GOLD: Equinox expects gold pour at Aurizona by year-end

[caption id="attachment_1003721548" align="aligncenter" width="471"] Existing infrastructure and planned new front end (red lettering) at the Aurizona project in Brazil. (Image: Equinox Gold)[/caption] BRAZIL – Vancouver’s Equinox Gold – formed late last year by the merger of Trek Mining, NewCastle Gold and Anfield Gold – is moving its Aurizona gold project to full construction. The first gold pour is anticipated by the end of this year. Equinox says the detailed engineering is underway and the contract has been awarded for the civil works. The refurbishing of the existing plant is essentially complete. Work on new mill foundations is underway, and the mills are expected to arrive in the second quarter. The thickener is nearing completion, and the first tailings storage facility raise is almost done. The mine, located 320 km northwest of Sao Luis, operated briefly from 2011 to 2016 under the ownership of Trek. When mining begins again in the pit, the project will produce an average of 136,000 oz. of gold annually over a 6.5-year life. All-in sustaining costs will be US$754/oz. The Aurizona deposit has proven and probable reserves of 19.8 million tonnes at 1.52 g/t gold and containing 971,000 oz. The measured an indicated number is 28.3 million tonnes at 1.57 g/t and an inferred resource is 6.0 million tonnes at 2.79 g/t gold. Details of the Aurizona project are posted at www.EquinoxGold.com.