Equinox reports AI-supported gold find in Newfoundland
Equinox Gold Corp. [EQX-TSXV, EQX-NYSE] has announced new results from the 2025 diamond drilling program at its Valentine Gold mine located in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada.
The company said drilling has confirmed a new discovery – the Minotaur Zone – located 8.0 kilometres northeast of the mill and broad zones of high grade. Drilling also encountered continuous gold mineralization in the Frank Zone, located along trend southwest of the existing Leprechaun open pit. “These results further reinforce the company’s confidence in the potential for new discoveries and resource expansion, underscoring the relatively untapped potential of the district,’’ the company said in a press release.
The company said the Minotaur Zone showcases the early impact of integrating artificial intelligence with traditional exploration. Initially flagged in 2013 via grab samples grading up to 7.0 g/t gold, the area gained renewed interest via Equinox Gold’s use of VRIFY’s AI powered exploration software, DORA.
Initial drilling results from the Minotaur Gold Zone include 2.68 g/t gold over 32 metres and 2.67 g/t gold over 18 metres (MT-25-011) – two separate zones, and 5.74 g/t gold over 8.0 metres of 1.22 g/t gold over 12 metres and 2.03 g/t gold over 8.0 metres (MT25-019) – three separate zones.
“With less than 15% of the 320-square-kilometre Valentine land package explored to date, results from Frank, Minotaur and other emerging targets continue to demonstrate that Valentine has the potential to support long-term growth well beyond the current mine plan,’’ said Equnox Gold CEO Darren Hall.
Equinox Gold has emerged as an Americas-focused, diversified gold producer with a portfolio of operating mines in five countries, anchored in Canada by the Greenstone mine in Ontario and soon-to-be-producing Valentine Gold mine in Newfoundland.
Collectively, these two cornerstone assets (Greenstone and Valentine) are expected to produce an average of 590,000 ounces annually when operating at capacity. The combined company was expected to produce 950,000 ounces of gold in 2025, excluding production from Valentine or Los Filos mine in Mexico. Equinox Gold has the capacity to produce over 1.2 million ounces annually with Greenstone and Valentine at capacity.
Equinox Gold shares edged higher Monday, rising 0.873% or 17 cents to $19.65. The shares trade in a 52-week range of $23.49 and $7.71.
The multi-million-ounce Valentine Gold Mine, poured its first gold ahead of schedule in September, 2025 and achieved commercial production in November 2025. The mine continues to ramp up with the expectation to achieve design capacity during the second quarter of 2026, producing 150,000 to 200,000 ounces of gold this year with an all-in-sustaining cost of US$1,200 and US$1,300 an ounce of gold sold. Once fully operational Valentine will be the largest gold-producing mine in Atlantic Canada with production expected to average 175,000 to 200,000 ounces annually for the first 12 years of its 14-year reserve life. The project convers a highly prospective 32-kilometre mineralized trend that hosts multiple deposits and offers strong exploration upside.
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