Dundee Precious Metals Inc. received the final operating permits for its Ada Tepe gold mine in Bulgaria, which officially opened Aug. 23.
The mine achieved commercial production in June after it produced its first concentrate in March.
Ramp-up to full design capacity is still expected in the third quarter, with production of gold in concentrate forecast in the range of 45,000 ounces to 60,000 ounces in 2019. The Ada Tepe plant is designed to treat up to a maximum of 840,000 tonnes of ore per year over an eight-year mine life.
The company said Aug. 30 that construction of the larger integrated mine waste facility cells was completed in August, while the settlement time of tailings improved. Construction of additional cells also commenced to provide the mine with further flexibility.
