A $15-million expansion program, designed to support an increase in production to 2,000 from 1,500 tons per day, will begin immediately at the East Malartic mill, says owner LAC Minerals (TSE).
The expansion is a response to increased output at LAC’s newest Canadian gold mine, Bousquet No. 2, as it moves into full production. The mine, located 25 miles west of Malartic in northwestern Quebec, is expected to produce approximately 169,485 oz. gold in 1991, up from 67,163 oz. in 1990. Production in 1992 will likely top 200,000 oz.
The improvements, which are scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 1992, will increase the mill’s capacity for flotation and grinding and improve the gravity circuit, LAC says.
The Bousquet No. 2 team is already ahead of schedule with respect to 1991 production targets, said division manager Paul Bedard. More than 127,500 oz. of gold have been taken from the near-vertical orebody to date, compared with the forecasted 112,000 oz. Mining between the seventh and eighth levels will begin in a matter of days, he added.
Although the mill will not be closed during the expansion period, Bedard said some construction-related processing delays can be expected during the fourth quarter.
Commercial production began at Bousquet No. 2 in October, 1990, at a rate of 1,000 tons per day. The bornite-rich orebody also yields copper at an annual rate of about 6,000 tons.
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