pillarless methods. Extraction follows a primary-secondary sequence, wherein primary stopes are backfilled before secondary stopes are mined and subsequently filled. Pillarless mining will apply to certain stopes between levels L1790 and L1880, and across the entire section from level L1910 to level L2060.
The mine plan for the Horne 5 project is structured into two main production phases determined by their access routes to the mineralised zones. Phase one accounts for 53% of the total mined tonnage, targeting the upper mine section accessed through the Quemont No. 2 shaft. This shaft will be rehabilitated to accommodate production and service operations, enabling the extraction of levels L710–L1310 with a depth of 710–1,310m.
Under phase two, the Quemont No. 2 shaft will be deepened to its final depth of approximately 1,910m, providing access to an additional 43% of the deposit. Material from levels L1940 to L2060, which accounts for approximately 3% of the deposit, will be transported via truck haulage, whilst ongoing development activities will supply the remaining 4% of total production.
Before mining can begin at the Horne 5 deposit, the old excavations surrounding the project area encompassing the Horne, Quemont and the Donalda mines will be dewatered.
Ore processing
Ore undergoes primary crushing underground before being hoisted to the surface, where a dedicated feed conveyor deposits it onto a stockpile enclosed within a domed structure. The material is subsequently transferred to a comminution circuit comprising a semi-autogenous grinding mill operating in closed circuit with a vibrating screen, followed by a secondary ball mill closed with hydrocyclones.
Mineral recovery is handled across three principal flotation circuits tailored for copper, zinc and pyrite concentrates, each yielding associated gold and silver. Precious metals contained within the copper and zinc concentrates are extracted during commercial smelting operations.
Conversely, precious metals that report to the pyrite concentrate and residual flotation tailings are retrieved via downstream leaching circuits installed following the pyrite flotation stage.
The copper and zinc circuits both utilise rougher and cleaner flotation stages, whereas the pyrite circuit requires only a rougher stage to produce its concentrate. All flotation tanks are mechanically agitated vessels equipped with rotor-stator assemblies.
The resulting concentrates are then thickened, dewatered to a target of 10% residual moisture content and processed through filter presses to produce a final filter cake.
Infrastructure facilities for the Horne 5 project
The Horne 5 project is situated within Rouyn-Noranda’s urban perimeter, in the Marcel-Baril industrial park. It is accessible throughout the year via Provincial Highways 117 and 101, as well as the city’s municipal road network.
Except for potable water and water used in lavatories, which will be supplied through a connection to the municipal network, the plant’s water requirements will be met using recycled process water. Potable water will be received from Rouyn-Noranda’s potable water system.
Natural gas will be supplied from the GazMétro network through certain modifications to the existing supply network.
The site will receive electricity at 120kV from the nearby HydroQuébec Rouyn-Noranda substation, located approximately 1km away. Two emergency diesel generator units, rated at 4.16kV and 600V, are planned to supply critical process equipment and installations if the main power supply is interrupted.
A railway spur will be constructed to connect the process plant concentrate loadout area to a new storage area for inbound and outbound cars, linking directly to the existing Canadian National Railway rail line. The railway line will be used for the supply of inbound goods and reagents and to manage the shipping of concentrates.
Financing and offtake agreements
Osisko Gold Royalties, which owns a 19.9% interest in the project, provided a $10m (C$14.21m) loan facility and will purchase up to 100% of the refined silver output of the project under a purchase agreement signed with Falco.
In October 2020, Glencore Canada agreed to provide $10m in bridge financing via a senior secured convertible debenture to Falco for the development of the project. Glencore and Falco also signed life-of-mine copper and zinc concentrate offtake agreements for the project in the same month.
Contractors involved
BBA was contracted by Falco to prepare the technical report of the feasibility study. Other companies involved in the preparation of the report included InnovExplo, Golder Associates, WSP Canada, SNC-Lavalin Stavibel and RIVVAL.
The 2026 updated feasibility study was prepared by BBA, Norda Stelo, WSP Canada, ASDR Canada and Ingénierie RIVVAL.
