Canadian mining company Centerra Gold has issued its 2023 guidance for the Mount Milligan mine, in British Columbia, which forecasts lower gold and copper production than in 2022.

However, the company states that it is continuing to optimise the life of mine plan and that it anticipates increases in both gold and copper production for 2024 and 2025.

Mount Milligan, near Prince George, is guided to produce 160 000 to 170 000 oz of gold this year, compared with 189 000 oz in 2022. Copper production will fall to between 60-million and 70-million pounds, from 74-million pounds in 2022.

Centerra guided its all-in sustaining costs (AISC), on a co-product basis, to be 1 150/oz to $1 200/oz and $2.75/lb to $3.00/lb in 2023. The company reported third quarter AISC of $629/oz and $2.04/lb.

Interim president and CEO Paul Wright explained that the cost guidance for Mount Milligan in 2023 included the inflationary impact on costs that were prevalent globally through 2022.

In 2022, Centerra produced 243 868 oz, including 189 177 oz from Mount Milligan and 54 691 oz by the Öksüt, in Turkiye.

Gold doré bar production remains suspended at the Öksüt mine, owing to mercury detected in the gold room at the ADR plant in March last year. The company is currently completing construction of a mercury abatement system to allow processing of mercury bearing ores and is scheduled to be completed in late January. The total capital costs are on target at $5-million.

Centerra reports that it is working with the relevant authorities for the required approvals to restart gold room operations at the ADR plant, which is expected to occur shortly after the new environment impact assessment (EIA) for Öksüt is approved.

The updated EIA was recently submitted and the company is working with Turkish officials on the regulatory review and approval of its EIA and such other permits that may be required to allow a full restart of all operations.