Open pit may be expanded at the Dome gold mine

At the Dome gold mine near Timmins, Ont., a feasibility study is in the works to determine the economics of expanding the open pit. It should be completed in the fourth quarter.

Also under consideration is expansion of the processing plant to treat ore from both the underground mine and the expanded pit, Placer Dome (TSE) reports.

Expansion of the pit would require relocating or replacing the crushing plant, service buildings and highway. Waste rock and low-grade material would be stockpiled near the proposed pit.

Work on the expansion project began with the definition of a near-surface geological resource of 35.8 million tons grading 0.066 oz. gold per ton above a 0.015-oz. cutoff. Optimization of this resource outlined 24.8 million tons of open-pit material grading 0.068 oz. gold above a 0.015-oz. cutoff. This expanded pit extends to a depth of 930 ft. and contains 172 million tons of waste rock.

The Dome mine produced 172,997 oz. gold last year at a cash cost of US$251 per oz. gold (total cost: US$298 per oz.) from 1.5 million tons of mined ore. The mill processed 4,200 tons per day, with head grades averaging 0.12 oz. gold per ton. Since production began in 1910, the mine has churned out more than 12 million oz. of the yellow metal.