Name: LaRonde mine.

Location: The LaRonde mine is located in the Abitibi region of north-western Quebec, Canada.

Controlling Company: Agnico Eagle Mines.

Brief History: LaRonde has one of the largest gold reserves of any mine operating in Canada. Openpit and underground deposits at the Bousquet project, located just 3 km west of LaRonde, have the potential to add to the resource base, with substantial indicated and inferred resources.

Brief Description: LaRonde underground mining operation is believed to be the deepest single-lift shaft in the western hemisphere. The operation has a mine life until 2024.

Geology/Mineralisation: The LaRonde property is located in the southern portion of the Archean-age Abitibi volcanic belt, within the Bousquet formation of the Blake River group of volcanic rocks. The rock units dip steeply to the south.

The LaRonde deposits occur at the eastern end of the east-west-trending Doyon-Bousquet-LaRonde mining camp, which includes the Mouska, Doyon, Bousquet I and Bousquet II gold deposits, all significant current or past gold producers. The most important regional structure is the Cadillac-Larder Lake fault zone, located about 2 km south of the LaRonde property.

Gold/copper and zinc/silver mineralisation occurs in the form of massive and disseminated sulphide lenses. The presence of silver and base metals adds considerably to the value of the gold ore, reducing the total cash cost to produce each ounce of gold at LaRonde. Five different mineralised horizons are known to exist adjacent to the Penna shaft. Deep drilling work on Zone 20 North has confirmed that the gold/copper grade and the thickness increase at depth.

Products: Gold, silver, copper and zinc.

Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves at LaRonde as at December 31, 2014, were estimated at 20.53-million tonnes grading 5.2 g/t of gold, 19.38 g/t of silver, 0.25% of copper and 0.64% of zinc.

Resources: Total indicated resources at LaRonde as at December 31, 2014, were estimated at 6.79-million tonnes grading 3.26 g/t of gold, 23.35 g/t of silver, 0.24% copper and 1.01% of zinc. Inferred resources were estimated at 8.79-million tonnes grading 4.23 g/t of gold, 17.4 g/t of silver, 0.26% of copper and 84% of zinc.

Total indicated resources at Bousquet as at December 31, 2014, were estimated at 12.75-million tonnes grading 2.31 g/t of gold. Inferred resources were estimated at 4.57-million tonnes grading 4.04 g/t of gold.

Mining Method: Two mining methods are used at LaRonde – longitudinal retreat, with cemented rock or paste backfill; and transverse open stoping with cemented-rock backfill, paste or unconsolidated backfill.

Major Infrastructure and Equipment: Ore is processed at the LaRonde mineral processing complex, which includes copper and zinc flotation, as well as precious metals recovery and refining.

The LaRonde processing plant has a capacity of 7 200 t/d of ore, and has been expanded four times since it opened in 1988. In 2013, a new carbon-in-leach circuit was installed to replace the existing counter-current decantation and Merrill-Crowe circuits, in response to the significant reduction in silver feed from the deeper orebody.

A 1 500 t/d processing plant is dedicated to treating the ore trucked from the nearby Lapa mine, with concentrates from Lapa’s gravity and leach circuits sent to the LaRonde refinery to produce doré bars.

A biological water treatment plant helps address the build-up of thiocyanate, which previously caused toxicity problems in the tailings ponds at LaRonde. Additionally, water from mine dewatering and drainage water are treated at a lime plant at the LaRonde mill to remove metals prior to discharge.

Prospects: A new coarse-ore conveyor system, which is scheduled to be commissioned in late 2015, should enhance the flexibility of the mine below Level 215. The increased production forecasts to 2017 largely reflect an increase in grade closer to that of the average reserves. Studies are assessing the potential to extend the reserve base below the present Level 311, at a depth of 3.1 km below surface to Level 371 at a depth of 3.7 km below surface.

Contact: Corporate communications.

Contact Details:
Agnico Eagle,
tel +1 416 847 8669,
fax +1 416 367 4681, and
email media@agnicoeagle.com.