The Lamaque operation in Canada
Gold and base metals miner Eldorado Gold continues to expect full-year production of 460 000 oz to 490 000 oz, despite Covid-19-related absenteeism headwinds in the first two months of the year.
First-quarter production fell to 93 209 oz, from 111 742 oz in the first quarter of 2021 and 122 582 oz in the four quarter of 2021. This is owing to higher-than-anticipated absenteeism related to the Covid-19 Omicron variant surge, the Toronto- and New York-listed company said on Wednesday.
At Lamaque, in Canada, workforce hours had been reduced early in the quarter, delaying the underground development of high-grade stopes, which led to lower-than-planned gold grades and tonnage. By March, the planned gold grade and tonnage had been achieving, prompting Eldorado to keep Lamaque’s guidance unchanged.
At Kisladag, in Turkey, Covid-related absenteeism also resulted in lower-than-planned production, but the operations also had to deal with severe weather and a government-mandated power outage. The severe weather and freezing temperatures worsened the normal winter impact on the ore conveyance and stacking system productivity on the leach pads.
Eldorado said that production at Kisladag would be weighted to the second half of the year and it also maintained the operation’s full-year production guidance.
At Efemcukuru, in Turkey, gold production, throughput, and average gold grade were in line with expectations, despite experiencing Covid-related absenteeism.
In the early part of the quarter, Eldorado’s production at Olympias, in Greece, was impacted by Covid-related absenteeism, in addition to power outages related to severe weather patterns in the region. Operations resumed mining to plan and achieved planned tonnage and grades from the mine in March.