Ore processing first began at the Richardson Township complex on September 14, and first gold was poured on time on October 6. In its first 30 days of operation, processing totalled about 475,000 tonnes of ore.
Including four planned days of downtime that had been a component of its commissioning plan, Rainy River’s processing rate averaged 15,200tpd, equivalent of 72% of its nameplate capacity of 21,000tpd. The operator defines commercial production as 60% or more of nameplate.
Additionally, from October 1-18, processing averaged 19,000tpd (90% of nameplate).
New Gold president and CEO Hannes Portmann commented on the good start and said that both grade and recoveries have been consistent to date with its commissioning plan.
“With the hard work, dedication and commitment of our workforce, and the strong support of our local communities and indigenous partners, we are now focused on continuing to successfully ramp up the operation through the balance of the year,” he said.
