Canada’s WRLG is planning to restart operations at the high-grade Madsen gold mine in Ontario in the second half of 2025.
The company recently secured C$33m ($24.09m) in financing, setting the stage for a series of critical infrastructure projects essential to the mine's restart.
A PFS detailing the restart plan is due to be released in early 2025.
The identified projects of scale are pivotal to the Madsen Mine restart plan.
Going forward, WRLG will initiate work on these critical path projects, which will run concurrently with ongoing drilling, exploration and engineering efforts that contribute to the pre-feasibility study and future project enhancements.
A key development at the Madsen Mine site is the construction of a 1,200m connection drift.
This haulage way will link the East and West portals/declines, aiming to boost material hauling efficiency, ventilation and safety.
Of the recent C$33m financing, C$10m in flow-through funds will be allocated to the development of this haulage way.
Additionally, West Red Lake Gold plans to install a permanent primary crusher within the Madsen mill, transitioning from the previously used temporary leased crusher.
The mine's dewatering process and rehabilitation of the existing shaft, now certified for personnel movement to inspect shaft conditions, will continue.
WRLG also plans to commence a test mining programme to assess the viability of long hole stopping and cut-and-fill mining methods across various mining environments at Madsen Mine.
Furthermore, two evaporator fans capable of managing 2,000m³ of water daily will be installed to enhance the mine site's water management capacity.
West Red Lake Gold Mines president and CEO Shane Williams said: “With the funds raised in our recent financings, including $10m in Canadian Development Expense flow-through funding, we are excited to get started on these important projects.
“With a year of work under our belts at Madsen, we know what needs to be procured, built and developed at the mine site over the next six to 12 months to achieve our goal of restarting the mine in 2025.”
