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Canada
Musselwhite Mine

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 Location:
59 km SW from Kingfisher Lake, Ontario, Canada

  Address:
Box 7500
Thunder Bay
Ontario, Canada
P7B 6S8
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax+1-807-928-2067
EmailEmail
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Avoca
  • Backfill
Processing
  • Gravity separation
  • Smelting
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Concentrate leach
  • Carbon in leach (CIL)
  • Carbon in pulp (CIP)
  • Carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR)
  • Elution
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
  • Cyanide (reagent)
Mine Life18 years (as of Jan 1, 2011)
Underground mine development and rehabilitation of the underground conveyor following the fire in March 2019 continued in 2020. Processing activities resumed in February 2020, primarily from surface stockpiles. However, the ramp up of Musselwhite operations and the construction of the conveyor was temporarily halted and the operations were placed on care and maintenance on March 22, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While in care and maintenance essential activities to maintain infrastructure continued including environmental management, security and ground control. Milling activities at Musselwhite began ramping-up in June 2020 and replacement of the underground conveyor system was commissioned in December 2020.
Latest NewsNewmont Announces Musselwhite Conveyor System Achieves Commercial Production     December 2, 2020


Owners

Source: p. 36
CompanyInterestOwnership
Newmont Corp. 100 % Indirect
Goldcorp Canada Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
The Musselwhite Mine (Musselwhite) is operated by Goldcorp Canada Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldcorp, Inc.

On April 18, 2019, Newmont Mining Corp. and Goldcorp Inc. completed their merger to form Newmont Goldcorp Corp.

Deposit Type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Iron formation hosted


Summary:

The mineralization at Musselwhite can be classified as an Iron Formation hosted gold deposit. Typically, gold in these deposits occurs in cross-cutting quartz veins and veinlets or as fine disseminations associated with pyrite, pyrrhotite, and arsenopyrite hosted in iron formations and adjacent rocks within volcanic or sedimentary sequences (McMillan 1996).

Mesothermal veins.
Mineralization is predominantly hosted within meta-chemical sediments (banded iron formations) and in particular within garnet-magnetite-grunerite facies meta-banded iron formations (locally termed the Northern Iron Formation). The location of mineralization is controlled by the intersection of shear zones and folded meta-banded iron formations. These geological controls result in mineralized shoots, which plunge at approximately 15 degrees to grid north, have a down dip extent of up to 150 metres, down plunge continuation in excess of 1.5 kilometres, and across-lithology width of up to 10 metres. Mineralized zones are characterized by abundant pyrrhotite, quartz flooding and, rarely, visible gold.


Mining Methods

  • Avoca
  • Backfill


Summary:

Musselwhite utilizes both conventional and modified Avoca mining methods depending on the access available for that retreat. Retreats without a secondary access are mined utilizing modified Avoca. With modified Avoca, all activities are completed from the retreat drive. The fill is placed from the retreat end and therefore, once the panel has been filled there is a requirement to remove some fill (void pull) to 1. Provide void space for the next blasting cycle and 2. Prevent fill from mixing with the ore causing dilution.

With increasing depth, blast sizes have had to be reduced to control unplanned dilution.

In a set of trials at Musselwhite mine beginning in late 2016, Goldcorp tested a new mining method to reduce dilution in its production stopes with Orica’s WebGen 100 wireless detonators.

Since the case study blast, Musselwhite has implemented the TRP method in several areas of the mine where excessive dilution is being experienced.

Temporary Rib Pillar AVOCA
The Temporary Rib Pillar (TRP) mining method was developed by Orica to take advantage of fully wireless blast initiation.

With the TRP method, a temporary pillar, located at the backfill/ore interface, as well as a slot are drilled in the next panel to be mined. The entire panel is loaded in one loading operation, the TRP is primed with WebGenTM 100 and the Mass Blast is primed with i-konTM.

The Mass Blast is fired and mucked out leaving the TRP to hold back the fill.

The TRP is fired in two distinct blasting sequences within the same blasting event. Blast 2A removes the front ring and the bottom half of the of the pillar. The muck is thrown towards the draw point. The blast is then paused for a period of time in order to let the backfill rill to its natural angle of repose. Blast 2B fires the top portion of the pillar in both directions. The muck that is thrown towards the fill lands on the top of the rill and flows down to the ore/fill interface.

The TRP concept aims to improve two key aspects of the business; safety and productivity. From a safety and asset protection perspective the benefits of the TRP method are:
• Reduced exposure to working adjacent to open holes
• In-Stope exposure time to equipment is reduced during the mucking cycle
• Lowered risk of wall sloughage damaging equipment in-stope
The productivity improvements that are projected for the TRP mining method include:
• Reduced drill and blast cycle times
• Improved fragmentation and mucking rates
• Reduced distances for remote mucking
• Reduced dilution by providing a temporary span pillar
• Reduced fill placement because of dilution reduction
• Eliminating void pulls (material re-handling)

Musselwhite Materials Handling project.
This project improves material movement from Musselwhite’s two main zones below Lake Opapimiskan. An underground shaft will hoist ore from the underground crushers, reducing haulage distances and ventilation costs. Commercial production was declared in December 2020.

The mine has now grown to a depth below 1,200m under Lake Opapimiskan with a one-way haulage distance of 7.5km to the 400mL crusher. The truck haul distance was about an hour to an hour-and-a-half round trip for the mining company's 40-tonne haul trucks. The material handling project was constructed to reduce the reliance on trucking while increasing production by 20 per cent.

The system will reduce the number of trucks operating in the mine from 17 to nine, minimising traffic congestion and associated safety risks. Less ventilation will also be required, reducing power consumption and helping lower mining costs.

The conveyor system and the material handling systems work in association to efficiently move material from deeper mine levels to the surface. Haul distances are reduced as the ore crushed at depth will be hoisted from the underground crushers to the conveyor system and brought to the surface for processing.

The project involves excavation of a winze, a vertical shaft inside the mine connecting to lower levels, which will be used exclusively to hoist ore from the 1,250 mL to the 280 mL exploration ramp level where the ore will be hauled by truck to the existing 400 mL conveyor.

In addition to the hoist room, the underground crusher installation which includes the installation of two cranes, a chute and feeder system, a jaw crusher and the conveyor system to the fine ore bin.


Crushing and Grinding
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Jaw crusher


Processing

  • Gravity separation
  • Smelting
  • Counter current decantation (CCD)
  • Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
  • Concentrate leach
  • Carbon in leach (CIL)
  • Carbon in pulp (CIP)
  • Carbon adsorption-desorption-recovery (ADR)
  • Elution
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
  • Cyanide (reagent)

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

Process facilities include a conventional mill, which consists of a crushing and grinding circuit, carbon-in-pulp and carbon-in-leach plants, elution circuits and an electrowinning plant where the gold is recovered and smelted to produce doré. The conveyor system and the material handling project at Musselwhite reached commercial production in December 2020.

The milling facility uses two-stage crushing to reduce the ore and conventional gold extraction techniques to concentrate the gold. The tailings or residue from this process is washed with incoming tailings reclaim water in thickeners to recover cyanide. Residual cyanide is treated by an INCO SO2 cyanide destruct system prior to being pumped to the tailings thickener plant (installed in 2010) which is located in the Tailings Management Area (TMA) approximately 3 km west of the plant site.

The use of cyanide begins with the grinding area, which uses re-circulated cyanide bearing solution from the counter curre ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter202020182017201620152014
Gold Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required9696969796
Gold Head Grade, oz/ton  ......  Subscription required5.966.27.177.157.38

Production:
Gold production at Musselwhite was limited to 3,000 gold ounces since the completion of the acquisition of the Musselwhite mine site as part of the Newmont Goldcorp transaction on April 18, 2019.
There was no gold production in the second half of 2019 following a conveyor fire in March 2019.

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Gold koz  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required205236261270
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré. ^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required276 k tons
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required1,106 kt1,221 kt1,188 kt1,209,200 t
Daily milling capacity  ......  Subscription required4,500 t4,500 t4,500 t
Daily ore mining rate  ......  Subscription required4,000 t
Daily milling rate  ......  Subscription required3,310 t
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2020:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven 1,900 kt Gold 6.24 g/t 380 koz
Probable 7,000 kt Gold 6.25 g/t 1,410 koz
Proven & Probable 8,900 kt Gold 6.25 g/t 1,790 koz
Measured 900 kt Gold 4 g/t 110 koz
Indicated 1,900 kt Gold 3.72 g/t 230 koz
Measured & Indicated 2,800 kt Gold 3.81 g/t 340 koz
Inferred 2,700 kt Gold 4.65 g/t 410 koz

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Total cash costs (sold) Gold USD  ......  Subscription required ^†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†
Total cash costs Gold USD 731 / oz† 620 / oz† 538 / oz† 599 / oz†
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold USD  ......  Subscription required ^†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Gold USD 909 / oz† 774 / oz† 678 / oz† 766 / oz†
^ Guidance / Forecast.
† Net of By-Product.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operating Costs:

Units201620152014
UG mining costs ($/t mined) USD 60.465.277.6
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units2021202020192018201720162015
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD  ......  Subscription required
Sustaining costs M USD  ......  Subscription required32   26   29   38  
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required84   58   37   38  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required263   293   321   311  
Operating Income M USD 69   108   118   92  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 19, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 19, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 19, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 19, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017
Subscription required 2013

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Corporate Presentation 2018
Corporate Presentation 2018
Management Discussion & Analysis 2018
Other 2018
Project Description 2018
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Annual Report 2017
Press Release 2017
Annual Report 2016
Other 2016
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2016
Annual Report 2015
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2015
Annual Report 2013
Project Description 2013
Project Description 2011
Other 2005
Technical Report 2003
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Newmont Announces Musselwhite Conveyor System Achieves Commercial Production December 2, 2020

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

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