Canadian miner Equinox Gold has successfully poured its first gold at the newly built Greenstone mine, in Ontario.
The inaugural gold pour occurred on schedule, with the recovery circuit yielding 1 800 oz of gold.
Equinox reports that all equipment functioned as expected during the process.
“This first gold pour represents another key step towards achieving commercial production at the Greenstone mine. We look forward to ramping up to commercial production in the third quarter of this year,” says president and CEO Greg Smith.
The Greenstone mine is poised to become Equinox’s flagship asset and its largest, most cost-effective producer. At full capacity, the mine is projected to generate approximately 400 000 oz/y of gold over the initial five years of operation. Furthermore, it is expected to maintain an average production rate of 360 000 oz/y of gold throughout its initial 14-year mine life, positioning Greenstone as one of Canada's premier gold mines in terms of both scale and longevity.