Mid-tier gold and copper miner Aura Minerals said commercial production has been achieved at its Almas open-pit gold mine in Brazil, effective August 31.
The Almas mill is processing 4,000 tonnes per day, with recoveries consistently above 90% and ranging up to 92%. Approximately 4,661 ounces of gold were produced in August, with gross revenues of US$9 million.
“We are very proud to declare commercial production at Almas. We have not only built it on budget and in only 16 months during challenging years, but we have also now ramped up in record time, making us one of the world’s leading benchmarks,” said CEO and President Rodrigo Barbosa.
“We are also now investing on exploration targeting new resources and reserves while we are encouraged by the potential to increase the plant’s capacity, to bolster production more than we initially projected, with expected results already for 2024.”
Consistent with the Aura’s strategy to start small and optimize upfront capital expenditures, the miner is now focused on investing in increasing the mill’s capacity from 1.3 million tons per year to 1.5 million.
During the remainder of 2023, Aura is expected to invest about US$3.5 million to increase the mill’s capacity from 1.3 million tons per year to 1.5 million. The capacity increases are expected to be fully implemented at the beginning of 2024.
Source: Aura Minerals