Luca Mining’s expansion program advancing at Tahuehueto mine, Mexico
Luca Mining Corp.’s [TSXV-LUCA; OTCQX-LUCMF– FSE-Z68] expansion project to double throughput to 1,000 tonnes per day at its wholly owned Tahuehueto gold mine in Durango, Mexico, is progressing well and according to plan.
The objective is to achieve an installed capacity of 1,000 tpd by year-end and announce commercial production in the first quarter of 2024. First phase production levels are expected to reach over 40,000 ounces gold equivalent per year.
A second ball mill for the mine expansion has passed through all upgrades and inspections and is now on site and placed into the supporting structure. This second mill has a larger capacity and once commissioned the mine’s installed capacity will be 1,250 tpd. Ancillary equipment (cyclones, pumps etc.) will be delivered to site before mid-October. Testing of the new mill is planned for late-November and, if successful, ramp-up will commence shortly after.
The flotation and concentrate filtration circuits already have an installed capacity of 1,000 tpd.
A second tailings filter press, with a nominal capacity of 500 tpd, will be transported to site within a week. The foundations for this press are completed. The third (back-up) tailings filter press has been secured and is undergoing inspections and refurbishments prior to shipping to site.
Construction of the second stage of the tailings embankment is currently 56% complete and progressing well.
Mike Struthers, CEO, commented: “The team at Tahuehueto, including our contractors and senior management, have done a great job in maintaining construction progress, pushing towards our 1,000 tpd goal, and we are on track to achieve this by year-end. We plan to be testing the second mill by late-November, and if successful we should be able to start ramping up to 1,000 tpd shortly afterwards. We are very close now to delivering Tahuehueto as the next, new profitable gold mine in Mexico.”
Luca Mining Corp. is a Canadian based mining company with two 100%-owned Mexican gold, silver, and base metal mining projects.
Luca’s Tahuehueto Mine is an underground gold project in northwestern Durango State, Mexico, located within the prolific Sierra Madre Mineral Belt which hosts numerous producing and historic mines along its trend. Tahuehueto is on track to become a significant and one of Mexico’s newest gold mines to come into production. The Pre-Feasibility Study updated in 2022 contemplates an operation achieving 40,000 ounces gold-equivalent per year production.
Campo Morado, located in Guerrero State, Mexico, is an operating underground base and precious metals mine producing zinc and copper concentrates with significant precious metals credits.