Mining News: Northern Neighbors: First Hope Bay gold

TMAC Resources Inc. Feb. 10 said it has completed the first gold pour at its Hope Bay project, marking an important milestone for the company’s new mine in Nunavut. Commercial production for the initial 1,000-metric-ton-per-day recovery plant currently in place is slated to be reached by the end of March. For the balance of 2017, TMAC will focus on doubling gold production. A second processing plant is currently under construction in Australia and is expected to be delivered by ship to Hope Bay this summer and brought online by the end of the year. In addition to ramping up production, the company plans to continue a robust exploration program at Hope Bay. The 2017 exploration and evaluation activities will include 16,000 meters of underground drilling at the BTD zone of Doris, a recent discovery that has added to the high-grade gold currently being mined; and 14,000 meters of drilling at Naartok and Boston, two other deposits found on the 1,100-square-kilometer (425 square miles) Hope Bay property.

-Shane Lasley