Name of the Mine
Canadian Malartic Complex.

Location
Malartic, Quebec, about 25 km west of Val-d’Or and 80 km east of Rouyn-Noranda, in Canada.

Mine Owner/s
Agnico Eagle Mines. Osisko holds a 5% net smelter return royalty on the openpit at Canadian Malartic, and a C$0.40/t royalty on any ore sourced from outside the royalty boundaries processed through the Canadian Malartic mill.

Brief Description
The Canadian Malartic Complex is one of the biggest operating gold mines in the world. 

Major deposits include Canadian Malartic, South Barnat (Barnat), East Malartic, Odyssey and East Gouldie. All surface ore is currently sourced from the Barnat pit. The Canadian Malartic mine will continue to operate until 2029 by mining the Barnat pit. 

Brief History
Gold was first discovered in the Malartic area in 1923 by the Gouldie Brothers at what is now designated the Gouldie Zone. 

Modern exploration drilling started on the property in 2005, with commercial production achieved in May 2011. 

Agnico Eagle and Yamana acquired the mine in June 2014.

Precommercial production started from the Barnat pit in late 2019, with commercial production declared on September 30, 2020.

In February 2021, the partnership approved the development of the underground Odyssey mine project east of the openpit. A month later, the partnership published an updated technical report on the Canadian Malartic mine and Odyssey project.

Agnico acquired Yamana Gold’s Canadian assets on March 31, 2023. Agnico now owns a 100% interest in the Canadian Malartic Complex.

In the same month, the first production blast from the Odyssey UG mine – the underground extension of the Canadian Malartic openpit – occurred. The Odyssey UG project hosts three main mineralised zones: Odyssey Zones, East Gouldie and East Malartic. Odyssey Zones is subdivided into Odyssey North, Odyssey South and Odyssey Internal. 

Primary Metals/Minerals
Gold.

Secondary Metals/Minerals
None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation
The Canadian Malartic Complex straddles the southern margin of the eastern portion of the Abitibi Subprovince, which is an Archean greenstone belt situated in the south-eastern part of the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. 

Most of the property is underlain by metasedimentary units of the Pontiac Group, immediately south of the Larder Lake–Cadillac fault zone (LLCFZ). The north central portion of the property is underlain by mafic-ultramafic metavolcanic rocks of the Piché Group, cut by porphyritic and dioritic intrusions. The Cadillac Group underlies the northern part of the property (north of the LLCFZ). It comprises greywacke (a type of sandstone) containing lenses of conglomerate. 

Mineralisation in the Canadian Malartic deposit occurs as a continuous shell of 1% to 5% disseminated pyrite associated with fine native gold and traces of chalcopyrite, sphalerite and tellurides. The gold mineral resource is mostly hosted by altered clastic sedimentary rocks of the Pontiac Group (70%) overlying an epizonal dioritic porphyry intrusion. A portion of the deposit also occurs in the upper portions of the porphyry body (30%).

Reserves
Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2023, were estimated at 142.25-million tonnes, grading at 1.73 g/t gold for 7.91-million ounces of gold.

Resources
Total measured and indicated resources as at December 31, 2023, were estimated at 17.35-million tonnes grading at 1.88 g/t gold for 1.05-million ounces of gold. Total inferred resources were estimated at 138.86-million tonnes grading at 2.12 g/t gold for 9.48-million ounces of gold.

Type of Mine
Openpit and underground.

Mining Method
Conventional truck-and-shovel. 

Major Infrastructure/Equipment
The mine includes openpit mining facilities; a 60 000 t/d processing plant with crushing, grinding and leaching circuits; tailings management facilities; and water treatment plants.

Prospects
The Odyssey UG project is the underground extension of the Canadian Malartic openpit mine. The project is expected to extend the mine life to at least 2042, based on the results of an in-house study completed by Agnico in June 2023, and based on just over half of the current known mineral resources.

Contact Details
Agnico Eagle Mines
Tel +1 416 947 1212
Email info@agnicoeagle.com

Sources
Agnico Eagle Mines. Website: https://www.agnicoeagle.com/