|
Ownership
|
100% IAG |
Location |
Quebec, Canada |
|
Status
|
In Production |
Commodity |
Gold |
|
Mining
|
Underground & OP |
Processing |
Crush-Grind-CIL/CIP |
|
LOM
|
2032+ |
|
|
|
Reserves
|
1.0 Moz |
M&I Resources
Inf. Resources |
1.7 Moz
1.8 Moz |
* M&I resources are inclusive of mineral resources
The Westwood Gold Complex, located in Quebec, Canada, includes the Westwood underground mine and the Grand Duc open pit, collectively known as the Westwood Complex. Situated on the historic Doyon property near Rouyn-Noranda, the mine began production in early 2013, with Grand Duc starting in 2019. Over the period of 2021 to 2023, IAMGOLD conducted a major overhaul of the underground mine plan, including the adoption of pillarless pyramid stope sequencing and enhanced ground control methodologies in order to better manage seismicity and improve productivity. Since the restart, the Westwood Mine Complex has seen continued improvement in operations. The site holds significant measured, indicated, and inferred resources, with a strong track record of resource conversion – suggesting strong potential for future expansion.
Operations
|
|
|
|
Key Operating Statistics (100% basis, unless otherwise stated)
|
2024 |
|
Underground lateral development (metres)
|
4,591 |
|
Ore mined (000s t) - underground
|
354 |
|
Ore mined (000s t) – open pit
|
662 |
|
Ore mined (000s t) – total
|
1,016 |
|
Ore milled (000s t)
|
1,107 |
|
Head grade (g/t) - underground
|
9.17 |
|
Head grade (g/t) – open pit
|
1.60 |
|
Head grade (g/t) - total
|
4.04 |
|
Recovery (%)
|
93 |
|
Gold production (000s oz)
|
134 |
|
Gold sales (000s oz)
|
134 |
|
Average realized gold price ($/oz)
|
2,403 |
|
Cash costs ($/oz sold)
|
1,167 |
|
AISC ($/oz sold)
|
1,702 |
Reserves and Resources
|
Tonnes
(000s) |
Grade
(g/t) |
Ounces
(000s) |
P&P Reserves (underground)
P&P Reserves (Grand Duc) |
2,603
1,453 |
11.44
1.01 |
957
47 |
P&P Reserves Total
M&I Resources (incl.)
Inferred |
4,056
6,688
4,369 |
7.70
7.98
12.83 |
1,004
1,715
1,802 |
* M&I resources are inclusive of mineral resources
Locations
The Westwood Complex is approximately 40 kilometres east of Rouyn-Noranda and 80 kilometres west of Val d’Or in southwestern Québec, Canada. This area is approximately 420 km northwest of Montreal. The property includes the Doyon processing plant, Westwood underground mine (Westwood) and Grand Duc open pit (Grand Duc), (collectively, the “Westwood Complex”). The Westwood shaft is 1.5 km to the east of the processing plant accessed by a service/haulage road. The Grand Duc open pit is located 800 m to the west of the plant and accessed by the original Arthur Doyon access road on site which connects the Saint-Norbert-de-Mont-Brun Road, to the Doyon office buildings.
Geology & Mineralization
The deposits in the Westwood Project area are examples of greenstone-hosted orogenic gold deposits. The Westwood and Grand Duc deposits also include characteristics of gold-rich volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits.
The Westwood Project is situated within the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Abitibi sub-province, part of the Archean Superior Province. Gold mineralization in the Southern Volcanic Zone forms major mineralized deposit clusters within mining districts. Such mining districts include the Doyon-Bousquet-LaRonde mining camp that hosts the Westwood and Grand Duc deposits. The Southern Volcanic Zone consists of an Archean volcano-sedimentary assemblage divided into three volcanic groups and two sedimentary groups. Rocks have typically been metamorphosed to greenschist to sub-greenschist facies, with amphibolite facies in the vicinity of the intrusive plutons.
The Westwood deposit is approximately 1.9 kilometres long by 500 metres wide, generally trending east–west and dipping steeply south. Mineralization has an average thickness of 1.7 metres. The deposit has been drill tested to an approximate 2.5 kilometres depth. It remains open at depth and to the west. Mineralization styles include gold-bearing VMS-type lenses, quartz veins, and disseminated sulphide zones.
The Grand Duc deposit is about 620 metres long in the east–west direction, by 300 metres wide. Mineralization has an average thickness of 30 metres. The deposit has been drill tested to 250 metres depth. It remains open to the west and east. Gold mineralization occurs in veins, fracture fills, as disseminations, and in foliation-parallel pyrite bands.
History
Prior to IAMGOLD having an interest in the Westwood Project, numerous companies had conducted exploration in the Westwood Complex property area in the period between 1910–2006. Work completed included prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, metallurgical testwork, surface and underground core drilling, mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, engineering studies, and mining operations.
IAMGOLD obtained its interest in the Westwood Complex property in 2006. Work completed by IAMGOLD included metallurgical testwork, surface and underground core drilling, Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates, engineering studies, and mining operations. The Westwood mine began production in the first quarter of 2013 and commenced commercial production in 2014. Mining started on Grand Duc in 2019.