The Greenstone Gold open-pit mine, located outside of Geraldton, is nearly completed. Equinox Gold, a Vancouver-based mine developer, stated in its most recent newsletter and investor presentation.
With practically all of the equipment installed, General Manager Eric Lamontagne stated that the plumbing, electrical, and instrumentation teams are testing and checking individual systems. In the run-up to commercial production, “hot” commissioning begins in early 2024.
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The corporation has not given an exact date for the first gold pour. It will however take place sometime in the first part of next year. The pit is located four miles south of Geraldton, near the junction of Trans-Canada Highway 11 and Provincial Highway 584. Highway 11 had to be rerouted to avoid the hole. The route is been reopened to traffic.
The deposit has a mine life of 15 years and is predicted to generate more than 5 million ounces of gold over that time. Among the recent important building milestones is the completion of the site’s power plant. Six natural gas-powered piston engines are housed in this building. Thermal energy from these engines will be recovered via a glycol distribution loop, which will provide heat to the processing building and a truck shop.
Pre-production at the Greenstone Gold open-pit mine
Pre-production mining has been heating up, with 12.2 million tonnes of material transported thus far. Approximately 800,000 tonnes are being stockpiled for processing in preparation for the mine’s start-up. Furthermore, the remainder is designated as waste rock and will be utilised in buildings surrounding the site. This mine location is near the former Hardrock, MacLeod-Cockshutt, and Mosher underground mines, which worked from the late 1930s until around 1970 and produced more than two million ounces of gold.
The development includes the site restoration of those old operations.
