VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (“West Red Lake Gold” or the “Company”) (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to provide an update on activities at the Madsen Mine as the Company advances towards its goal of a targeted restart in 2025.
Since acquiring the Madsen Mine project last year, the Company has completed a site-wide operational assessment to make informed decisions about what surface and underground upgrades would underpin a sustainable mining operation.
“I have led teams through many mine builds and each build reinforced the lesson that operational readiness is essential to a successful mine startup,” said Shane Williams, President and CEO. “Operational readiness spans the entirety of a mine, from infill drilling to stope and development planning to budgeting to maintenance and procurement systems to strong staffing and an active safety culture and much more.
“Since the Madsen mine was acquired with an abundance of infrastructure, our focus has been understanding what to add to increase efficiency and optionality. The team is doing impressive work on these key deliverables and I am pleased to provide this update on the work underway at site.”
Definition Drilling
The Company has been drilling definition holes in the Austin, South Austin, and McVeigh resource areas since October 2023. The definition drilling effort started with one rig and accelerated in April with a second drill. The program has run continuously and over 40,000 metres of drilling has been completed to date.
Definition drilling is fundamental to West Red Lake Gold’s restart plan. Gold mineralization is high grade and pervasive within the known alteration package at Madsen but requires a high level of definition drilling. This is common is high-grade gold systems.
Tightly spaced definition drill holes to inform an accurate geologic model is an essential step in mitigating continuity risk and enabling mine plans that target mineralization and identify waste. The Company views this feedback loop – definition drilling, resource model updating, stope planning, and mine engineering – as the foundation of a successful mine.
Tailing Storage Facility Dam Lift
A tailings dam lift project got underway in early August. Increasing the dam height by 4 metres will create enough additional tailings capacity for 10 years of operation, assuming a milling rate of 800 tonnes per day.
The tailings dam project is a critical part of the mine restart plan. Sigfusson Northern is the main construction contractor, with JDS Energy & Mining and Knight Piésold Consulting involved in construction management and QA QC/EOR (engineer on record). To date, the progress has been excellent: 60% of the work has been completed and the project is tracking ahead of schedule and under budget. This has the project on track to be ready to receive material well before the start of the winter period.
Additional Insight: Environmental Sustainability
It’s worth noting that environmental sustainability and responsible mining practices are becoming increasingly important considerations in the mining industry. Projects like the tailings dam lift highlight the company’s commitment to minimizing its environmental impact and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Connection Drift
The Connection Drift is a 1,200-metre haulage way being driven to connect the East and West ramps of the underground mine at Madsen. These ramps, with independent portals, were not previously connected, resulting in substantial inefficiencies in moving mined material to the mill.
The Company raised $10 million via Canadian Development Expense flow-through funds to finance this project. Dedicated project equipment has been brought on site, including an Epiroc Jumbo drill, and is active underground. The drift was initiated in August, is at 5% completion to date, and is targeted for completion in February 2025.
Mine Dewatering and Evaporator Fans
There is opportunity to extend the limits of known mineralization at the Madsen mine to depth. The neighbouring mines operated by Evolution Mining currently mine down to 3000 metres; by contrast, resources at the Madsen Mine have been defined down to only 1200 metres.
Water dropped below the 13 level of the mine in early July. Mining areas in the first few years of the restart plan are all above the 12 level. However, dewatering of the Madsen Mine is a critical long-term objective because the Company wants to create the option to mine deeper, to access known and potential mineralization.
To this end, two evaporator fans were delivered and installed in August to create additional dewatering capacity. By helping water evaporate, the fans effectively increase the holding capacity of the polishing pond. This additional capacity will ease pressure on the water treatment system in the spring, when natural runoff adds volume to the polishing pond, and through the summer, when dry conditions can suspend the ability to discharge into Coin Creek.
Primary Crusher
The Company is pleased to report a procurement deal with Powerscreen of Canada, a dealer for Terex Corporation, for the purchase of a primary crusher. Delivery is expected in October.
The electric primary jaw crusher plant (model CRJ3042) reduces rock from 19.6-inch feed size to 4-inch or less. The crusher can process 145 tonnes of rock per hour. The mill at the Madsen Mine has a nameplate capacity of 800 tonnes per day.
The addition of a primary crusher will enhance the processing capabilities of the Madsen Mine and improve overall efficiency.
Test Mining
Test mining is now underway. The program has two goals: to inform safe and effective mine planning and to produce bulk samples for reconciliation calculations.
A result of Madsen Mine’s operational history is a range of mining environments, including resource areas with no nearby mining, areas adjacent to empty stopes, and areas adjacent to backfilled stopes. Test mining will assess how to operate in these environments safely and effectively.
It is crucial for mining companies to conduct test mining to optimize production processes and ensure safe working conditions.
Equipment
Mining equipment continues to arrive on site to support underground development, test mining, and the Connection Drift, and in anticipation of equipment needs upon a restart decision being made.
The Madsen mine’s investment in equipment reflects the company’s commitment to modernizing and optimizing its operations for increased efficiency and productivity.
Additional Insight: Innovation and Technology
The incorporation of modern mining technology and equipment not only improves operational efficiency but also contributes to a safer working environment for miners, highlighting the company’s dedication to innovation and technology integration.
Work Force Accommodations and Mine Site Facilities
West Red Lake Gold has placed a purchase order for mine site accommodations and a Mine Dry facility for the Madsen Mine. Permitting with local authorities is underway.
The company’s investment in workforce accommodations ensures the well-being and productivity of its employees, reflecting a commitment to employee satisfaction and retention.
Site Team
The workforce at the Madsen mine continues to grow, with 48 new positions filled in the last three months. Many posted positions elicit multiple applications from qualified candidates, highlighting the advantage of operating in a well-established mining district such as Red Lake.
Recent hires include several leadership positions that the Company was pleased to fill with strong candidates.
It is important for mining companies to attract top talent and provide opportunities for professional growth and advancement within the industry.
QUALIFIED PERSON
The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Maurice Mostert, P.Eng., Vice President of Technical Services for West Red Lake Gold and the Qualified Person for technical services at the West Red Lake Project, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
ABOUT WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES
West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that is publicly traded and focused on advancing and developing its flagship Madsen Gold Mine and the associated 47 km2 highly prospective land package in the Red Lake district of Ontario.
ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD.
“Shane Williams”
Shane Williams
President & Chief Executive Officer
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Gwen Preston
Investor Relations
Tel: (604) 609-6132
Email: info@westredlakegold.com or visit the Company’s website at West Red Lake Gold
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
The decision to continue with the Madsen Mine Restart is based on the existing estimate of indicated and inferred mineral resources on the property and economic models prepared by the Company. The Madsen Mine Restart is not based on a preliminary economic assessment, a pre-feasibility study or a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, leading to uncertainty and risks.
Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information generally can be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “expect”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “planned”, and similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or events. Forward-looking information is based on current expectations of management and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors.
Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Additional information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company’s continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by applicable law.
