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Wesdome Gold Mines says its Kiena operation in Val-d’Or, Quebec, could raise gold production by 10% to 15% through operational improvements and existing infrastructure, rather than major new capital spending. The company is also conducting 125,000 metres of drilling this year to replace reserves and test whether Kiena includes a larger network of mineralized zones.
Wesdome Gold Mines says it could increase production at its Kiena mine in Val-d’Or, Quebec, by 10% to 15% without major new capital spending, using productivity improvements, more mining fronts and existing infrastructure. The company is also drilling to replace reserves and test whether Kiena’s known ore zones form part of a larger mineralized system, a possibility that could extend the operation’s growth prospects.
The proposed output increase is a company target, not a confirmed production result. CEO Anthea Bath told The Northern Miner in a video interview in late August that the gains would depend on executing operational changes and making better use of infrastructure already installed underground. She said the work would focus on productivity, mining flexibility and technical optimization rather than major new construction.
Kiena’s new ramp, which opened in May, has improved ore movement underground, according to Wesdome. Additional mining fronts are intended to give the operation more flexibility. The Presqu’île zone is already contributing ore: the company blasted its first production stope there in July and expects the zone to reach 250 to 400 tonnes per day once fully ramped up.
Wesdome’s “Fill-the-Mill” strategy aims to use at least 80% of Kiena’s 2,040-tonne-per-day mill capacity. The company’s guidance calls for production of 75,000 to 90,000 oz. of gold this year at grades of 8 to 9.5 grams per tonne. Those figures are guidance, not a report of final annual output. Other possible sources of ore include Kiena Deep, the Northwest zone and deposits near existing underground infrastructure.
Existing Infrastructure Could Lift Output
If the expected productivity gains materialize, Wesdome could raise output at Kiena while limiting the need for major new capital investment. That would make the mine’s ability to improve production depend in part on operational execution and the pace at which additional areas can be brought into the mining sequence. The company has not quantified the capital required for every element of the plan or confirmed when a 10%-15% increase would be achieved.
The mill target also gives the development a practical measure: additional ore must be mined and processed consistently to make better use of capacity. Presqu’île is one near-term contributor, while the company is weighing other zones that may be accessible from existing workings. For readers tracking the mine, the distinction is between nearer-term operating improvements and exploration targets that still need more drilling and evaluation.
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Kiena’s Reserves and Drill Program
Kiena returned to commercial production in 2022 after a stop-start history spanning about four decades. Wesdome reported 711,000 oz. in proven and probable reserves at the mine at the end of 2025, contained in 2.6 million tonnes grading 8.7 grams of gold per tonne. The reserve total was up from 701,000 oz. a year earlier, even though the mine produced nearly 73,000 oz. during 2025; the company says drilling more than offset depletion from mining.
Wesdome plans 125,000 metres of drilling at Kiena this year, covering reserve replacement and exploration. A property-wide review identified about 100 targets, which the company ranked in part by their proximity to infrastructure and potential to become mineable resources. The approach gives priority to targets that may be incorporated into the mine plan sooner, while also testing longer-term areas.
One of those longer-term areas is Kiena East, which includes Shawkey 10, Shawkey Mine, Zone 134 and Dubuisson. In results released September 16, Wesdome reported that hole SH-26-001 intersected 106.5 metres grading 3.1 grams of gold per tonne at Shawkey 10. The reported interval is core length, with an uncapped grade; the capped grade was 2.6 grams per tonne. The company said the result more than doubled its interpreted thickness of the mineralized host rock to more than 200 metres. Drilling is intended to support an initial resource and test whether Kiena East zones connect.
“We now know that Kiena is not merely a small cigar. We know that Kiena is a cigar box, and we don’t know how many boxes. We know it’s significant.”
— Anthea Bath, Wesdome CEO, speaking to The Northern Miner in a late-August video interview
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Production Gains Depend on Execution
The 10%-15% potential production increase has not been reported as an achieved result, and Wesdome has not provided a specific timetable for reaching it. The company’s production guidance for this year remains 75,000 to 90,000 oz.; the source material does not specify how the potential increase relates to that guidance period.
It is also not yet clear how much of the exploration potential will become mineable reserves. The Kiena East drilling result is one intersection, and the company is still testing the area and seeking to establish an initial resource. Whether the separate zones connect, what their eventual scale and economics might be, and how quickly any new material could be incorporated into mine plans remain open questions.
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Drilling and Mine Development Continue
Wesdome’s next steps are to continue its planned 125,000-metre drilling program, advance work at Presqu’île and other operating areas, and test whether nearby targets can support additional production. Further drill results and updates on the pace of mining and mill utilization should help show whether the company can turn its operational opportunity into sustained output.
At Kiena East, continued drilling is expected to test the continuity of the mineralized zones and contribute to an initial resource assessment. Until those results and mine-planning work are available, the size and timing of any longer-term contribution are not established.
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Key Questions
What production increase is Wesdome targeting at Kiena?
Wesdome says Kiena could increase production by 10% to 15% through productivity improvements, additional mining fronts and technical optimization. The company has not reported that the increase has been achieved or provided a specific timetable.
Would the increase require major new capital spending?
CEO Anthea Bath said the plan would rely on existing infrastructure and capital, rather than major new infrastructure investment. The source material does not give a complete cost breakdown for the operational work.
What is Wesdome drilling for at Kiena?
The company plans 125,000 metres of drilling this year to replace mined reserves and explore additional targets. At Kiena East, it is testing several zones and whether they may form part of a larger mineralized system.
What did the Shawkey 10 drill result show?
Wesdome reported a 106.5-metre core-length interval grading 3.1 grams of gold per tonne in hole SH-26-001. The uncapped grade was reported; the capped grade was 2.6 grams per tonne. The result does not by itself establish a mineral resource.
How much gold is Kiena expected to produce this year?
Wesdome’s guidance is 75,000 to 90,000 oz. of gold, at a grade of 8 to 9.5 grams per tonne. This is company guidance, not confirmed final production.
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