Agnico Eagle Mines Limited operates as a Canadian gold mining company. The company produces precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of exploration and development projects in these countries, as well as in the United States.
The company is a senior Canadian gold mining company with mines located in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. The company’s operations in Canada include the LaRonde Complex (which includes the LaRonde mine and the LaRo...
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited operates as a Canadian gold mining company. The company produces precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of exploration and development projects in these countries, as well as in the United States.
The company is a senior Canadian gold mining company with mines located in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. The company’s operations in Canada include the LaRonde Complex (which includes the LaRonde mine and the LaRonde Zone 5 mine), the Canadian Malartic Complex (which includes the Canadian Malartic mine and the Odyssey mine), the Goldex mine, the Detour Lake mine, the Macassa mine, the Meliadine mine and the Meadowbank Complex (which includes the processing facilities at the Meadowbank minesite and mining operations at the Amaruq deposit). All of the company’s Canadian operating mines and its Hope Bay project are 100% owned and held directly by it.
The company’s operations in Australia are conducted through its indirect subsidiary, Fosterville Gold Mine Pty Ltd., which owns the Fosterville mine. The company’s operations in Finland are conducted through its indirect subsidiary, Agnico Finland, which owns the Kittila mine. The company’s interest in the Pinos Altos mine, located in Mexico, is held through its indirect subsidiary, Agnico Eagle Mexico, S.A. de C.V. The La India mine is owned by the company’s indirect subsidiary, Agnico Sonora, S.A. de C.V.
The company’s Exploration group focuses primarily on the identification of new mineral reserves and mineral resources and new development opportunities in politically stable and proven gold-producing regions. Exploration activities are concentrated in Canada, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Exploration activities are managed from offices in: Val-d’Or, Malartic and Rouyn-Noranda, in Quebec; Kirkland Lake, Timmins, and Dobie, in Ontario; Bendigo and Darwin, in Australia; Kittila, Finland; Chihuahua and Hermosillo, in Mexico; Reno, Nevada; and Storuman, Sweden.
While the company’s primary focus is on gold, it does monitor opportunities and considers the exploration, development and mining of, or investments in companies that focus on strategic and critical metals including copper, nickel and lithium. The company has identified its LaRonde Complex, Canadian Malartic Complex, Meadowbank Complex, Meliadine mine and the Detour Lake mine as material properties.
LaRonde Complex
The LaRonde Complex is situated approximately halfway between Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d’Or in northwestern Quebec (approximately 470 kilometres northwest of Montreal, Quebec) in the municipalities of Preissac and Cadillac. The LaRonde Complex consists of the LaRonde mine and the LaRonde Zone 5 mine, all of which is situated on the LaRonde, Bousquet, El Coco and Terrex properties.
Located on the Bousquet property, the LaRonde Zone 5 mine operates under mining leases obtained from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (Quebec) and under certificates of approval granted by the Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (Quebec). LaRonde Zone 5 is an underground operation accessed via ramp.
The LaRonde Complex operates under mining leases obtained from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (Quebec) and under certificates of approval granted by the Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (Quebec). The LaRonde property consists of 19 contiguous mining claims and one provincial mining lease. The Bousquet property consists of 17 contiguous claims and two provincial mining leases. The El Coco property consists of 29 contiguous mining claims and one provincial mining lease. The Terrex property consists of 12 mining claims and one provincial mining lease.
The mining leases on the LaRonde, Bousquet, El Coco, and Terrex properties expire in 2028, 2025, 2031 and 2034 respectively. The LaRonde and Bousquet properties are renewable for a further ten-years upon payment of a small fee. The El Coco and Terrex lease is renewable for three further ten-year terms, and two additional ten-year terms, respectively, upon payment of a small fee. The company also has a total of three surface rights leases that relate to, among other things, the waterline right of way from Lake Preissac and the eastern extension of the LaRonde tailings pond #7 on the El Coco property. The surface rights leases are renewable annually.
The LaRonde Complex includes underground operations at the LaRonde, Bousquet, El Coco and Terrex properties that can all be accessed from the Penna Shaft, a mill, a treatment plant, a secondary crusher building and related facilities. The LaRonde mine was originally developed with a 1,207-metre shaft (Shaft #1) and an underground ramp access system. The company’s operations at the LaRonde Zone 5 mine go to a depth of 420 metres below surface.
Canadian Malartic Complex
The Canadian Malartic Complex consists of the Canadian Malartic open-pit mine and processing facility, and the Odyssey underground mine. The Canadian Malartic Complex is located within the town of Malartic, Quebec. It straddles the townships of Fournière, Malartic, Dubuisson and Surimau.
The company acquired its initial 50% interest in the Canadian Malartic mine on June 16, 2014 through its joint acquisition of Osisko with Yamana. On March 31, 2023, the company completed the Yamana Transaction pursuant to which, among other things, it acquired from Yamana its Canadian based assets, including the remaining 50% interest in the Canadian Malartic Complex.
The Odyssey mine is adjacent to the Canadian Malartic mine and hosts three main underground-mineralized zones, which are East Gouldie, East Malartic and Odyssey (which is sub-divided into the Odyssey North and Odyssey South). Production from the Odyssey South zone was initiated in March 2023 and the full face (3,500 tpd) was reached in October 2023 (100% basis). As of December 31, 2023, a total of 643,368 tonnes grading at 1.96 grams of gold per tonnes were mined producing a total of 38,836 ounces of gold (100% basis).
The Canadian Malartic Complex operates under mining leases obtained from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (Quebec) and under certificates of approval granted by the Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (Quebec). The Canadian Malartic property consists of the East Amphi property, the CHL Malartic prospect, the Camflo property, the Canadian Malartic mine, the Radium North property, as well as the Midway (which consists of the Fournière, Midway, LTA and Piche-Harvey properties) and Rand properties. The Canadian Malartic property consists of a contiguous block comprising two mining concessions, six mining leases and 327 mining claims. Expiration dates for the mining leases on the Canadian Malartic property vary between November 24, 2029 and November 1, 2042, and each lease is automatically renewable for three further ten year terms upon payment of a small fee. The Odyssey mine is located east of the Canadian Malartic mine and extends into the CHL Malartic prospect.
The Canadian Malartic mine is a large open pit operation consists of the Canadian Malartic and Barnat pits. In 2023 at the Odyssey mine, continued progress was made on underground development which remained largely in line with the project schedule. At year-end 2023, the ramp reached a depth of 715 metres and was extended 11,645 metres.
Exploration and Drilling
Diamond drilling is used for exploration on the property comprising the Canadian Malartic Complex. In 2023, 131,600 metres were drilled from both surface and underground with the aim of converting inferred mineral resources or extending the known gold mineralization zones. The main focus of the 2023 drilling program was the East Gouldie and the Odyssey deposits.
In 2023, regional exploration on the Canadian Malartic property involved 50,800 metres of exploration drilling in the eastern extension of the East Gouldie deposit, on the Rand Malartic property, the Camflo property and on the Canadian Malartic mine.
Meadowbank Complex
The Meadowbank Complex includes the Meadowbank mine, the Amaruq deposit, and the Anuraaqtuq property. The Meadowbank mine, which achieved commercial production in March 2010, is located in the Third Portage Lake area in the Kivalliq District of Nunavut in northern Canada, approximately 70 kilometres north of Baker Lake. In 2017, the company approved the development of the Amaruq satellite deposit at Meadowbank, which is located 50 kilometres northwest of the Meadowbank mine, and it achieved commercial production on September 30, 2019. Mining at the Meadowbank mine site ceased in 2019. In February 2021, the construction of the Amaruq underground project was approved and commercial production was subsequently achieved on August 1, 2022.
The company acquired its 100% interest in the Meadowbank mine in 2007 through its acquisition of Cumberland. The Amaruq property is also 100% owned by the company as a result of agreements with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) in 2013 and with the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) in 2017.
The Meadowbank Complex is held under 24 Crown mining leases, four exploration agreements and one Crown mineral claim. The Crown mining leases, which cover the Portage, Goose and Goose South deposits at the Meadowbank site, all of which are mined out, are administered under federal legislation.
In 2023, the company added the Anuraaqtuq property to its portfolio, owning a 100% interest in the property. The property covers 41,237 hectares, held over 26 mineral claims. The mineral claims are held under Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, fully located on federal Crown land.
Meliadine Mine
The Meliadine mine is located near the western shore of Hudson Bay in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. The company acquired its 100% interest in the Meliadine project through its acquisition of Comaplex in 2010. The Meliadine property is a large land package that is nearly 80 kilometres long. It consists of mineral rights, a portion of which are held under the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Mining Regulations and administered by the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and referred to as Crown Land. The Meliadine property’s Crown Land is made up of mining claims and mineral leases.
Goldex Mine
In 2023, the Goldex mine had payable production of 140,983 ounces of gold from 2.9 million tonnes of ore grading 1.74 grams of gold per tonne.
Macassa Mine
In 2023 the Macassa mine had payable production of 228,535 ounces of gold from 0.44 million tonnes of ore grading 16.47 grams of gold per tonne.
Kittila Mine
In 2023, the Kittila mine had payable production of 234,402 ounces of gold from 2.0 million tonnes of ore grading 4.48 grams of gold per tonne.
Fosterville Mine
In 2023, the Fosterville mine had payable production of 277,694 ounces of gold.
Pinos Altos Mine
In 2023, the Pinos Altos mine had payable production of 97,642 ounces of gold and 1.2 million ounces of silver from 1.7 million tonnes of ore grading 1.92 grams of gold per tonne and 46.33 grams of silver per tonne (including production from the flotation plant of 161,346 ounces of silver from 1.7 million tonnes of ore grading 27.11 grams of silver per tonne).
La India Mine
In 2023, the La India mine had payable production of 75,904 ounces of gold from approximately 3.0 million tonnes of ore stacked on the heap leach pad grading 0.87 grams of gold per tonne.
Regional Exploration
During 2023, the company actively explored in Quebec, Ontario and Nunavut in Canada and in Australia, Finland, Mexico, the United States, Sweden, Colombia and Peru. In Canada, regional exploration activities were focused around the Canadian Malartic Complex in the Rand Malartic and Camflo areas, west of the LaRonde Complex and at the Wasamac project in Quebec. In Northwestern Quebec, the company is exploring the Douay Joutel properties in a joint venture with Maple Gold Mines Ltd. Regional exploration activities in Nunavut focused around the Meadowbank Complex and the Meliadine mine, and at the Hope Bay project.
The company’s exploration focus remains on extending mine life at existing operations, testing near-mine opportunities and advancing key value driver projects. Exploration priorities for 2024 include drilling the western and deep extension of the Detour Lake deposit to assist in the optimization of the open pit operations and to further advance a potential underground mining scenario, growing the underground mineral reserve and mineral resource at the Odyssey mine and continuing large exploration programs at other operating assets and Hope Bay.
Strategy
The company’s strategy is to deliver high quality growth while maintaining high performance standards in health, safety, environmental matters and social responsibility; build a strong pipeline of projects to drive future production; and employ the best people and motivate them to reach their potential. While the company’s primary focus is on gold, it monitors opportunities and considers the exploration, development and mining of, or investment in companies that focus on strategic and critical metals including copper, nickel, and lithium.
Principal Products and Distribution
The company earns substantially all of its revenue from the production and sale of gold in both dore bar and concentrate form. The remainder of revenue is generated from the production and sale of by-product metals, namely silver, copper and zinc. The gold produced by the company is sold in refined form, primarily in the London spot market.
History
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited was incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario in 1953.