The Blackwater Mine’s first gold pour is targeted for the fourth quarter of this year.
According to Artemis Gold, the mine, around 160 kilometres southwest of Prince George, is now over 95 per cent complete.
Construction of the Tailings Storage Facility will be finished by the end of this month, in advance of commencement of ore commissioning of the plant.
The transmission line between the mine and BC Hydro’s Glenannan substation is finished and was successfully energized with renewable grid power on Tuesday.
The company noted two separate wildfire events have halted construction at the site in the past 17 months.
In total, they said construction was halted for roughly a month and a half.
“I am proud of the fact the project team has managed to limit the impact of the wildfires, two force majeure events beyond management’s control, to only a 7% increase in initial capital guidance,” said Artemis Gold Chairman and CEO Steven Dean.
“This is a testament to the team’s financial discipline and deep project development experience. The additional stand-by funding provided by one of the Company’s existing relationship lenders provides us wit h the financial flexibility to absorb the financial impact of these events, while managing project schedule targeting first gold pour in late Q4 2024 ramp-up of operations beyond.”
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
