The Company continues to develop the mine’s potential for a mine life extension and production expansion. At year-end 2016, Kinross doubled Bald Mountain’s proven and probable mineral reserve estimates to 2.1 Au Moz., adding a total of 1.24 Au Moz.
The Vantage Complex project, located in the south area of the property, has commenced production, and the first gold bar was poured in late June. The heap leach pad and associated processing facilities and infrastructure is expected to accommodate a total capacity of 68 million tonnes of ore.
Exploration
During 2019, 568 Au koz. was added to measured and indicated resources, primarily from the Top, Winrock and Redbird drilling programs.
For more information, see our news release, and Appendix A for a map of Bald Mountain - Figure 6.
Kinross expects to spend $7 million in exploration at Bald Mountain in 2020. The focus is shifting from the near-mine infill drilling program to drill testing the generative targets that were identified in 2019. The aim is to explore for both intrusive-related and sediment-hosted type deposits that can deliver near-surface higher grade and/or large tonnage mineral resources similar to the size and grade of the Top or Vantage deposits.