West Red Lake Gold Mines has started a test mining and bulk sample program at the Madsen Mine in Red Lake on its way to resume operations in 2025.
The Vancouver gold company acquired the underground and mill in a CCAA sale process when Pure Gold became insolvent in the fall of 2022.
“Data and experience are invaluable in mining,” Shane Williams, company president-CEO, said in a Sept. 19 news release. “Test mining will provide data on how best to mine at Madsen. Bulk samples will allow us to compare modelled and actual mine resources, and the process will give our team another layer of operational experience.”
The program will run for four months.
The company said it’s chosen four target areas underground that represent the range of mining environments, average gold grades and other variables that will “inform a confident and safe plan for mining the high-grade gold resources at Madsen.”
The four areas collectively host 114,600 tonnes of material with an average grade of 5.98 grams per tonne gold. Approximately 5,000 tonnes will be extracted from each area. The bulk samples will be stockpiled on site and processed soon after restarting the mill.
Under the previous operator, Pure Gold, Madsen is a revival of an historic mine of the same name in the Red Lake gold mining district. The operation folded 14 months after starting production in August 2021.
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