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Eldorado studies 43% expansion of McIlvenna Bay processing plant
The planned upgrade, including a new silver-lead circuit, is tied to McIlvenna Bay’s push toward commercial production in the third quarter.
Eldorado Gold is studying a 43% expansion of its McIlvenna Bay processing plant in Saskatchewan, along with adding a new silver-lead circuit as the mine ramps toward commercial production, Mining.com reports. The company says more than 400,000 tonnes of material are ready for processing, with zinc and pyrite concentrates produced in July after the first copper concentrate was made in June.
Eldorado estimates the capital required for the project is $952 million, or C$1.32 billion, from June 2024 through commercial production, which remains targeted for the third quarter. Eldorado President Christian Milau said first production has been achieved and a study is underway to evaluate the mill expansion and circuit addition.
McIlvenna Bay, about 65 km west of Flin Flon, Man., is expected to contribute copper, zinc, and by-products including gold and silver as operations scale up. For the current ramp, Eldorado expects 5 million to 10 million lb. of copper, 3,000 to 6,000 tonnes of zinc, 5,000 to 10,000 oz. of gold, and 100,000 to 200,000 oz. of silver.
Over the mine’s projected 18-year life, the operation is expected to average 41 million lb. of copper, 54 million lb. of zinc, 20,000 oz. of gold, and 444,000 oz. of silver annually, according to Foran’s March 2025 feasibility study. The mine is also supported by an 85-km transmission line connection to SaskPower’s grid, and Natural Resources Canada committed up to $20 million in December 2024 for infrastructure including the transmission connection, substation, and electric-vehicle charging.
Latest closeGold $4,431.70 ▲1.9%|Silver $65.91 ▲2.0%|Copper $6.606 ▲1.5%