New gold mines are hardly a dime-a-dozen, but we at CMJ have come across four in a week.
RICHMONT MINES of Montreal marked its first gold pour on Nov. 15 from the Island Gold mine. It reaped a dor bar of approximately 530 oz. The mill continues to treat underground development ore and that from test mining. Metallurgical results from the current mill campaign will be used for reserve calculations with the objective of declaring commercial production.
The Island Gold project, located 50 km northeast of Wawa, Ontario, is a joint venture of Richmont (55%) and PATRICIA MINING (45%). A technical report is available at www.Richmont-Mines.com.
Vancouver-based JINSHAN GOLD MINES is preparing to reach commercial production at its CSH (217) project in Inner Mongolia during the second quarter of 2007. The final feasibility study indicates that the property will produce 117,000 oz of gold annually at a cost of US$253/oz during is first nine years of operation. The first ore will be placed on the leach pads in January and February 2007. Photos of the project are posted at www.JinshanMines.com.
The board of Reno, Nevada-based WESTERN GOLDFIELDS has approved spending $60.9 million of the projected $67.0 million for a mining fleet for the Mesquite mine being developed in California. The company has ordered 11 Terex 190-t haul trucks, two O&K RH340 hovels, a Letourneau 1350 loader, and Caterpillar auxiliary equipment. Western has also issued purchase orders for enough tires to see it through the first year of operation.
The Mesquite mine was closed in 2001, but since acquiring it in 2003 Western has continued to produce gold from material previously placed in the heap leach area. The new mining fleet will allow mining to resume and production to expand. See WesternGoldfields.com for additional information.
YAMANA GOLD of Toronto says it will have its Chapada copper-gold mine in commercial production by early next year. The project is located in the state of Goias, Brazil. It includes an open pit and conventional flotation plant that will produce a saleable copper-gold concentrate. The company expects to produce 1.4 million oz of gold and 2.0 billion lb of copper over the 19-year life of the mine.
Yamana's latest corporate presentation is posted at www.Yamana.com.
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