AuRico Gold reports an additional 1.01 million ounces of proven and probable mineral reserves at its Young-Davidson Mine near Matachewan. It represents an increase of 36 per cent over 2010 and a total of 3.8 gold ounces.
Given the significant increase in gold price since the Young-Davidson feasibility study was completed, a re-engineering of the underground mining methods was completed over the last quarter. The study envisaged the use of unconsolidated rock fill and bulk mining methods such as sub-level caving and long-hole shrinkage.
The mine has now been re-engineered to utilize paste backfill and longhole stoping, which allows for a significantly higher mining recovery of the in-situ resource.
As a result, it is expected that mining recovery will increase from approximately 72 per cent to approximately 92 per cent and it is expected that dilution will decrease from approximately 15 per cent to below 10 per cent.
This, combined with the conversion of the west resource into reserves and infill drilling within the upper boundary zone, has resulted in approximately one million proven and probable ounces being added to reserves. Drilling in 2012 will focus on extending the west zone and testing additional targets on the east and west flanks of the main Young-Davidson ore bodies.
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