Island Gold
In 1985, exploration drilling discovered gold mineralization
approximately two kilometres south of the Kremzar Mine. Periodic
exploration work continued over the years and in 2004, an exploration
program was undertaken to complete a Mineral Resource estimate. Island
Gold achieved commercial production in October 2007 and has since
produced over 1,000,000 ounces of gold. In November 2017, Alamos Gold
acquired Richmont Mines and the Island Gold mine.
Magino
Gold was first discovered on the property in 1917. In 1935, underground
development commenced with a 100 foot deep shaft and a 500 tpd
mill. In 1938, the property changed owners and a detailed underground
exploration program began. Following a period of inactivity, in 1986
underground development started again, with production taking place
between 1988 and 1992, when the mine closed due to high costs. Argonaut
acquired the property in 2012, and completed a Feasibility Study in
2017. A decision to develop the Magino project was made in November
2020. Construction commenced in 2021 with initial production achieved in
2023.
Island Gold’s underground operations are currently accessed via a ramp system.
The primary mining method is longitudinal retreat long-hole stoping.
The Phase 3+ Expansion of the operation to 2,400 tpd is expected to be completed in 2026. Long-hole open stoping will continue to be utilized as the primary mining method with increased underground development and infrastructure changes including the installation of a shaft and paste plant. The shaft will be sunk to an initial depth of 1,379 metres. The hoisting plant is designed for an ultimate depth of 2,000 metres providing flexibility to accommodate future exploration success. Following the completion of the shaft construction in 2026, the operation will transition from trucking ore and waste to skipping ore and waste to surface through the new shaft infrastructure, driving production higher and costs significantly lower.
Magino is an open pit mine, with ore extracted by conventional open-pit methods. Mine operations commenced in the first quarter of 2021, and commercial production was declared on November 2, 2023. The processing plant was initially designed at a throughput of 10,000 tonnes of ore per day utilizing primary crushing, single stage semi-autogenous grinding, a gravity recovery circuit, cyanide leach and a carbon-in-pulp adsorption circuit.
Underground ore from Island Gold is currently being processed within the 1,200 tpd Kremzar mill, with remaining ore processed through the Magino mill. The Phase 3+ development plan included an expansion to 2,400 tpd; however, with the acquisition of the significantly larger Magino mill, this expansion is no longer required. The Magino mill is currently being optimized to a throughput rate of 11,200 tpd. A further expansion of the Magino mill to 12,400 tpd is expected to be completed in 2026, to accommodate the increased underground mining rates from Island Gold following the completion of the Phase 3+ Expansion.
With a 20 year defined mine life at the Island Gold District, and exploration upside at both deposits, there is significant longer-term potential for higher production rates at both mines through a further expansion of the centralized milling complex beyond 12,400 tpd.