GOLD: Bluestone develops Guatemala project

GUATEMALA - Bluestone Resources announced that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, work on its flagship Cerro Blanco gold project is ongoing. In a press release, Bluestone said since the project is in the engineering phase and the focus is on project readiness activities and optimization efforts, the job can be done remotely. “Given the nature of these works, most of these initiatives are progressing and can be advanced through desktop or lab facilities and utilizing video conferencing tools,” the media brief states. “Additionally, the company is building out its project execution team including underground mining and engineering roles.” Even though no COVID-19 cases have been reported amongst the company’s employee base in Canada or Guatemala, Bluestone has asked staff at the corporate level to work from home and has temporarily suspended infill drilling at Cerro Blanco’s the South Zone. In Guatemala, the miner has also reduced its workforce to the minimum necessary to allow for safety and environmental monitoring activities along with essential services such as power and dewatering. Cerro Blanco is located in the southeastern Jutiapa department. It is an underground operation with an expected mine life of eight years and an average output forecast of 146,000 oz. of gold per year.