The CEO of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. says he thinks investors are underestimating the value of a mine it recently acquired after completing its takeover of Detour Gold Corporation.

The Detour Lake Mine in northeastern Ontario “has the potential to be one of the largest gold mines in the world, and potentially one of the world’s most profitable as well,” Tony Makuch said in an interview on BNN Bloomberg Friday.

The comments come after some Kirkland Lake investors had expressed concerns about the quality of the grades of gold at the mine.

In the interview, Makuch said the Detour Lake Mine may have more mineralization than previously thought.

“There’s already a very large resource there — 13 million ounces in the main pit … but there’s still a lot of mineralization that hasn’t been classified,” he said.  “We see this as an opportunity for a plus-25, plus-35 million ounce resource, which could really transform the mine.”

Though the mine’s estimated life is 26 years, Makuch said the company is “going to try to mine it out faster,” which would make it more profitable.

Makuch apologized to his shareholders for the drop in the company’s stock price after the deal was announced at the end of November, but said he’s determined to turn that around.

Kirkland’s takeover of Detour was completed Friday, following successful shareholder votes earlier in the week.

“We’re rolling up our sleeves and we’ll get that share price back, and more,” he said.

Makuch added Kirkland is exploring “very aggressively” in Australia, where the company’s flagship Fosterville Gold Mine is located.

He indicated that while it can be difficult to find worthwhile deposits, it is not impossible.

“Sometimes it’s like needles in a haystack,” he said. “But there are plenty of needles in that haystack.”