Alamos Gold is installing a new screening plant between the secondary and tertiary crushers at its Mulatos open-pit/heap leach operations in Sonora, Mexico. The installation will result in crushed ore less than 3/8-in. in size being removed from the circuit ahead of the tertiary crushers and conveyed to an agglomeration facility before being stacked on the heap-leach pad.

Mulatos is currently operating at budgeted levels of about 13,500 mt/d. With the additional screening, Alamos expects throughput to increase to between 15,300 and 16,200 mt/d. Capital expenditure to complete the project is estimated at $6.5 million.

Alamos expects the new screening plant to be installed and operating before the end of the third quarter of 2010. Other crusher expansion options that Alamos is evaluating include replacing the No. 1 tertiary crusher with a more efficient model and replacing the primary crusher.

Alamos is maintaining its 2010 production guidance for Mulatos of 160,000 to 175,000 oz of gold at a total cash cost of $338/oz.

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