Owner: Kirkland Lake Gold Corp

The Kirkland Minerals Mine is near the western end of the Kirkland Lake camp bounded to the west by the Macassa mine and to the east by the Teck-Hughes mine. A total of 1,172,955 ounces of gold at an average grade of 0.37 oz/T was mined between 1919 and 1960. The mine ranks sixth out of the seven mines in Kirkland Lake in terms of total ounces produced and average head grade.

 

The first reported discovery was in 1911 on Claim L1236 (what was to become the shaft claim) staked by C.A. McKane. A short while later, in 1912 the Main Break was discovered on the claim. In 1913 a two-compartment shaft (to become Kirkland Lake Gold No.1) was sunk to 80 feet by Kirkland Gold Mines Limited. The No. 1 shaft was deepened, in 1915, to 200 feet and a level was established at 175 feet by Beaver Consolidated Mines Limited (under option from Kirkland Lake Gold Mines Limited).

 

From 1916 to 1918 Kirkland Lake Gold Mining Company Limited (controlled by Beaver Consolidated Mines Limited) deepened No. 1 shaft to 700 feet and sank another shaft (No. 2 main shaft) to 500 feet with levels at 300, 400 and 500 feet. A 150-ton mill was installed and production began in 1918.

 

In the early years of the mine, most gold production came from workings on the Main Break. In 1937 significant production started from the No.5 vein. The No.5 vein was a 50° south dipping hangingwall vein structure which was mined as a continuous sheet of ore from the 3475 foot level to the 3875 foot level along a strike length of 1,200 feet. This vein rolls into the Main Break along a line plunging to the west at 17°. The vein is sub-parallel to and in the hangingwall of the No.6 break.

 

Another major source of ore from the mine came from a series of veins that were mined from the 3750 foot level to the bottom 5975 foot level between the Main Break and the No.6 fault. The No.6 fault branches from the Main Break below the 3375 foot level at the eastern boundary of the mine dipping 40-60° south and plunges to the west near 20° along the line of intersection with the Main Break. The veins associated with this structure formed a zone up to 250 feet wide and up to 1,500 feet along strike, which was nearly vertical and plunged gently to the west. Locally, up to seven sub-parallel veins were mined in places “across the width of the zone” (Charlewood, 1964).

 

Another source of ore was obtained from a series of veins related to an antiformal structure between the 3750 foot level to below the 5725 foot level where it plunged west into Macassa. The No.10 vein was the most prolific of these veins being mined from the 5230 foot level to below the 5600 foot level. The axis of the folded vein strikes near 125° and plunges to the west near 30°. Various veins have been mined on both the south and north limbs of the antiform with one vein mined around the nose of the antiform. The veins are steeper on the limbs and flatter towards the top of the antiform. None of the veins have been reported to intersect the Main Break.

 

The above summary of the history of the Kirkland Minerals Mine is taken from: STILL, A.C. 2001 Structural setting and controls of gold mineralization at the Macassa Mine, Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Unpublished Masters of Science Thesis, Queens University 151p.