Mining Intelligence and News
Canada

Borden Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Sub-level Retreat
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SnapshotThe Borden Mine is a part of the Porcupine complex. Ore from Borden is processed at Porcupine’s mill near Timmins, Ontario, profitably extending operations at the Porcupine complex.

Borden mine is the world’s first all-electric underground mine.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Newmont Corp. 100 % Indirect
The Borden mine is 100% indirectly owned by Newmont Corp.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Mesothermal

Summary:

Owing to its metamorphic grade, the Borden Gold deposit is markedly different from most known Archean-aged mesothermal gold occurrences. On the basis of visual evidence, which is yet to be supported by detailed petrographic studies, it is believed that the Borden Gold deposit is most closely associated with the disseminated gold sub-class.

The gold mineralization at the Borden Gold deposit occurs as a broad zone of disseminated and fracture-controlled sulphides within a volcano-metasedimentary package of variable composition. The main sulphides are pyrite and pyrrhotite, with the former typically dominating. The mineralization generally consists of low- to moderate-grade gold, with minor silver, and is characterized by a persistent higher-grade core surrounded by a lower-grade envelope. Results to date indicate that the higher-grade core improves in grade towards the southeast where it develops into a High-Grade Zone (HGZ) with average grades typically above 2.5 g/t Au.

The northwest portions of the deposit are characterized by local silicification but lack lithological control and quartz veining; while to the southeast a well-developed hydrothermal system consisting of local quartz flooding and potassic alteration predominates and defines the HGZ. The broad mineralized zone encompasses multiple/variable host rocks, dominated by metasedimentary horizons and subordinate intrusives of acidic to intermediate composition, all of which display feldspathic, chloritic and biotitic alteration. Outcropping in the northwest parts of the deposit, the lower-grade mineralization rarely exhibits visible gold grains, while in the southeast HGZ it is much more common, particularly in the quartz-rich core. A higher-grade core is also consistently present within the lower-grade zone, locally attaining very high grades reminiscent of the HGZ.

The deposit displays continuity and is consistently intersected along strike, reaching a current length of 3.7 kilometres, while remaining open in both the northwest and southeast directions. Structurally, the deposit is described by a consistent northeast dip and, locally, a shallow southeast plunge, which is mostly evident in the HGZ. Mineralization appears to be controlled by a ductile shear zone, which appears much better developed in the HGZ. The mineralized zone is up to 120 m wide, and has been confirmed to a vertical depth of approximately 650 m.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits20212020Avg. Annual (Projected)
Gold koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe120
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational metrics

Metrics20212020
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
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Aerial view:

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