Wesdome Eyes Low-cost Gold Boost At Quebec’s Kiena

TL;DR

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Wesdome Gold Mines says productivity gains, more mining fronts and operational changes could raise output at its Kiena mine in Quebec by 10% to 15% without major new capital spending. The company is also pursuing a 125,000-metre drilling program to replace reserves and test whether multiple mineralized zones form a larger system.

Wesdome Gold Mines says it could raise production at its Kiena underground mine in Val-d’Or, Quebec, by 10% to 15% without major new capital spending, by improving productivity and using existing infrastructure more effectively. The potential increase is an operating target, not a confirmed production outcome, as the company also drills to replace reserves and investigate a broader mineralized system.

Chief executive Anthea Bath told The Northern Miner in a video interview in late August that the proposed increase would rely on execution improvements, additional mining fronts and technical optimization. Wesdome says much of the equipment and underground development needed is already in place. A new ramp opened in May has improved ore movement, while additional mining fronts give the mine more operating flexibility.

Kiena’s production guidance for the year is 75,000 to 90,000 ounces of gold, at a grade of 8 to 9.5 grams per tonne, according to the report. Those figures are company guidance; the 10%-15% increase is a separate potential gain and should not be read as a revised forecast. Wesdome has not provided a specific schedule for achieving that increase in the cited material.

The Presqu’île zone is beginning to contribute ore. Wesdome blasted its first production stope there in July and expects the zone to reach 250 to 400 tonnes per day when fully ramped up. The company says the ore could help it use at least 80% of the mine’s 2,040-tonne-per-day mill capacity under its “Fill-the-Mill” strategy. That throughput goal is distinct from the proposed production increase.

How Existing Workings Could Lift Output

The plan matters because it aims to increase output without the cost and time associated with major new mine infrastructure. If Wesdome can deliver the improvement using the ramp, development and equipment already installed, it could get more production from capital previously invested at Kiena. The company has not disclosed a detailed cost estimate or quantified the expected effect on unit costs, so the financial benefit remains unverified.

More ore from Presqu’île and other mining fronts could also help keep the mill better supplied. The company’s stated goal of using at least 80% of its mill capacity is a measure of planned utilization, not a guarantee of production or profitability. Actual results will depend on mining performance, ore availability and the pace at which zones are brought into production.

The drilling effort could affect Kiena’s longer-term outlook as well as near-term feed. Wesdome is testing targets near existing workings that may be easier to add to mine plans, alongside broader targets that would need more exploration. Any new mineralization must still be evaluated and, where appropriate, converted into resources and reserves before it can support a mine plan.

Kiena’s Reserves and Drilling Plan

Kiena returned to commercial production in 2022 after a stop-start history spanning about four decades. Wesdome’s June reserve update established a reserve-based mine plan through 2033, according to the report. At Dec. 31, 2025, the mine had 2.6 million tonnes of proven and probable reserves grading 8.7 grams of gold per tonne, equivalent to 711,000 ounces.

The reserve total was 701,000 ounces a year earlier, despite production of nearly 73,000 ounces during 2025. The report says drilling more than offset mining depletion. These reserve figures describe what was reported at the stated dates; they do not guarantee future production or establish how long the mine will operate beyond the reserve-based plan.

Wesdome plans 125,000 metres of drilling at Kiena this year, both to replace mined reserves and to explore possible growth areas. A property-wide review identified about 100 targets. The company says it is prioritizing some close to current underground workings because they may be quicker to evaluate for potential inclusion in a mine plan.

“There’s no investment really, because that’s already invested in the mine itself. It’s really around execution effectiveness, leveraging the current infrastructure and capital that already exists.”

— Anthea Bath, Wesdome Gold Mines chief executive, speaking to The Northern Miner

Production Gains Still Depend on Execution

The proposed 10%-15% increase remains a potential outcome. The cited report does not give a target date, a detailed production schedule or an independently verified estimate of the associated costs and benefits. Wesdome’s stated production guidance remains 75,000 to 90,000 ounces for the year in the source material.

The drilling results also require careful interpretation. At Shawkey 10, hole SH-26-001 intersected 106.5 metres grading 3.1 grams of gold per tonne from 387 metres downhole, according to results released Sept. 16. The reported interval is core length, with an uncapped grade; Wesdome reported a capped grade of 2.6 grams per tonne. Core length is not necessarily the true width of a mineralized zone.

The company says it is testing whether Kiena East targets—including Shawkey 10, Shawkey Mine, Zone 134 and Dubuisson—connect into a larger system and is working toward an initial resource at Shawkey 10. The available information does not establish that the zones connect, how much mineable material they may contain, or whether they will be economic to develop.

More Drilling and Operating Results Ahead

Wesdome’s next steps are to continue the planned 125,000 metres of drilling, develop the Presqu’île zone toward its expected operating rate and test targets both near existing workings and farther east. Results from that work may clarify whether Kiena can add resources beyond the current reserve-based plan.

Readers should watch for updates on Presqu’île’s ramp-up, mine production and mill utilization, as well as further drill results and any resource estimate for Shawkey 10. The company has not stated a specific date for reaching the possible production increase. Future disclosures will be needed to show whether the operating changes translate into sustained additional ounces.

Key Questions

What production increase is Wesdome considering at Kiena?

Wesdome says productivity improvements, additional mining fronts and technical optimization could lift production by 10% to 15%. It is a potential increase, not a revised confirmed forecast.

Would the increase require a major new capital investment?

Chief executive Anthea Bath said the plan would use existing infrastructure and capital already invested at the mine. The cited report does not provide a detailed cost estimate for the operational changes.

What is Presqu’île expected to contribute?

Wesdome expects Presqu’île to reach 250 to 400 tonnes per day once fully ramped up. The company says the ore could help it use at least 80% of Kiena’s 2,040-tonne-per-day mill capacity.

What did the Shawkey 10 drill result show?

Wesdome reported a 106.5-metre core interval grading 3.1 grams of gold per tonne in hole SH-26-001. The interval is core length, not necessarily true width; the company reported a capped grade of 2.6 grams per tonne.

Has Wesdome confirmed a larger connected gold system at Kiena?

No. The company is testing whether several Kiena East zones connect as part of a larger mineralized system. The cited results do not confirm a continuous, mineable deposit.

Source: rss