(L-R) Lukas Lundin, Lundin Gold chairman; José Iván Agusto Briones, secretary general of the presidency of the Republic of Ecuador; Carlos Pérez, minister of energy and non-renewable natural resources; Otto Sonnenholzner, vice president of Ecuador; Ron Hochstein, president and CEO of Lundin Gold; Kelly Montaño, Los Encuentros GAD president; and Jorge Tenemea, Lundin Gold employee, were present at the inauguration event at Fruta del Norte. (Photo: Lundin Gold)

On November 14, Lundin Gold Inc. held an inauguration ceremony for its Fruta del Norte gold project in Ecuador. The event was attended by Ecuadorian national, provincial, and local government authorities, representatives of the Canadian embassy, shareholders, finance lenders, community members, partner organizations, contractors and company personnel.

Ecuador Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner, Minister of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources Carlos Pérez and Vice Minister of Mining Fernando Benalcázar, along with other top officials from national government ministries, attended the inauguration. Vice President Sonnenholzner reiterated the national government’s support for the project, highlighting “the great work that this team has done, which makes our country proud. Let’s make Fruta del Norte be the light that guides Ecuador as it develops its mining sector.”

On November 16, the first doré bar was produced from the gravity circuit at Fruta del Norte. Production of gold concentrate, as part of the commissioning activities, is also well advanced with the first containers being loaded with marketable concentrate, according to the company. Commissioning of the carbon-in-leach circuit is ongoing and nearing completion.

“This is another exciting and significant milestone for the Lundin Gold team and the people of Ecuador,” President and CEO of Lundin Gold Ron Hochstein said. “We will continue to focus on completing commissioning and ramping up production on the path to commercial production in the second quarter of 2020.”

Based on the current projections, the first export of concentrate and doré is anticipated by mid-December.

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