PureGold on track to step up ore production rates to 1,000 tpd in Q4 2021
New single day record of 1,037 dry tonnes of ore processed
New single day record of 2,050 tonnes of ore brought to surface from underground
On track to step-up ore production rates to 1,000 tpd in Q4 2021
Pure Gold Mining Inc. provided an update on recent production milestones achieved and upgrades completed in the month of August at the Company’s high-grade PureGold Mine in Red Lake, Ontario.
Highlights from the month of August include:
- Completed installation of all six CIP interstage screens and a trommel screen on the SAG mill in August, leading to a new single day record of 1,037 tonnes of ore1 on August 31, 30% higher than the current design capacity of 800 tpd;
- Mined high-grade stopes from both Main Ramp and the East Ramp areas for the first full calendar month in August leading to a new single day production record of 2,050 tonnes of ore brought to surface on August 17;
- Achieved average daily ore throughput of 703 tpd for the month of August inclusive of planned downtime to install interstage and trommel screens;
- Achieved average daily ore throughput of 870 tpd for the last week of August1;
- Mined average stope grade of 6.5 g/t Au for the month of August1;
- Processed average total mill feed grade of 5.6 g/t Au for the month of August;
- Poured 5,535 ounces of gold during the month of August, a new monthly record;
- Completed commissioning of the water treatment plant; and
- Achieved Main Ramp average daily advance rate of 5.6 metres/day.
Major milestones anticipated for the remainder of 2021 include:
- Completion of mill pump upgrades in September which will further stabilize mill capacity at 1,000 tpd;
- Quarter-over-quarter increases in both head grade and ore throughput for the balance of 2021, driven by improving ore inventory and stope availability as a result of accelerated ramp and level development and increased definition drilling;
- Step-up of ore production rates to 1,000 tpd by the end of 2021;
- Continued progress on permit amendments to increase annual ore production limits from 292,000 tonnes (800 tpd) to 360,000 tonnes (1,000 tpd);
- Mineral Resource update expected by the end of 2021; and
- Announcement of start date for initial underground drill program targeting 8 Zone.
Darin Labrenz, President & CEO commented, “The PureGold Mine made significant strides in August toward our goal of consistently producing 1,000 tonnes per day of high-grade ore by the end of the year. By completing the installation of interstage screens on the CIP tanks and a trommel screen on the SAG mill, we have increased the processing capacity of the operation by at least 25% compared to the original design capacity of 800 tpd. The mine, now with two independent haulage ways at full-scale production, has also demonstrated its ability to produce well beyond 800 tpd. Given these significant improvements, we are targeting a step-up to 1,000 tpd in Q4 2021 and expect to average 850-950 tpd over the full fourth quarter.” He continued, “Importantly, we expect our total operating costs to remain relatively stable even as we step-up production to 1,000 tpd, which will drive unit costs downward over time. We also expect head grades will continue increasing steadily as we get deeper into the orebody over the coming quarters. Taken together, these factors are expected to drive an increase in gold production and a decrease in unit costs quarter-over-quarter through the end of this year and into 2022. These summer months have been a turning point operationally for the PureGold Mine and we look forward to delivering on the promise of high grades, strong margins, and world-class exploration potential this year and in years to come.”
Tags: Northern Ontario / Operational Updates / Gold / All Articles