The gold mineralization at Macassa is found along breaks or faults, in veins as quartz filled fractures, as breccias and as sulphide rich (pyrite) zones. There are multiple mineralized breaks, named the ‘04, ‘05, No.6, Kirkland Lake Main and the Kirkland Lake North and South branches. The breaks strike 60 degrees northeast and dip 70 to 80 degrees south in keeping with the Timiskaming trend. The trend of the gold mineralization in the Kirkland Lake camp conforms to the 60 degree westerly plunge of the syenite intrusives.

The SMC was a significant discovery, with the zone having a different character than the zones mined historically at Macassa. The SMC is associated with a cross-over structure that links the ’04 / Main Break with the Amalgamated Break. The mineralization trends parallel to the main structures but has a much flatter dip ranging from 20 to 50 degrees south. SMC mineralization has been found to have greater widths and contain higher grades than the main zones. Considerable potential exists for future exploration drilling to identify additional parallel and stacked zones located above, below and along strike of the known SMC Zone.

The gold mineralization at Macassa is located along the breaks and subordinate splays as individual fracture fill quartz veins, from several centimetres to a few meters thick. Veins may be of single, sheeted, brecciated or stacked morphology. Several generations of quartz deposition are evident from colour and text ........

There are three active mining areas in Macassa Mine: Main Break (MB), Lower North (LN) and New South (NS). The areas LN and NS are both part of the SMC. Access to the mining areas is through the #3 Shaft and connecting lateral development within the MB and SMC zones. The main mining methods at Macassa Mine include Underhand Cut and Fill, Longhole stoping and Mechanized Overhand Cut and Fill. The selection of mining method depends on several factors including ore geometry, grade and the need for locations to deposit waste fill. There are also several geomechanical considerations, such as structure and stresses, which impact the mining method selection.

Paste fill is the main material used to backfill stopes, although unconsolidated rockfill is also used where possible. Material hoisted to surface via #3 Shaft, which has an average capacity of 2,200 tpd.

Once the ore is hoisted to surface, it is then trucked to the crushing facilities. After crushing and grinding (95% passing, 45 microns), the ore is processed by conventional cyanide leaching with a carbon-in-pulp recovery system.

Macassa Mine has been on the forefront in the use of Battery Electric Vehicles (“BEVs”) and was the first mine in Ontario to implement BEVs as the standard for the LHD and truck fleet. Kirkland Lake Gold has partnerships with battery equipment manufacturers to develop and design BEVs, as opposed to retrofitting diesel powered equipment. Macassa Mine will continue to re ........

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.