West Red Lake Gold Mines (TSX: WRLG; OTCQB: WRLGF) outlined this year’s infrastructure and development plans at its 100%-owned Madsen gold project. The property covers 47 km2 about 10 km southwest of the town of Red Lake, Ont. The underground mine project is fully permitted and has a new 800-t/d mill, plus a tailings facility and water treatment plant.
The company plans to restart production and is currently working on a prefeasibility study due for release in early 2025. The mine first went into production in 1938, producing 2.6 million oz. during sporadic production since then.
West Red Lake has been identifying the larger projects that are critical to the restart plan. Work will begin in the coming weeks on shaft rehabilitation, underground development and test mining, plus the camp and dry.
“With the funds raised in our recent financings, including $10 million in Canadian Development Expense flow-through funding, we are excited to get started on these important projects. With a year of work under our belts at Madsen, we know what needs to be procured, built, and developed at the mine site over the next six to 12 months,” said president and CEO Shane Williams in a release.
Here is the short list of the infrastructure and development projects ready to get underway at Madsen:
- Work will start on the connection drift, a 1,200-metre haulage way to connect the East and West portals and declines. It will increase haulage efficiency, ventilation and safety.
- A permanent primary crusher will be installed.
- Longhole and cut-and-fill test mining will be done to assess their suitability to the range of mining environments in the mine.
- A bulk sample will be mined through a sample tower to create a composite grade sample.
- A camp to accommodate 100 workers will be installed at the site.
- The mine dry is among the needed infrastructure. It will include showers, change areas, and a laundry, plus a staff to run it.
- Two evaporator fans with the ability to manage 2,000 m3 daily will be installed to increase overall water management at the mine.
- Dewatering of the mine will continue and the 1,272-metre shaft will be rehabilitated. The hoist mechanism was recently refurbished.
Two drilling programs are planned. Resource definition drilling (about 27,000 metres) is planned across all resource domains. Resource expansion drilling (about 12,000) will test additional targets such as the Austin extension between the 12 and 15 levels and the 8 zone down plunge extension.
Read more on www.WestRedLakeGold.com.
