Disseminated on behalf of LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) and may include paid advertising.
- Canadian near-term gold producer and explorer LaFleur Minerals has been working through to complete recommissioning work on its 100%-owned processing Beacon Gold Mill in the renowned Abitibi gold belt in Val d’Or, Quebec
- LaFleur has completed meaningful advancements as first step in restart operations including electrical and heating upgrades, cleanup measures and mechanical inspections at the Beacon Gold Mill, strategically placed near LaFleur’s Swanson Gold Deposit, and core to the company’s mine to mill vertically integrated model
- The Abitibi region is host to several large gold explorer operations and historic mines — companies that represent custom contract potential for Beacon Gold Mill as additional revenue stream while LaFleur focuses on exploration and mining potential at its Swanson Gold Project
- LaFleur’s gold processing is increasingly attractive as gold tops $5,000 per ounce in market trading, the latest in a long string of record advancements during the past year, and some market analysts are already anticipating gold may strike above $6,000 by the end of the year
The winter hasn’t stopped progress for gold explorer and near-term producer LaFleur Minerals (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) amid ongoing mobilization and restart activity for LaFleur’s Beacon Gold Mill and Swanson Gold Deposit in the celebrated Abitibi Gold Belt. The company’s processing mill is planned to support LaFleur’s own productions, as well as those of nearby mines including the potential for exploration heavy hitters Agnico Eagle, Eldorado Gold, and Probe Gold/Fresnillo.
Operational progress during November and December has helped the Beacon Gold Mill ramp up toward a strategic goal of processing an initial 100,000-tonne bulk sample from the Swanson Gold Deposit, with inspection of critical safety infrastructure and the restoration of site services. LaFleur will also be able to leverage up to 20,000 mt of mineralized material at the Beacon site for processing test runs, potentially launching revenue generating production by the end of this quarter.
Minor electrical and heating upgrades were completed, site cleaning took place, and conveyor clean-out, pump replacement, inspection of drum filters, and preparation for mechanical and access upgrades were accomplished, according to a January 26 company news release. The company expects to begin recommissioning activities for the plant, crushing circuit and overhead cranes this month, with results of its drilling program and upcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) anticipated in the weeks to come.
“LaFleur Minerals is pleased with the technical milestones achieved to date, which represent strong progress as we advance toward delivery of a fully integrated PEA for our 100%-owned Swanson Gold Deposit and nearby Beacon Gold Mill,” CEO Paul Ténière stated in the news release (https://ibn.fm/3SThE). “This work positions the company to continue to fast track its streamlined development strategy centered on a restart of gold production at the Beacon Gold Mill.”
Gold and silver continue to reach record prices in market trading, with gold passing $5,000 an ounce for the first time, and some analysts predicting it could cross the $6,000 per ounce limit by year’s end (https://ibn.fm/XNXWT).
An upcoming PEA and robust mining model of the LaFleur properties is in the final stage, highlighting the long-term potential for the Swanson Gold Deposit to feed operations at nearby Beacon Gold Mill, and establishing a foundation for a “disciplined, capital-efficient mill restart” through the verification of historical drilling and evaluation of the recommissioning work.
LaFleur successfully completed a $7.8 million financing effort to fully fund the restart of gold production at the mill (https://ibn.fm/mb3Pu). The company’s leadership has ongoing progress with ERM (Environmental Resources Management) and the Canadian National Railway (“CN”) to relocate a segment of the existing rail line through both the Swanson Property and the Beacon Gold Mill site near Val d’Or, Quebec, to then add a dedicated rail spur to facilitate efficient loading and transport of material to the permitted mill, improving the overall economics of operations over time.
An agreement to that end would reduce future hauling costs, decrease pollutants and support increased safety with less truck traffic through villages, optimizing the company’s operations and providing it a significant economic benefit.
LaFleur is working to increase Beacon Gold Mills throughput to 1,000 tpd but aims to further expand its capacity at some point to the 3,000 tpd to 4,000 tpd range, depending on capital requirements, depicting the notable expansion and scalability potential of this exceptional asset. The company also launched a metallurgical testing program this month for material obtained from diamond core drilling at Swanson, with the evaluation work to be performed by SGS Canada in February and March.
For more information, visit the company’s website at LaFleurMinerals.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LFLRF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LFLRF
Qualified Person Statement:
All scientific and technical information contained in this article has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.
