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Home > Mining Companies > Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. > Articles > Main Break
Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd.

Main Break

Oct 15, 2014



The Kirkland Lake Main Break system has produced over a span of 86 years, 24 million troy ounces of gold, representing some 15% of total Canadian gold production as of 1999. Mining took place along a strike length of 21,000 feet and to a depth of 8,100 feet. Some of the greatest gold mines in Canada were located along the Main Break including the Sylvanite, Wright Hargreaves, Lakeshore, Teck Hughes, Kirkland Minerals and Macassa. The average historic grade of this production is 0.48 ounces of gold per ton. At both the Wright Hargreaves and Lakeshore mines, high grade gold mineralization is still present at the 8,100 foot level.
 
The most important structural controls in the Kirkland Lake Camp (until the discovery of the South Mine Complex) are the major east-west breaks and the branching fault systems associated with them. The breaks represent re-activated fault systems with ore shoots having been formed synchronously with early displacement with the most recent movement having displaced the ore. Ore shoots may occur both on the hanging and footwall side of the Break planes.
 
The Main Break has been traced east as far as the Toburn Mine and west onto the Macassa mine as far as Macassa #2 shaft. The Main Break is interpreted to be a post ore structure, one to twenty feet wide marked by a zone of mylonitized and sometimes brecciated wall rock, chlorite schist and mud or gouge. It is a thrust or reverse fault with an estimated displacement of 1,500 feet on the overlying sediments. The strike of the Break averages N 650 E and dips 80° to the south, gradually flattening in dip to 50° degrees at depth.
 
In 1955 a new major break was discovered on the Macassa property termed the '04 Break. Located 400 feet north of the Main Break, the '04 Break has been the most important ore-related structure at Macassa since the 1980's. The Main and '04 Breaks are connected through a series of linking structures in the vicinity of Macassa #2 shaft which include the S and R Breaks. The 04 Break is the host for most of the ore at Macassa, is a thrust or reverse fault with at N 650 E strike and a 720 south dip. Ore is located along this and subordinate splays as quartz veins. Gold is usually found with minor pyrite and sometimes associated with molybdenite and/or tellurides. The presence of tellurides usually indicates high grade ore.

Source: http://www.klgold.com/Exploration/main-break.aspx

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Career Opportunities
ASSET PROTECTION CONTROL ROOM GUARD

Based at the Detour Lake Mine site, we currently have an exciting opportunity for a Asset Protection Control Room Guard to join our Asset Protection team reporting to the Asset Protection Supervisor.  
SHAREPOINT DEVELOPER

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a SharePoint Developer to join our Business Intelligence Team. 
MINE PLANNING TECHNICIAN TRAINEE

Based at the Detour Lake Mine site, we currently have an exciting opportunity for a Mine Planning Technician Trainee to join our Technical Services team reporting to the Mine Planning Superintendent. 
SENIOR MINE GEOLOGIST

Based at the Canadian Operations Centre in Timmins, ON, we currently have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Mine Geologist to join our Geology team reporting to the Geology Superintendent.  
PROCESS PLANT RELIABILITY ENGINEER

Based at the Detour Lake Mine site, we currently have an exciting opportunity for a Process Plant Reliability Engineer to join our Process Plant Maintenance team reporting to the Reliability Supervisor.
CORE TECHNICIAN

The Core Technician will be responsible to support the Geology departments by processing and sampling/cutting of diamond drill core. 
ASSAYER 1

The Assayer 1 processes Mine Production and Exploration samples for grade control providing vital information in a timely method to assist in key decision making relating to mining/geology activity and reconciling samples entering and exiting the Mill Process.
MINE PLANNER/EIT

The Mine Planner/EIT will be responsible for mine planning within the 3 - 6 month planning interval. 
ASSAYER 2

The Assayer 2 processes Mine Production and Exploration samples for grade control providing vital information in a timely method to assist in key decision making relating to mining/geology activity and reconciling samples entering and exiting the Mill Process.
ASSAYER 3

The Assayer 3 processes Mine Production and Exploration samples for grade control providing vital information in a timely method to assist in key decision making relating to mining/geology activity and reconciling samples entering and exiting the Mill Process.
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