Tag Archives: Lindero

Fortuna pours first gold at Lindero heap leach mine

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Fortuna Silver Mines has reported the first gold pour from its Lindero mine, in the Province of Salta, Argentina.

The pour took place on October 20, 2020, producing 728 oz of gold.

It follows on from the starting of irrigation and leaching of ore placed on the heap leach pad, reported in early September.

Jorge A Ganoza, President, CEO and Director of Fortuna, said: “The first gold pour at Lindero, our third mine in the Americas, is a significant achievement for the company as we advance the mine’s ramp-up phase towards commercial production in the first (March) quarter of 2021. Lindero is a mine with reserves for a projected life of 13 years and is a pillar in Fortuna’s asset portfolio.”

Ganoza continued: “I want to take this opportunity to commend our Salta-based team’s commitment and hard work in achieving this milestone, especially in the context where COVID-19 related restrictions continue to pose multiple limitations.

“If conditions permit, we look forward to hosting an on-site inauguration ceremony of Argentina’s newest gold mine with provincial and federal authorities early next year.”

Fortuna keeps Lindero on track for first gold pour in early October

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Fortuna Silver Mines says it has started the irrigation and leaching of ore placed on the heap leach pad at the Lindero gold project, in Salta Province, Argentina.

This is ahead of the first gold pour, expected in early October.

Jorge A Ganoza, President, CEO and Director, said: “In spite of all the restrictions and challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are managing to successfully advance Lindero in a safe and secure manner for our personnel and neighbours.

“With the start of irrigation, we achieved one more key milestone in the pre-production phase as we prepare for what follows, the first gold pour at our third producing mine.”

Back in July, Fortuna said it had completed the primary and secondary crushing circuits at Lindero and it had started stacking ore on the heap leach pad.

The night shift operations at the primary and secondary crushing circuits began in mid-August and, at month’s end, daily throughput peaked at 17,400 t/d or 93% of design capacity of 18,750 t/d, Fortuna said.

This has seen 277,000 tonnes of ore averaging 0.87 g/t Au, containing an estimated 7,750 oz of gold, placed on the leach pad as of August 31.

Meanwhile, irrigation and leaching of ore on the leach pad commenced on September 1. The company also noted that pre-commissioning of the ADR (adsorption, desorption and regeneration) plant was 80% complete.

Fortuna starts stacking at Lindero heap leach gold mine

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Fortuna Silver Mines has completed the primary and secondary crushing circuits at the Lindero gold project, in Salta Province, Argentina, with the company starting to stack ore on the heap leach pad.

As of the end of June, the overall project is now 97% complete, with the first gold pour expected at the end of the September quarter, Fortuna said.

Jorge A Ganoza, President, CEO and Director of Fortuna, said: “The successful commissioning of the primary and secondary crushing circuits and the start of stacking ore on the heap leach pad are key and much awaited milestones at Lindero. Our project team is delivering on schedule and budget according to the revised plan, despite the challenges and limitations of carrying on construction activities under COVID-19 related constraints.

“The next upcoming milestone is the start of heap irrigation which is scheduled for the end of August.”

The ramp-up phase of the primary and secondary crushing circuits will involve an increase in production until nominal rates of 18,750 t/d are achieved, the company said. Fortuna expects to achieve nominal rate production in the December quarter of 2020, inclusive of the tertiary high pressure grinding roll system and agglomeration plant.

Ore for the commissioning and initial ramp-up of the crushing circuit and stacking on the heap leach pad is being sourced from the medium-grade coarse ore stockpile inventory of around 1 Mt averaging 0.55 g/t Au.

During the period from July to December, an estimated 1.7-1.9 Mt of ore is scheduled to be placed on the leach pad with an average gold grade of 1-1.1 g/t, the company said. The estimated stripping ratio during this period is 0.68-0.75.

Final construction activities related to the process ponds, ADR (adsorption, desorption and regeneration) and SART (sulphidisation, acidification, recycling and thickening) plants continues with electrical and piping installations progressing according to plan, Fortuna said. The process pond and ADR plant electric rooms have been energised, with pre-commissioning of the solution handling system commencing on July 11 with the barren pond pumping equipment.

Lindero has been designed as an 18,750 t/d owner-operated open-pit mine with a pit life of 13 years based on current mineral reserves.

Komatsu fleet starts arriving at Fortuna’s Lindero gold project

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The ramp up to production at Fortuna Silver Mines’ Lindero gold project in Salta, Argentina, is well underway with equipment arriving on site ahead of first output in the September quarter of next year.

In a project update, the company said initial on-site delivery of Komatsu mine equipment started in mid-July with the arrival of two graders and a dozer (see photo).

The manufacturer is on schedule to deliver 11 additional pieces of equipment, including six 100 t rigid dump trucks and two 13 m³ wheel loaders, in September.

Final delivery of two mine production drill rigs is scheduled for November 2018, which will allow development activities to kick off in December and drilling and blasting to take place in March 2019.

Jorge Ganoza, President, CEO and Director of Fortuna Silver, said delays in the building and expansion of the camp at site had been a limiting factor for commencing certain contracts, but the project team was working on opportunities to further “optimise the sequencing of concrete, electromechanical and piping installations to streamline the project’s schedule”.

He said mass earth movement and leach pad construction was, after a slow start, in “full gear”, while detailed engineering was between 70% and 100% completed in all project areas.

Lindero has been designed as an 18,750 tpd open-pit mine with a life of 13 years based on existing reserves. Crushed ore will be placed on a leach pad with the pregnant solution pumped to SART and ADR plants prior to electrowining and refining where gold will be poured to doré bars.

The project is expected to cost $239 million in upfront capital to build and is expected to produce 96,000 oz/y of the yellow metal.