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Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:WDO) announced its production results for Q4 2015, as well as the year as a whole.
Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:WDO) announced its production results for Q4 2015, as well as the year as a whole.
As quoted in the press release:
Fourth quarter (Q4) production at the Eagle River Underground Mine increased 10% over the third quarter (Q3) to 11,744 ounces, and head grades improved 19% to 9.2 grams per tonne (“gpt”). Eagle River tonnes milled during Q4 were 42,185. At the Mishi Open Pit Mine Q4 production was 2,068 ounces a 43% decrease over Q3. Head grade at Mishi in Q4 was 2.3 gpt compared to 3.0 gpt in Q3. Mishi tonnes milled during the quarter were 33,101, a 24% decrease compared to Q3. The combined Q4 production was 13,812 ounces, a 3% decrease compared to 14,284 ounces in Q3. Gold sales were 16,023 ounces at an average sales price of CAD$1,473 per ounce.
For the full year 2015, 173,189 tonnes were milled at a head grade of 7.8 gpt from the underground Eagle River Mine at a recovery rate of 94.8% to produce 41,132 ounces. At the open pit Mishi Mine, 132,942 tonnes were milled at a head grade of 2.6 gpt at a recovery of 87.4% to produce 9,580 ounces. The total combined production for 2015 was 50,712 ounces, a 3.5% decrease compared to 52,575 ounces in 2014. Gold sales for the year were 49,804 ounces at an average sales price of CAD$1,475 per ounce.
Rolly Uloth, president and CEO of Wesdome, commented:
At the Eagle River Underground Mine, the 300 zone commenced production in the third quarter, with the fourth quarter seeing full production from this zone, resulting in a significant improvement in head grades. During Q4, we had planned on full extraction of the high grade 872-300 stope for three lifts but the last production uphole blast did not fully achieve the desired extraction and this remnant ore will now be mined in 2016.
In 2016, production at the Eagle River mine is forecast to range between 43,000 – 47,000 ounces at an average grade of between 8.5 – 9 gpt, a 9% – 15% improvement over 2015’s head grades. This is the result of 2015’s development plan to bring multiple high grade zones (300, 7 and 811 Zones) into our exploration, development, and production profile.
At Mishi, 2016 pit production is expected to improve by at least 15% to between 11,000 – 13,000 ounces at an average grade of 2.4 gpt resulting in total mill production of 54,000 – 60,000 ounces for 2016.
Click here to read the full Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:WDO) press release.