Development of the Goose openpit and underground project, in Nunavut, is running slightly behind schedule, with the first gold pour pushed out by one quarter.

Senior gold producer B2Gold explains that the project is behind schedule owing to equipment availability, adverse weather conditions and prioritisation of critical path construction activities.

The current schedule indicates that an additional three months of mining must be added to the schedule to ensure that the Umwelt openpit, underground development, and crown pillar activities align and that there is sufficient tailings storage capacity in the Echo openpit.

With the schedule change, the mill is now scheduled to produce first gold in the second quarter of 2025 with ramp-up to full production in the third quarter of 2025.

As a result of the updated mining schedule, B2Gold estimates that gold production in calendar year 2025 will be between 120 000 oz and 150 000 oz, compared with the previous estimate of between 220 000 oz and 260 000 oz.

This is owing to the deferral of 100 000 oz of quarterly gold production from the fourth quarter of 2025 into the first quarter of 2026.

B2Gold stresses that the updated mining schedule does not impact the total number of gold ounces it expects to produce over the life-of-mine of Goose. Average yearly gold production from 2026 to 2030 will increase to more than 310 000 oz/y.

Meanwhile, the company says that the Goose mill construction remains on schedule.

The miner has also successfully completed the Goose 2024 winter ice road (WIR) campaign. Construction of the 162 km road started in December and the campaign was completed at the end of April.

Materials trucked from the marine laydown area to the Goose project site during the 2024 WIR campaign exceeded 2 100 total loads and included 400 loads of diesel fuel. The 2 100 loads completed during the 2024 WIR campaign is double the loads completed during the 2023 WIR campaign. Key materials delivered during the 2024 WIR campaign included all modular units necessary to expand the camp to 500-person capacity; all steel and rebar necessary to complete the mill and concrete work; 19-million liters of fuel that will be used between May 2024 and March 2025; all cement necessary to complete the construction project; more than 4 500 m³ of cement in one-tonne bags; and all reagents necessary to commission and operate the mill starting in 2025.