An underground conveyor belt fire shut down the operation in March last year. Processing of mainly stockpiled ore resumed in February this year but was stalled again by COVID, with milling resuming in June.

Musselwhite produced 45,000oz in the September quarter.

Newmont has not released updated production guidance for the operation, but CEO Tom Palmer said this week completion of the US$90 million materials handling project started in 2016, and the refurbished conveyor, positioned the mine, under Lake Opapimiskan, to be a significant contributor for the company in North America for "many years to come".

The conveyor and material handling equipment are said to improve the efficiency of deep ore transfer to the surface. A new design cut ore haul distances from underground crushers to the conveyor.

The fly-in, fly-out Musselwhite operation is about 430km north of Thunder Bay.

At the end of 2019 the mine had 9.9 million tonnes grading 6.52gpt in proven and probable reserves, for 2.1Moz.