Kinross Gold Corp. temporarily suspended mill operations at its Tasiast mine in Mauritania after a fire on June 15. The company said there were no injuries. It said it will work with government authorities and start investigating the cause of the fire. The company is also assessing the damage and potential impact on the operation.
In May, the company reported that Tasiast performed to plan during the first quarter, with the site achieving record quarterly mill throughput rates and shift rotations returning to pre-pandemic schedules in March. Compared with the previous quarter and year, production decreased primarily as result of lower mill grade, which was expected as the site processed more stockpile ore, largely offset by record mill throughput.
The company was also anticipating higher production in the fourth quarter at the mine, which produced 406,509 ounces of gold in 2020, a record high for the operation.
Kinross said it will provide a further update once an assessment is completed.
