Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Transverse open stoping
- Longitudinal retreat
- Paste backfill
- Dry waste backfill
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 2032 |
The LaRonde Zone 5 mine is part of the LaRonde Complex.
The LaRonde Zone 5 mine, an underground operation accessed via ramp, is adjacent to the LaRonde mine and shares certain infrastructure with the LaRonde mine. Commercial production at the LaRonde Zone 5 mine was achieved on June 1, 2018. |
Source:
p. 30, 31
The LaRonde Complex (which includes the LaRonde mine and the LaRonde Zone 5 mine) is 100% owned and operated by the Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
Contractors
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Summary:
The LaRonde property is located near the southern boundary of the Archean-age (2.7 billion years old) Abitibi Subprovince and the Pontiac Subprovince within the Superior Geological Province of the Canadian Shield. The most important regional structure is the Cadillac-Larder Lake fault zone, marking the contact between the Abitibi and Pontiac Subprovinces, located approximately two kilometres to the south of the LaRonde property.
Mineralization
The LaRonde deposit is a gold-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit. LaRonde lenses were formed mainly by sulphide precipitation from hydrothermal fluids on the seafloor and by replacement below lenses. The stacking of the LaRonde lenses is the result of successive volcanic events, intercalated by cycles of hydrothermal activity associated with reactivation of synvolcanic faults.
The LaRonde Zone 5 horizon consists of a four-to-30 metre thick horizon of disseminated to stringer sulphide mineralization containing 5% to 20% pyrite and traces of chalcopyrite with rare millimetre-wide grains of visible gold. The LaRonde Zone 5 horizon has a large geological footprint and has been estimated to contain a mass of more than 26 million tonnes. The LaRonde Zone 5 horizon can be followed over 900 metres of east-west strike length over the Bousquet property and another 400 metres on the Ellison property for a total strike length of 1,300 metres. LaRonde Zone 5 has been traced vertically for almost 1,000 metres sho ........

Mining Methods
- Transverse open stoping
- Longitudinal retreat
- Paste backfill
- Dry waste backfill
Summary:
The Company’s operations at the LaRonde Zone 5 (LZ5) mine go to a depth of 380 metres below surface. Mineral reserves at the LaRonde Zone 5 mine extend down to 650 metres below surface. Ore is hauled to the surface with a fleet of trucks. The mine relies heavily on automation between shifts when personnel are not underground to increase productivity. The LaRonde Zone 5 mine shares infrastructure with the LaRonde mine but also requires limited dedicated infrastructure, including a backfill plant.
LZ5 is mined from underground ramp access. The mining methods are longitudinal retreat with paste backfill, and transverse open stoping with paste or unconsolidated backfill.
Levels at the LZ5 mine are spaced between 30 and 40 metres. Stopes have an average width of 15 metres.
With the transverse open stoping method, a drawpoint is developed perpendicular to the ore above and below the stope. The sequence, which is dictated by seismicity at LaRonde, will lead to the use of cemented or uncemented fill depending on whether the stope will be exposed in the future. The transverse method is typically used is seismically active ground and when the ore is thick enough.
With the longitudinal method, a drive is developed above and below the stope in the ore parallel to the orebody. The ore is then mined in a series of stopes retreating toward the drawpoints used to gain access to the ore. Almost all of the stopes have to be filled with cemented pa ........

Source:
Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
The 2021 proven and probable mineral reserve estimates set out in the table above are based on a cut-off grade from 1.41 to 1.76 g/t gold. There are no mineral reserves at open pit deposits. The 2021 proven and probable mineral reserves set out in the table above were estimated using assumed metallurgical recovery of 94.60% for gold.
Gold cut-off grades used for mineral resource estimates were fixed at 75% of the applicable mineral reserve cut-off grade.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
5,333 kt
|
Gold
|
2.08 g/t
|
357 koz
|
Probable
|
7,451 kt
|
Gold
|
2.07 g/t
|
495 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
12,784 kt
|
Gold
|
2.07 g/t
|
852 koz
|
Indicated
|
10,535 kt
|
Gold
|
1.95 g/t
|
660 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
10,535 kt
|
Gold
|
1.95 g/t
|
660 koz
|
Inferred
|
12,846 kt
|
Gold
|
2.97 g/t
|
1,227 koz
|
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