The 100% owned LaRonde complex, located in the Abitibi region of northwestern Quebec, comprises the LaRonde mine and the LaRonde Zone 5 (“LZ5”) mine.
The LaRonde mine achieved commercial production in 1988. LaRonde’s 2.2-km deep Penna Shaft is the deepest single-lift shaft in the Western Hemisphere. The LaRonde mine extension, the portion of the mine below Level 245, achieved commercial production in December 2011.
In 2003, the Company acquired LZ5, which lies adjacent to and west of the LaRonde mine and was exploited by open pit mining by its previous operator. The LZ5 mine achieved commercial production as an underground operation in June 2018, with ore processed at the LaRonde mine’s processing facilities.
The LaRonde mineral processing complex includes copper and zinc flotation as well as precious metals recovery and refining.
The LaRonde and LZ5 mines have gradually been implementing automation for their production activities and are increasingly relying on automated technology.