Mr. Christian Milau reports
EQUINOX GOLD PROVIDES CONSTRUCTION UPDATE FOR ITS AURIZONA GOLD MINE
Equinox Gold Corp. has provided an update on construction progress at its Aurizona gold mine in Brazil. Construction remains on schedule to pour gold by late 2018 with the expectation of producing on average 136,000 ounces of gold per year, and construction spending is tracking in line with the $146-million (U.S.) project budget.
Construction and mining progress
More than 2,000 days with no lost-time incidents;Overall project is 55 per cent complete and EPCM (engineering, procurement and construction management) activities are 70 per cent complete;Plant construction is 45 per cent complete and progressing on a number of areas including grinding, crushing, leaching, the thickener and installation of agitators in the CIP circuit;Concrete work is 70 per cent complete;Engineering is complete;Construction progress at Aurizona is documented in a photo gallery on Equinox Gold's website.
The concrete foundations and pedestals for the SAG and ball mills are complete and ready for mill installation, which is expected to commence at the end of June. Concrete work is under way in the surge bin area, 90 per cent complete in the leaching and thickening areas, and 50 per cent complete in the crusher area. Structural steel erection in the grinding area has commenced and the thickener tank is 90 per cent complete. Refurbishment of the existing CIP circuit and detox tanks is complete while refurbishment of other equipment such as pumps, agitators, screens and motors is 90 per cent complete.
Engineering is complete and all major contracts have been awarded, including the mining fuel supply contract and the construction contract for electrical and instrumentation installation. Overall procurement of equipment and materials is 70 per cent complete, all major purchase orders have been awarded and the majority of equipment will have been delivered to site by the end of August. More than 80 per cent of the anticipated 1,230 tonnes of structural steel is on site.
Preproduction mining activities, focused on removing waste from two locations in the Piaba pit and developing access roads, commenced in mid-April and are progressing on schedule. The mining contractor has removed more than 600,000 tonnes of waste to date and roadwork is under way in preparation for ore mining in Q3 2018.
About Equinox Gold Corp.
Equinox Gold is a Canadian mining company with a multimillion-ounce gold resource base, near-term and growing gold production from two past-producing mines in Brazil and California, and a diverse portfolio of gold and copper assets in North and South America. Construction is under way at the company's Aurizona project in Brazil with the objective of pouring gold by late 2018, and a prefeasibility study is under way at the company's Castle Mountain project in California with the objective of restarting production.
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