Northern Vertex Mining has declared commercial production at the Moss open pit and heap leach gold and silver mine in Arizona, USA, effective September 1, 2018. Expected fiscal 2019 production guidance has now increased to a range of 36,000-40,000 oz gold equivalent and fiscal 2020 production guidance has increased to 59,000-65,000 oz gold equivalent.

Ken Berry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Northern Vertex announced: “Commercial production is a significant milestone for our team of approximately 100 men and women operating the Moss Gold Mine. In less than two years we were successful in obtaining financing, completing construction and achieving commercial rates of production.”

As a result of the exceptional performance of the crushing plant, the operational team and the mining contractor NA Degerstrom, mine production is expected to be significantly higher than previously stated in the feasibility study. For example, the crushing team delivered a record day of 13,000 t throughput versus the 5,000 t/d envisioned in the study. Key equipment suppliers include Superior Industries for the overland conveyor, 17 grasshopper conveyors and radial stacker; as well as Westpro Machinery with an AG930CD agglomerator, SI100 cement silo and feed system.

Bill Martinich, General Manager, stated: “We’ve built a great operations team over the past 12 months and being able to push through commissioning to achieve commercial production is proof-positive of it. Continued performance of the team at this level will enable us to exceed the gold production forecast in the feasibility study over the next two years. “