West Red Lake resumes Madsen mine operations after fatal incident

West Red Lake Gold Mines (TSXV: WRLG) said on Wednesday it has resumed operations at the Madsen mine in Ontario following a brief pause triggered by a fatal incident.
Operations were suspended on June 16 after an employee was fatally injured underground. The mill resumed operations in approximately 40 hours, and mining restarted 12 hours after that.
Ramp-up to full capacity is ongoing, dependent on workforce availability and compliance with safety protocols, the company said.
According to CEO Shane Williams, the mill has been averaging 650 tonnes per day with 95% gold recovery, and has been tested at higher levels several times without issue.
“Mill head grades increased in June as we transitioned from the mixed and generally lower-grade material that had been stockpiled during the bulk sample program, which we processed in May, into freshly mined material that should be more representative of average ore grades going forward,” he stated.
Between June 12 and 15, the average milled grade at Madsen was 6.5 grams per tonne (g/t), up from about 3 g/t earlier in the month.
Since ramp-up began on May 11, operations have sourced ore primarily from the South Austin and McVeigh zones, with additional production planned from Austin stopes later this year. Mining officially restarted on May 22.
Year to date, West Red Lake has sold 5,250 oz. of gold at an average price of $3,330/oz. Another gold pour is expected on Wednesday following its announcement of mining resumption.
Meanwhile, underground drilling remains active at Madsen, with 38,393 metres completed so far this year. Efforts have focused on high-grade targets within the South Austin zone.
The Madsen mine is part of West Red Lake’s 47 km² land package in Ontario’s Red Lake district, a region that has yielded over 30 million oz. of gold. The company also owns the Rowan property, which hosts three historic gold mines.
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