PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Dual listed Centerra Gold has temporarily suspended gold doré bar production at the Öksüt mine, in Turkey, due to mercury having been detected in the gold room of the adsorption-desorption recovery (ADR) plant.
The NYSE and TSX-listed Centerra said over the weekend that it has taken several initial actions in response, including cleaning mercury from affected areas, taking steps to mitigate and prevent exposure, implementing the necessary safety protocols and protective equipment and is in the process of taking the necessary regulatory reporting steps.
The company is also evaluating several potential technical solutions to remove the mercury in the gold recovery process, including a retort and scrubbing system in the ADR plant, prior to the restart of production.
Despite the temporary suspension, the Öksüt mine continues to mine and process ore within the ADR plant into a gold-in-carbon form. The gold-in-carbon will be stockpiled until the re-start of the electrowinning process, where the recovery of gold from concentrated solution occurs.
The company told shareholders that it is evaluating the impact on 2022 guidance, noting that through March 17 the Öksüt mine produced and sold over 54 000 oz of gold.