Côté Gold achieved first gold on March 31, 2024
June 21, 2024
On March 31, 2024, Côté Gold poured its first gold bar and celebrated its entry into “producer” status. The operational achievements in the first quarter include:
Our mining operations team has made great progress, achieving a daily hauling record of 160,000 tonnes of material moved in April 2024. Also, we successfully mined 7.6 millions of tonnes in the first quarter! Congratulations to everyone for their hard work and dedication!
Processing plant ramp-up progressing well with the crushing, HPGR, and processing circuits performing within expectations, including power consumption. Our plant circuits achieve 1,600 tonnes per hour, equivalent to >95% of design capacity.
Operations are scheduled to continue to ramp-up in the second quarter 2024 and commercial production is expected to be achieved during the third quarter of 2024. We expect Côté Gold to exit the year at approximately 90% of nameplate throughput!
The Gosselin deposit is located immediately to the northeast of the Côté Gold deposit. Approximately 35,000 metres of expansion and delineation diamond drilling is planned for 2024, of which approximately 11,300 metres were completed in the first quarter 2024 to test different areas of the Gosselin deposit extensions and the gap between Gosselin West Breccia body and the Côté Breccia at depth. Another 6,000 metres is planned this year to test high potential targets along the favourable structural corridor that links the Côté and Gosselin deposits and runs through the Chester intrusive complex. This is very exciting!
IAMGOLD continues to apply for and obtain permits required to construct and operate the mine. Since December 2023, we received the following permits:
Permit to Remove Forest Resources Amendment
Permit to Take Water (PTTW)
Public Land Act (Work Permit)
Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act
A list of all permits applied for and received to date is available at www.iamgold.com/cotegold in the Permitting Applications section.
