Equinox Gold commences processing ore at Greenstone Project

The Greenstone Project is being developed as a 60/40 partnership, respectively, by Equinox Gold and Orion Mine Finance Group and will be one of the largest gold mines in Canada, producing approximately 400 000 oz of gold annually for the first five years and more than 5 million oz of gold over its initial 14-year mine life. Ore was introduced into the grinding circuit on April 6, with first gold pour expected in May. More than 1.5 million t of ore have been stockpiled and 70 000 t of low-grade ore has been pre-crushed to use for early commissioning feed. Progressively higher-grade ore will be fed into the mill as production ramps up toward planned throughput of 27 000 t per day, with commercial production targeted for 3Q24.

Greg Smith, President and CEO of Equinox Gold, commented: “Following 2.5 years of construction, Greenstone is on schedule to commence gold production in the first half of the year, as planned. This is a significant achievement and a testament to the experience of the Greenstone team. Greenstone is a world-class asset, and reaching production will be a pivotal milestone for Equinox Gold. Once operating at full capacity, Greenstone will be our largest and lowest cost-mine. We look forward to first gold in May and continuing to advance the project to commercial production.”

Commissioning of the plant began earlier this year, initially with the crushing circuit and ore storage dome, followed by the high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), ball mill #1, and thickener and leach tanks. Flocculant and lime were loaded into the system during the last week of March and the full system was water tested during the first week of April. The equipment is working as expected and ball mill #2 will be brought online in the coming weeks as throughput is progressively increased. Hiring is on track with more than 400 positions filled, and all senior plant operators are on board.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/11042024/equinox-gold-commences-processing-ore-at-greenstone-project/