Eldorado Gold to reopen Lamaque mine

Canada’s Eldorado Gold (TSX:ELD)(NYSE:EGO) said it will resume operations at its Lamaque mine in Quebec on April 15 as the province has confirmed that mines can reopen starting Wednesday, but only with strict measures in place to limit potential spread of covid-19.

The requirements companies must fulfill include reducing the amount of people on flights into and out of mining sites, using more planes to ensure distancing, offering shuttle buses directly to mines to limit workers’ contacts, and having workers wear personal protective equipment.

Eldorado noted it already has safety protocols in place at all its sites, such as temperature screening, compliance with additional hygiene measures and task observation to ensure that all work is performed respecting physical distancing. 

There also are isolation procedures in place should an employee fall ill while at work, the company said, adding that staff has been trained in these updated protocols.

Operations at Lamaque were moved to care and maintenance on March 23 to comply with the Quebec provincial government-mandated restrictions following a dramatic spike in the number of novel coronavirus cases.

The Vancouver-based gold miner recently received an environmental permit for the expansion of underground production from the Triangle deposit at Lamaque.

The project would allow the Eldorado to churn out 2,650 tonnes per day once operations resume, up from 1,800 tonnes per day.

Lamaque, which began commercial operations last year, has an initial mine life of seven years and its output is set to increase to 125,000-135,000 ounces of gold in 2020 and 2021. Eldorado Gold also has mining, development and exploration operations in Greece, Romania, Serbia and Brazil.