West Red Lake installing camp at historic Madsen mine

West Red Lake Gold Mines (TSXV: WRLG; OTCQB: WRLGF) says it is an exciting time for the company as it prepares to reopen the past-producing Madsen gold mine next year. The 100%-owned project is located 8 km southwest of Red Lake, Ont., is fully permitted.

The team continues to push forward with key readiness projects, said president and CEO Shane Williams. “Access development for test mining has been underway since late summer, putting us on the edge of mining. The bulk samples generated through the test mining program will be stockpiled on surface and then batch processed.

“Meanwhile the Connection drift, primary crusher, and camp projects are being completed on schedule while definition drilling and mine planning and optimization continue.”

The Connection drift is a 1.2-km haulage way that is 50% complete. It should be finished by the end of March 2025. The drift will connect the historic West portal and the new East portal. The West portal provides access to underground workings in most parts of the mine – Austin, South Austin. and McVeigh zones. The East portal extents a modest distance into the North Austin area.

The previous owner began developed the West portal, but it has notable inefficiencies. It will only accommodate trucks up to 30-tonnes and is filled with steep sections and sharp corners. The route from the portal to the mill crosses two public roads and bypasses the town of Madsen. Ore must be dumped outside the mine and reloaded onto surface trucks that are allowed to operate only during daylight hours.

Near the processing plant, West Red Lake developed the East portal to accommodate 60-tonne trucks. Much of the Madsen resource sits spatially under the mill, making it uneconomic to truck ore west to the West Portal and then drive it back east to the mill.

Other major projects include the crusher and the camp. The primary jaw crusher was installed and commissioned in late-November. The cap is now being installed and will accommodate 114 people. It will offer individual rooms with ensuite bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining hall, and recreation space. Horizon North supplied the camp.

The mill is new, having been installed and commissioned by the previous owner in 2020. Throughput is 800 t/d, but it is permitted to operate at 1,089 t/d, and the potential exists to expand it to 1,500 t/d. The mill achieved a 95% gold recovery rate during the two years it operated.

Learn more on www.WestRedLakeGold.com.