Island Gold Mine Canada

Island Gold’s underground operations are currently accessed via a ramp system. The primary mining method is longitudinal retreat long-hole stoping. Ore is hauled by truck to the Kremzar mill located approximately 0.8 kilometres from the portal of the ramp.

The Phase III shaft expansion of the operation to 2,000 tpd is expected to be completed in 2025. Long-hole open stoping will continue to be utilized as the primary mining method with increased development and key infrastructure changes including the addition of a paste plant and shaft supporting the increase in mining rates to 2,000 tpd. The shaft will be sunk to an initial depth of 1,373 metres. The hoisting plant is designed for an ultimate depth of 2,000 metres providing flexibility to accommodate future exploration success. Following the completion of the shaft construction in 2025, the operation will transition from trucking ore and waste to skipping ore and waste to surface through the new shaft infrastructure, driving production higher and costs significantly lower.

Ore is processed through a conventional gold mill using a carbon-in-pulp (CIP) process, with circuits for crushing, grinding, gold cyanidation and two electrowinning cells. The high-grade electrowinning concentrate is sent to a bullion furnace for smelting of doré bars on site. As part of the Phase I expansion of the operation, the capacity of the mill was upgraded to approximately 1,200 tpd in 2018. With the Phase III expansion, the mill capacity will be further expanded to 2,000 tpd with upgrades to the crushing circuit, the addition of a second parallel ball mill, and a new elution and CIP circuit.