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Sigma Lamaque Property (Val-d’Or)

Canada / Quebec / Val-dOr / Val-d’Or
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The Sigma and Lamaque mines were previously owned by Century Mining Corporation which was a subsidiary of White Tiger Gold. Century purchased the Sigma and Lamaque mines in September, 2004 and re-started the Sigma open pit mine but the open pit was closed in the fall of 2007. The underground operation was restarted in April 2007. In May 2012, as a result of an undercapitalized development program that resulted in low ore throughput and corresponding low gold production, the mines were put on Care and Maintenance. The owner of the mines was placed into receivership. Up to its closing, the Sigma-Lamaque complex, which operated from underground for most of the last century produced a total of approximately 9.4 million ounces.

Sigma/Lamaque’s gold production was historically been mined from geological features known as plugs, shears and dykes. The Main Plug (quartz diorite porphyry) produced over one-third of all historical production.

Sigma/Lamaque has a strong history as a gold producing mine dating back to 1933. It was discovered in 1923, with mining operations starting ten years later. The mine produced at a peak capacity of 1,900 tpd from 1953-85. During this time, underground development at Lamaque reached 1100m below surface, with operations ending in 1985. The mill was demolished in 1992.

The Sigma-Lamaque Complex consists of the former Sigma (Placer Dome) and Lamaque (Teck Cominco) underground mines. It is located within the City of Val-d’Or, Québec, approximately 500 km northwest of Montréal, Québec. The property was developed with 10 surface shafts to a maximum depth of 1,097m (3,600’) below surface, 3 winzes to a depth of 1,817m (5,960’) below surface and declines to a depth of 730m (2,400’) below surface.

The Lamaque and Sigma mines are located in the eastern end of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, an Island Arc volcanic complex, 750 km long by 250 km wide, within the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. All of the rocks within the region are of Achaean age, except for Proterozoic diabase dykes that cross-cut lithologies on both a regional and local scale. Volcanic and sedimentary rock thicknesses in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt and specifically in the Val-d'Or region have been recorded up to 18,000 m, with 80% of the assemblage being volcanics.

Mineralization consists of gold in microfractures in quartz-tourmaline-carbonate (QTC) veins, stringers and stockworks within the intrusive rocks and the shear structures. The gold bearing structures have multiple orientations. Late diabase dykes cut the veins in a north-south direction.
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Coordinates:   48°6'11"N   77°45'24"W
This article was last modified 10 years ago