The Fruta del Norte gold mine, in south-east Ecuador, has produced 94 250 oz of gold in the three months ended September – its first full quarter of operations.
About 66 790 oz were produced as concentrate and 27 460 oz as doré, Toronto-listed Lundin Gold reported on Tuesday.
During the quarter, the mill processed 324 000 t at an average throughput rate of 3 340 t/d. The average grade of ore milled for the quarter was 10.4 g/t, and average recovery was 86.8%.
"The restart and ramp-up of operations went very smoothly following the three-month suspension of operations due to Covid-19," said Lundin president and CEO Ron Hochstein.
“Our first full quarter of operations has demonstrated what Fruta del Norte is capable of achieving."
At the end of the third quarter, total gold production so far this year is 145 570 oz. Together with production achieved prior to the onset of the temporary suspension, total 2020 gold production is estimated to be between 200 000 oz and 220 000 oz, the company said.