West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd. (“West Red Lake Gold” or the
“Company”) (TSXV: WRLG) (OTCQB: WRLGF) is pleased to
announce the results of the pre-feasibility study
(“
PFS”) prepared in accordance with National
Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
(“
NI 43-101”) for the imminent restart of its 100%
owned Madsen Mine project in the Red Lake Gold District of
northwestern Ontario, Canada.
West Red Lake Gold will hold a conference call
on January 8th at 11:00am ET, followed by a question-and-answer
period. To access the call, please register here:
https://www.amvestcapital.com/webinar-directory/westredlakegoldmines010825.
The webinar will be archived for viewing at
www.westredlakegold.com
All dollar amounts in this news release are in
Canadian dollars ($) unless otherwise indicated.
The effective date of the PFS is December 31,
2024, and a technical report relating to the PFS will be filed on
SEDAR+ within 45 days of this news release.
Madsen Mine PFS Highlights:
- Strong
Value Underlines Mine Restart Rationale: Post-tax net
present value (“NPV”) (5%) of $315 million at a
long-term gold price of US$2,200 per oz. reinforces the rationale
to restart the Madsen Mine imminently based on this initial mine
plan; potential for Madsen to grow beyond this initial plan with
further definition and exploration drilling strengthens the
rationale
- High
Grade Mine: Diluted head grade averages 8.2 g/t gold
- Average
Annual Production: 67,600 oz. gold per year over 6 years
of full production, within a 7.2-year mine life
- Strong
Free Cash Flows: $69.5 million average annual free cash
flow from an operation with average total operating cost of US$919
per oz. and average all-in sustaining cost
(“AISC”) of US$1681 per oz.
-
Construction and Capital Investment to Mine Startup
Substantially Complete. Bulk sample currently being mined;
mill startup to process bulk sample planned in March; 21 km of
modern underground development (since 2019) provides good mining
access and represents significant time and cost savings
-
Production Start Date: Q2 2025
- Actual
Costs: The Company has been operating underground for 16
months and the mill operated in 2022, which enabled a PFS based on
realized costs for most operating metrics.
-
Significant Upside Potential: There are multiple
opportunities to extend mine life and enhance the economic returns
of the Madsen Mine, including 1.1 million ounces of indicated
resource that remain outside of this initial mine plan, resource
growth near reserves and existing infrastructure, discovering new
high-grade, near mine zones that add to the mine plan such as the
Upper 8 Zone, and using a higher reserve cut-off price (the PFS
used US$1680 per oz.).
“West Red Lake Gold has worked intensely over
the last 16 months to greatly improve our knowledge of the orebody
and de-risk the project with the objective of executing a
successful restart of the Madsen Mine, and this PFS is the
culmination of that effort,” said Shane Williams, President and
CEO. “This initial reserve mine plan only taps well defined and
tightly drilled parts of the deposit relatively close to existing
workings and still generates robust margins based on a production
rate of approximately 70,000 oz. per year that generate almost $400
million in post-tax free cash flow over a 7-year mine life.
“Initial capital is low because the capital
projects needed for restart are well advanced or already complete.
That is unusual for a ‘PFS-level’ project, as is having already
completed 58,000 metres of definition drilling and detailed
engineering to define 18 months of mineable inventory on a
stope-by-stope level.
“We are excited to deliver a PFS that solidifies
Madsen as a rare high-grade gold mine starting production in 2025.
We built a realistic and achievable plan for this first mining
opportunity at Madsen that we are confident we can deliver and that
will justify returning the mine to production. Beyond that, we
strongly believe Madsen has potential to grow well beyond this
initial plan in the coming years as we source new resources and
reserves near existing infrastructure while also gaining access to
the deeper parts of the system, where notable upside optionality
remains untapped.”
The PFS was prepared by independent consultants
SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc., with input from AllNorth Consultants
Ltd (infrastructure), T-Engineering Ltd (backfill), Nordmin
Engineering Ltd (shaft), Fuse Advisors (processing), Mining Plus
(mine design support), and Knight Piesold (tailings and waste
rock).
Economic Results and
Sensitivities
Table 1 summarizes the projected production and
economic results of the PFS for this initial Madsen Mine plan.
Figure 1 shows the Madsen Mine cash flow profile by year.
Table 1: Madsen Mine – Key Economic
Assumptions and Results
Mine Life |
yrs |
7.25 |
Total Ore Mined |
million tonnes |
1.823 |
Steady State Processing Rate |
tpd |
800 |
Average Head Grade |
Au g/t |
8.16 |
Gold Recovery |
% |
95.7% |
Average Annual Gold |
oz / year |
67,600 |
Total Payable Gold |
oz. |
457,851 |
Total Operating Cost |
US$/oz |
919 |
Long Term Gold Price |
US$/oz |
$2,200 |
Gross Revenue |
C$M |
$1,480 |
Net Revenue |
C$M |
$1,465 |
Initial Capital |
C$M |
$44.1 |
Sustaining Capital |
C$M |
$434 |
Average AISC |
US$/oz |
$1,681 |
Cumulative Net Cash Flow (pre-tax) |
C$M |
$392 |
Cumulative Net Cash Flow (post-tax) |
C$M |
$391 |
NPV (post-tax) |
C$M |
$315 |
IRR (post-tax) |
% |
255% |
Discounted Payback Period |
yrs |
Less than 1 |
|
|
|
Figure 1: Madsen Mine Cash Flow Profile
by Year
Upside Potential
The Madsen Mine project hosts probable reserves
of 1.823 million tonnes grading 8.16 g/t gold, containing 478,000
oz. gold. This compares to an indicated resource of 6.9 million
M&I tonnes grading 7.4 g/t gold hosting 1.65 million oz. gold,
plus an inferred resource of 1.8 million tonnes grading 6.3 g/t
gold hosting 366,200 oz. gold.
West Red Lake Gold sees two opportunities to
potentially convert more of the Madsen Mine resource into
reserves.
First, the PFS defines reserves using a gold
price cut-off of US$1680 per oz.1 This highly conservative gold
price cut-off resulted in significant portions of the indicated
resource being excluded from the mineable reserve. Sensitivity
analysis shows that increasing the cut-off price to US$1900 per oz.
increases reserves sufficient to add approximately two years to the
mine plan.
Second, there are many distal portions of the
Madsen resource that would require access through un- or
undertested areas with high geologic potential for mineralization.
West Red Lake Gold plans to drill test these areas; success
delineating mineralization in these gaps has the potential to
transform additional resource areas into economic reserves while
also growing the resource base. Notable underground expansion
drilling is planned for 2025 from three key areas: 1) Connection
Drift, 2) East Ramp decline targeting down-plunge North Austin, and
3) East Exploration Drive from 13L to access lower Austin and
eastern extensions of main deposit.
The combination of delineating new
mineralization in undertested gaps, extending known reserve areas,
and converting more resources to reserves has the potential to add
ounces and extend mine life via (1) reducing the access development
needed per tonne of ore mined and (2) supporting increased
flexibility between lower-cost Longhole Stoping
(“LHS”) and Mechanized Cut and Fill
(“MCF”). Currently, the PFS outlines 59% MCF and
41% LHS.
In addition, the PFS only considers four of the
seven deposits that make up the Madsen resource (Austin, South
Austin, McVeigh, and 8 Zone). Other deposits at the Madsen Mine
site could potentially be included in a future mine plan, such as
the Fork deposit where West Red Lake Gold recently identified a
high-grade portion located 250 metres away from existing
underground workings. The recent Upper 8 discovery also has
potential to become a shallow zone of high-grade mineralization.
Additionally, the Company owns the Rowan Project that is 80 km away
by road and hosts indicated resources of 476,323 tonnes grading
12.78 g/t gold hosting 195,746 oz. gold and inferred resources of
410,794 tonnes grading 8.76 g/t gold hosting 115,719 oz. gold.
West Red Lake Gold sees strong potential to
expand the Madsen Mine beyond the operation defined in this PFS if
future drilling, engineering, and permitting demonstrates it is
economic to include additional zones into an updated mine plan. The
PFS is based on 800 tpd throughput; the Madsen Mill has nameplate
capacity of 1,089tpd.
Mining
The mine will operate as a mechanized
underground operation with a steady state production rate of 800
tonnes of mineralized material per day operating for 7.25
years.
Mining will be a combination of mechanized
cut-and-fill (59%) and long hole stoping (41%). The minimum mining
width is 2 metres. Average stope width varies with mining method
from 3.2 metres to 7.2 metres.
Ore is moved to surface via a combination of
ramp trucking and shaft skipping. Trucking will be utilised above 8
Level. Material from 8 Level and below will be trucked to a Main
Shaft loading pocket at 12 Level and from there skipped to
surface.
Rehabilitation of the Madsen Main Shaft is well
underway. The PFS includes the cost for the continued
rehabilitation and refurbishment of Madsen Main Shaft to allow for
skipping from 12 Level. The Main Shaft is currently dewatered to 15
Level; dewatering will continue to allow for access to the lowest
levels of the mine.
Once the mine is dewatered on 20 Level, a new
shaft will be excavated to surface in two lifts using raiseboring
methods. This Madsen East Shaft will supply ventilation to the
lower reaches of the mine, allow for skipping of material and
slinging of heavy equipment, and allow for possible future
expansion at depth.
Steady state waste production is approximately
1,200 tpd. Care has been taken to optimize the backfill of waste
rock into historic stopes and new excavations.
The existing Madsen mill contains a working
Hydraulic Fill (HF) plant that the previous owners commissioned
(but did not use). West Red Lake Gold will recommission the plant
to pipe HF to the historic voids underground. HF is a way of
backfilling underground workings using tailings from the mill,
adding a binder (a low percentage of cement), and pumping the
resulting slurry back underground. HF backfill provides an
environmentally friendly way of disposing of tailings and provides
a stable geotechnical environment for mining. Once the HF is
decanted and cured, it is strong enough to mine immediately
adjacent to, allowing the Company to optimize the extraction of ore
around old stopes.
The mine is primarily ventilated via the Madsen
Main Shaft and the West Ramp. The main fans are situated
underground, on 12 Level. Air is downcast through the Main Shaft
and is allowed to exhaust via the ramp. Once completed in year 4,
the East Shaft will significantly enhance the ventilation to the
lower reaches of the mine. A connection between the West and East
ramps is being driven (the Connection Drift) that will assist in
efficiencies for ventilation between the two districts. Currently,
the East section of the mine (a much smaller section) is ventilated
via the West through old workings. The air heater is situated near
the Madsen Main shaft on surface.
Processing
At steady state operation, an average of 800 tpd of material
will be processed in a plant that consists of primary crushing,
followed by grinding to 80% passing 75 µm using a semi-autogenous
grinding mill and ball mill. Gravity concentration will recover
gold from the SAG screen undersize and ball mill discharge. Cyclone
overflow will be thickened to 50% solids in a pre-leach thickener,
then pre-aerated with oxygen followed by a 24-hour cyanide leach at
a cyanide concentration of 150-170 ppm and a pH of 11.0 in five
leach tanks. Gold in solution will then be recovered via
carbon-in-pulp (CIP) adsorption in six CIP tanks with a residence
time of five hours, followed by acid wash, elution, and refining to
produce gold dore on site.
After cyanide destruction, the CIP tailings will be pumped to
the tailings management facility initially. Starting later in year
1, a thickened tailings will be pumped into open stopes using a
hydraulic backfill system.
The process plant gold recovery is estimated to average 95.7%
over the LOM.
Figure 2: Average Annual Ore Production
and Grade
Infrastructure
The Madsen Mine is adjacent to the community of
Madsen, within the Red Lake Municipality of northwestern Ontario.
Highway 618, a paved and provincially maintained road, connects the
community and mine to the town of Red Lake 10 km to the northeast.
Mining and mineral exploration is the primary industry in the Red
Lake region; as a result, there is a full range of services and
supplies for mineral exploration and mining and a strong pool of
skilled labour.
All infrastructure needed to restart the Madsen
Mine pursuant to this PFS plan is already in place. The mine has
two underground access portals with ramps, over 21 km of modern
underground development (from 2019 onward), a 1,275-metre shaft
with a retrofitted and functional hoist mechanism, a processing
facility with nameplate 1,089-tpd capacity built 2019-2020
(currently permitted for 800 tpd operations), a tailings facility
also built 2019-2020 that saw a 4-foot dam lift in summer 2024, an
office complex, a geology and core logging compound, and basic mine
dry, maintenance, and warehouse facilities.
Further infrastructure projects currently
underway include a 1.2-km tunnel that connects the two portals (on
track for completion in March 2025), a 114-person workforce
accommodations facility (on track for completion mid-February
2025), and a mine dry facility (on track for completion end
February 2025).
The Madsen Mine is connected via a dedicated
substation to the provincial hydroelectrical power grid and will
access power at $0.12 per kilowatt hour.
Workforce
The Madsen Mine is expected to utilize a
workforce of 221 people during steady state operations. There are
currently approximately 140 workers employed, of which
approximately 60% live locally.
Tailings and Mine Rock
Tailings will be managed through a combination
of surface storage in the Tailings Management Facility (TMF) and
underground deposition as hydraulic backfill. The TMF at the Madsen
Mine is permitted to discharge tailings and will be expanded to
manage a total of 1.6 Mt. The TMF is partitioned into two
designated areas, Cell A and the Main TMF. Containment for the
first four years of tailings deposition will be provided in Cell A,
with the remainder of the tailings managed in the Main TMF.
Cell A is fully constructed and ready for
operation, including a 4-meter dam raise that was completed in
summer 2024.
The Main Dam will be constructed downstream of
the existing polishing pond dams in year 4 to raise the perimeter
crest elevation of the TMF and provide storage capacity for the
remaining tailings. The two areas of the TMF offer sufficient
capacity for supernatant ponds, surplus water storage, and flood
water management.
Mine rock from underground development will be
managed in the underground mine as backfill (42%) and stored in the
existing mine rock management facility located adjacent to the TMF
(58%). Multiple void historic stopes create good opportunity to
store waste rock underground, thereby reducing costs.
Capital Expenditure
Modest expenditure requirement remains to get
the Madsen Mine into production, slated for Q2 2025. Outstanding
costs are modest because the historic Madsen Mine was rebuilt from
2019-2020, operating until late 2022 before shutting down. The
rebuild established significant new infrastructure at the site,
including the 800-tpd process plant, the West Portal, the tailings
management facility, the water treatment plant, and 19 km of
underground workings.
Since purchasing the Madsen Mine in June 2023,
West Red Lake Gold has invested significant capital into projects
the Company identified as necessary for a successful restart. This
includes a 4-meter dam raise in Cell A of the TMF, a new primary
crusher, the 1.2-km Connection Drift, a camp, a mine dry facility,
many additions to the mining fleet, and over 2 km of underground
workings.
Sustaining Capital
The mine requires $434 million in sustaining
capital over its 7.2-year mine life, of which $9.1 million is
closure and rehabilitation costs.
Mining development, additional equipment,
replacement units, and major repairs make up the consistent parts
of sustaining capital.
Rehabilitation of the Main Shaft and development
of the East Shaft are the largest capital projects during the life
of mine. West Red Lake Gold has already rehabilitated the hoisting
mechanism in the headframe of the Main Shaft; the shaft itself now
requires rehabilitation to be able to move material out of the mine
starting in year 2. Year 1 see $22.5 million in sustaining capital
allocated to this project.
The East Shaft is developed in years 3 and 4, at
an estimated cost of $52 million. It will be raisebored once bottom
access has been established via Madsen Main shaft, resulting in
significant savings compared to blind sinking a shaft. During
operations, mining generally follows the mineralized system
northeast and downplunge. By year 4 the ventilation system centered
on the Main Shaft is no longer sufficient and so a new vent raise
is required. A cost-benefit analysis found a net savings in
developing a skipping shaft, versus a simple vent raise, because it
would cost approximately $20 per tonne to truck material to surface
from the Madsen Deeps area versus approximately $4 per tonne to
hoist material. This difference covers the $20 million additional
cost of the full shaft over the vent raise, making the capital
project a net benefit in this mine plan.
Beyond the PFS mine plan, the gold system at
Madsen remains open at depth. Several deep historic intercepts
returned good gold intercepts. If exploration is successful in
defining resources downplunge of the reserves in this PFS, the East
Shaft is well located to potentially render such resources economic
to mine.
Operating Costs
Life of Mine (LOM) total operating cost is
estimated at $322.67 per tonne of ore, as summarized in Table 2
below. The LOM total AISC is estimated to be US$1681 per oz. gold
produced.
As noted in the Upside Potential section, the
Company sees strong potential to create a more continuous reserve
body, through this drilling work and through the practical
application of a higher reserve cut-off grade.
Table 2: Operating Costs
Mining |
$212.93 per tonne |
Processing |
$75.25 per tonne |
General & Administrative |
$33.90 per tonne |
Tailings |
$0.59 per tonne |
Total |
$322.67 per tonne |
Financial Analysis
Using an average gold price of US$2317 per oz.
and a US:CDN exchange rate of 1.4, the Madsen Mine project
generates an after-tax NPV of $315 using 5% discount rate and an
after-tax IRR of 255%.
The Project generates cumulative post-tax net
cash flow of $391 million and average annual free cash flow of
$69.5 million over the 6-year full production period.
Total taxes payable over the LOM at the assumed
gold price are negligible because the combination of the
significant tax losses that were acquired with the purchase of the
project and the continued costs incurred on exploration and
development cover the majority of the revenue considered in this
mine plan.
Table 3: Key Operating, Cost, and
Revenue Metrics
|
Total |
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
2028 |
2029 |
2030 |
2030 |
2032 |
Mill Throughput (kt) |
1,823 |
141.4 |
292.6 |
287.2 |
284.0 |
292.8 |
292.8 |
198.0 |
33.6 |
Average Grade (g/t) |
8.16 |
8.2 |
7.2 |
7.8 |
8.0 |
7.9 |
7.8 |
11.7 |
6.0 |
Production (kozs) |
457.9 |
35.3 |
63.6 |
67.7 |
70.0 |
70.8 |
70.8 |
73.2 |
6.4 |
Gold Price (US$ per oz.) |
$2317 (average) |
$2,600 |
$2500 |
$2450 |
$2200 |
$2200 |
$2200 |
$2200 |
$2200 |
Net Revenue ($M) |
$1,464.5 |
$127.1 |
$220.2 |
$229.8 |
$213.2 |
$215.8 |
$215.7 |
$223.1 |
$19.6 |
Operating Costs ($M) |
– $588.1 |
– $57.1 |
– $89.7 |
– $87.1 |
– $89.5 |
– $88.3 |
– $90.8 |
– $72.8 |
– $12.7 |
Operating Cash Flow ($M) |
$876.4 |
$70.0 |
$130.5 |
$142.7 |
$123.7 |
$127.5 |
$124.9 |
$150.3 |
$6.9 |
Capital Expenditure + Working Capital ($M) |
– $484.7 |
– $90.4 |
– $77.2 |
– $91.8 |
– $93.7 |
– $58.5 |
– $27.8 |
– $28.3 |
– $11.0 |
Free Cash Flow ($M) |
$391.8 |
– $20.4 |
$53.3 |
$50.9 |
$30.0 |
$69.0 |
$97.1 |
$122.0 |
-$4.2 |
Average Annual Free Cash Flow (6 Full Production Years)
($M) |
|
$69.5 |
|
Table 4: Net Present Value ($M)
Sensitivity to Gold Price, Opex, Capex
|
-20% |
-10% |
0% |
10% |
20% |
Gold Price |
$68 |
$192 |
$315 |
$407 |
$496 |
Opex |
$388 |
$352 |
$315 |
$267 |
$218 |
Capex |
$382 |
$349 |
$315 |
$272 |
$229 |
Table 5: Net Present Value ($M)
Sensitivity to US:CDN Exchange Rate
US:CDN Exchange Rate |
1.30 |
1.35 |
1.40 |
1.45 |
1.50 |
NPV (5%) |
$227 |
$271 |
$315 |
$349 |
$382 |
Permitting and Environment
The Madsen Mine is permitted for
operations. The Madsen Mine was put into Temporary Suspension,
per the Mining Act, in October 2022. Since then,
environmental monitoring and reporting have continued. It is
expected that the Mine will transition from Temporary Suspension to
Production status in Q1 2025.
In preparation for restart, West Red Lake Gold
has met with Madsen Mine stakeholders including Indigenous
partners, the Madsen Advisory group, and the Municipality of Red
Lake to communicate plans and receive input. The Company has worked
to focus contracting on local suppliers where possible. Site
plans for the new camp and mine dry were discussed with the
community and approved by the Municipality. Public meetings
have focused on communicating restart plans, with emphasis on
employment opportunities.
As part of future operations, West Red Lake Gold
will update existing permits such as Environmental Compliance
Approval for the Water Treatment Plant and the Closure
Plan.
Mineral Resource Estimate
The mineral resource statement for the Madsen
Mine deposits is provided in Table 6, with an effective date of
December 31, 2021. The mineral resources have been adjusted to
reflect the removal of all historical and recent production to the
end of December 2021. The mineral resources are inclusive of
mineral reserves and have been classified according to CIM Best
Practise Guidelines (November 2019) and are reported as undiluted
tonnes at a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t gold and gold price of
US$1800/oz. (Table 5).
The mining activity from the effective date of
the mineral resource until the suspension of the Madsen Mine has
been deemed immaterial. Based on the mining records, 164,604 tonnes
of ore at 3.8 g/t grade were processed, resulting in the production
and sale of 20,301 ounces of gold. This production figure is not
considered significant for the purpose of this report and the
mining activity during the period from January 1, 2022 to the
mine’s transition to care and maintenance on October 24, 2022 will
not have a material impact on the mineral resource estimates
presented in this report.
Since the effective date of the mineral
resource, additional diamond drilling was conducted until the mine
closure on October 24, 2022. A total of 688 drill holes and 54,122
m of drilling was completed in 2022. An additional 205 drill holes
and 19,872 m of drilling was completed by West Red Lake Gold
between October 1, 2023 and May 15, 2024. Based on a review of the
results of this drilling it has been determined by Cliff Revering,
Qualified Person for the Madsen Mineral Resource Estimate, that the
information obtained will not have a material impact on the mineral
resource estimate presented in this report.
Table 6: Mineral Resource Statement,
Madsen Mine, Red Lake, Ontario, effective date December 31,
2021.
Classification |
Deposit - Zone |
Tonnes |
Gold Grade (g/t) |
Gold Troy Ounces |
Indicated |
Madsen - Austin |
4,147,000 |
6.9 |
914,200 |
Madsen -South Austin |
1,696,000 |
8.7 |
474,600 |
Madsen - McVeigh |
388,700 |
6.4 |
79,800 |
Madsen - 8 Zone |
152,000 |
18 |
87,700 |
Fork |
123,800 |
5.3 |
20,900 |
Russet |
88,700 |
6.9 |
19,700 |
Wedge |
313,700 |
5.6 |
56,100 |
Total Indicated |
6,909,900 |
7.4 |
1,653,000 |
Inferred |
Madsen - Austin |
504,800 |
6.5 |
104,900 |
Madsen -South Austin |
114,100 |
8.7 |
31,800 |
Madsen - McVeigh |
64,600 |
6.9 |
14,300 |
Madsen - 8 Zone |
38,700 |
14.6 |
18,200 |
Fork |
298,200 |
5.2 |
49,500 |
Russet |
367,800 |
5.8 |
68,800 |
Wedge |
431,100 |
5.7 |
78,700 |
Total Inferred |
1,819,300 |
6.3 |
366,200 |
Mineral Reserve Estimate
The mineral reserve statement for the Madsen Mine deposits
is provided in Table 7, with an effective date of
June 30, 2024. The mineral reserves have been adjusted to
reflect the removal of all historical and recent production to the
end of June 2024. The Life of Mine plan, which starts April 1,
2025, was also checked against the planned test mining program to
ensure that any material extracted to March 31, 2025 was not from
the mineral reserves. The mineral reserves have been estimated
according to CIM Best Practice Guidelines (November 2019)
and reported as diluted tonnes delivered to the mill.
Access is via two existing ramps systems with the Madsen #2
Shaft currently being reconditioned down to 12-level (12L) to allow
for skipping of ore in Q4 2025. A raisebored hoisting shaft (Madsen
#3) is planned to allow future hoisting from 20L as Madsen #2 shaft
does not have the required hoisting capacity from 24L. The current
mineral reserves include ore down to 25L, which will be trucked up
to the Madsen #3 Shaft for hoisting. Material sizing for both
Madsen #2 and #3 shafts will utilize grizzlies and rockbreaker
stations.
Two underground mining methods are planned with 0.75 Mt (41%)
being extracted by longhole (LH) mining methods and 1.07 Mt (59%)
by mechanized cut-and-fill (MCF) mining methods.
Stopes were designed using a LH cut-off grade of 4.30 g/t and a
MCF cut-off grade of 5.28 g/t, using a gold price of US$1,680/oz.
As a significant portion of the mining is remnant mining around
historic workings, appropriate geotechnical constraints were also
applied during the design process.
LH stopes are longitudinal with an average mining width of 2.8
m, 35% dilution and 95% mining recovery. Dilution increases with
depth.
Three variations of the MCF mining method are defined based on
the ground support requirements with operating costs estimated for
each. These include:
- Normal MCF – average width 4.4 m,
good ground conditions
- Historic MCF – average width 3.2 m,
adjacent to filled historic stopes, requiring short rounds and
in-cycle shotcrete
- 8 Zone MCF – average width 7.2 m (=
two 3.6 m wide cuts of drift-and-fill mining method due to
squeezing ground conditions, requiring short rounds and heavy
support)
MCF stopes are designed to use a breasting method with variable
width and 3.5 m high to allow for full mechanization. Average
dilution is 22% with 97% mining recovery. Short 2.4 m rounds were
selected for geotechnical reasons as well as challenging grade
control due to there being no visual distinction between ore and
waste. The normal MCF stopes assume that the round length can
increase to 3 m in 2026 with the implementation of successful grade
control procedures.
Stephen Taylor, Principal Mining Engineer with SRK Consulting
(Canada) Inc., has overseen the development of the mineral reserve
estimate and the Life of Mine plan in his role as Independent
Qualified Person for the Madsen Mineral Reserve Estimate.
Table 7: Mineral Reserve Statement, Madsen Mine, Red
Lake, Ontario (Effective date June 30, 2024)
Classification |
Deposit - Zone |
Tonnes (kt) |
Gold Grade (g/t) |
Contained Metal (koz Au) |
Probable |
Madsen - Austin |
778 |
7.37 |
184 |
Madsen - South Austin |
861 |
8.21 |
227 |
Madsen - McVeigh |
66 |
7.37 |
16 |
Madsen - 8 Zone |
118 |
13.38 |
51 |
Total Reserves |
1,823 |
8.16 |
478 |
Notes:
- Mineral Reserves estimated in
accordance with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral
Reserves Best Practice Guidelines, CIM, November 29, 2019.
- Longhole stope cut-off grade of 4.30
gpt Au based on an estimated operating cost of CAD287.34/t
including mining, plant and G&A. The mining cost component was
benchmarked based on an operating mine in Ontario.
- Mechanized Cut and Fill stope
cut-off grade of 5.28 gpt Au based on an estimated operating cost
of CAD354.90/t including mining, plant and G&A.
- Mineral reserve estimates based on a
gold price of USD1680/oz and an exchange rate of 1.31
CAD/USD.
- Incremental development cut-off
grade of 1 gpt Au.
- A small amount of incremental
longhole tonnes were included at a cut-off grade of not less than
3.4 gpt Au, these must be immediately adjacent to economic stopes
that will pay for the capital to access area.
Qualified Persons
The Prefeasibility Study was prepared for West
Red Lake Gold by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. with input from
AllNorth Consultants Ltd. (infrastructure), Nordmin Engineering
Ltd. (shaft), Fuse Advisors (processing), and Knight Piesold Ltd.
(tailings and waste rock). The following Qualified Persons (“QPs”)
from these firms have reviewed and approved technical information
provided on the Masden Mine prefeasibility study presented in this
news release.
Stephen Taylor, MSc., Peng. SRK Principal Engineer. Professional
Registration: Professional Engineers of Ontario #90365834. Area of
Responsibility – underground mining (design, planning), underground
mining cost estimate, mineral reserve statement, financial
analysis
Cliff Revering, P.Eng, CPAG, BE. SRK Geology Associate.
Professional Registration: Association of Professional Engineers
and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan #9764. Area of responsibility:
geological resource and mineral resource statement Chris
Dougherty, P.Eng. Nordmin President. Professional Registration:
Professional Engineers of Ontario #90416876. Area of
Responsibility: underground shaft rehabilitation and design (and
associated cost estimate)
Danny Ruane, P.Eng. Knight Piesold Ltd. Specialist Engineer.
Professional Registration: Engineers and Geoscientists of British
Columbia #100546532. Area of Responsibility: waste and water
management, site-wide water balance (and associated cost
estimate)
Travis O’Farrell. P.Eng. Fuse Advisors Engineer. Professional
Registration: Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia
#46026. Area of Responsibility: processing and metallurgy (and
associated cost estimate)
The technical content of this press release has been prepared,
reviewed, and approved by Mr. Will Robinson, P.Geo., Vice President
Exploration of West Red Lake Gold Mines Ltd., and by Mr. Maurice
Mostert, P.Eng., Vice President Technical Services of West Red Lake
Gold Mines Ltd.
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. The highly productive Red Lake Gold
District of Northwest Ontario, Canada has yielded over 30 million
ounces of gold from high-grade zones and hosts some of the world’s
richest gold deposits. WRLG also holds the wholly owned Rowan
Property in Red Lake, with an expansive property position covering
31 km2 including three past producing gold mines – Rowan,
Mount Jamie, and Red Summit.
ON BEHALF OF WEST RED LAKE GOLD MINES LTD.
“Shane Williams”
Shane Williams
President & Chief Executive Officer
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Gwen Preston
Vice President Communications
Tel: (604) 609-6132
Email: investors@wrlgold.com or visit the Company’s
website at https://www.westredlakegold.com
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.
QUALITY ASSURANCE/QUALITY
CONTROL
Drilling completed underground at the Madsen
Mine consists of BQ-sized diamond drill core for definition drill
programs and oriented NQ-sized diamond drill core for exploration
focused drilling. All drill holes are systematically logged,
photographed, and sampled by a trained geologist at the Madsen Mine
core processing facility. Minimum allowable sample length is 0.5m.
Maximum allowable sample length is 1.5m. Control samples (certified
standards and uncertified blanks), along duplicates, are inserted
at a target 5% insertion rate. Results are assessed for accuracy,
precision, and contamination on an ongoing basis. The BQ-sized
drill core is whole core sampled. The NQ-sized drill core is then
cut lengthwise utilizing a diamond blade core saw along a line
pre-selected by the geologist. To reduce sampling bias, the same
side of drill core is sampled consistently utilizing the
orientation line as reference. For those samples containing visible
gold (“VG”), a trained geologist supervises the cutting/bagging of
those samples, and ensures the core saw blade is ‘cleaned’ with a
dressing stone following the VG sample interval. Bagged samples are
then sealed with zip ties and transported by Madsen Mine personnel
directly to SGS Natural Resource’s Facility in Red Lake, Ontario
for assay.
Samples are then prepped by SGS, which consists
of drying at 105°C and crushing to 75% passing 2mm. A riffle
splitter is then utilized to produce a 500g course reject for
archive. The remainder of the sample is then pulverized to 85%
passing 75 microns from which 50g is analyzed by fire assay and an
atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (SGS Code GO-FAA50V10).
Samples returning gold values > 100 g/t Au are reanalyzed by
fire assay with a gravimetric finish on a 50g sample (SGS Code
GO_FAG50V). Samples with visible gold are also analyzed via
metallic screen analysis (SGS code: GO_FAS50M). For multi-element
analysis, samples are sent to SGS’s facility in Burnaby, British
Columbia and analyzed via four-acid digest with an atomic emission
spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish for 33-element analysis on 0.25g
sample pulps (SGS code: GE_ICP40Q12). SGS Natural Resources
analytical laboratories operates under a Quality Management System
that complies with ISO/IEC 17025.
The Madsen Mine deposit presently hosts a
National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects (“NI 43-101”) Indicated resource of 1.65 million ounces
(“Moz”) of gold grading 7.4 g/t Au and an Inferred resource of 0.37
Moz of gold grading 6.3 g/t Au. Mineral resources are estimated at
a cut-off grade of 3.38 g/t Au and a gold price of US1,800/oz.
Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have
demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to the technical
report entitled “Independent NI 43-101 Technical Report and Updated
Mineral Resource Estimate for the PureGold Mine, Canada”, prepared
by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. and dated June 16, 2023, and
amended April 24, 2024 (the “Madsen Report”). The
Madsen Resource Estimate has an effective date of December 31, 2021
and excludes depletion of mining activity during the period from
January 1, 2022 to the mine closure on October 24, 2022 as it has
been deemed immaterial and not relevant for the purpose of the
Madsen Report. A full copy of the Madsen Report is available on the
Company’s website and on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT AND FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION
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;
however, it is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors that may cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking information in this news
release and include without limitation, statements relating to
the Company’s intended use of proceeds from the Credit Facility;
final approval of the Loan Bonus Warrants by the TSXV, plans for
the potential restart of mining operations at the Madsen
Mine, the potential of the Madsen Mine; any untapped growth
potential in the Madsen deposit or Rowan deposit; and the Company’s
future objectives and plans. Readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Forward-looking information involve numerous
risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially
from results suggested in any forward-looking information. These
risks and uncertainties include, among other things, market
volatility; the state of the financial markets for the Company’s
securities; fluctuations in commodity prices; timing and results of
the cleanup and recovery at the Madsen Mine; and changes in the
Company’s business plans. Forward-looking information is based on a
number of key expectations and assumptions, including without
limitation, that the Company will continue with its stated business
objectives and its ability to raise additional capital to proceed.
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. There can be no assurance that
such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as
actual results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly,
readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such
information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Additional
information about risks and uncertainties is contained in the
Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended
November 30, 2023, and the Company’s annual information form for
the year ended November 30, 2023, copies of which are available on
SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
The forward-looking information contained herein
is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary
statement. Forward-looking information reflects management’s
current beliefs and is based on information currently available to
the Company. The 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.
For more information on the Company, investors
should review the Company’s continuous disclosure filings that are
available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
__________
1 SRK determines a reserve cut-off price based on the Energy and
Metals Consensus Forecast from Consensus Economics Inc. dated April
2024, when the mine design parameters for this PFS were
established.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available
at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/59a8cc10-7ce2-4835-8af4-1ad0643060ee
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/530cc0a9-5efc-4bc6-b2e6-4dc0b887bd3d
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/650795ba-6d0c-4f55-9d66-df6447b32ec2
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