AuRico Gold declares commercial production at its Young-Davidson Mine in Ontario

AuRico Gold Inc. has just announced that its Young-Davidson mine has achieved commercial production. Located in Matachewan, Ontario, the Young-Davidson mine is expected to be a key, long-lived, strategic asset for AuRico that has potential for...

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AuRico Gold Inc. has just announced that its Young-Davidson mine has achieved commercial production. Located in Matachewan, Ontario, the Young-Davidson mine is expected to be a key, long-lived, strategic asset for AuRico that has potential for significant production and reserve growth.

Commercial production was declared once the mine achieved previously established commissioning thresholds, which included the mill averaging a minimum throughput level of 5,100 30-day period, as well as the commissioning of the flotation and gravity circuits. tonnes per day, the open pit averaging 29,750 tonnes per day of ore and waste mining, both over a

Recent key operating highlights include:

The mill facility continued to exceed commissioning threshold levels with four days exceeding 7,000 tonnes per day.

Gold recoveries steadily increased to targeted levels of approximately 90% following the commissioning of the gravity and flotation circuits and the optimization of the grinding circuit.

Commissioning of the primary crusher as well as the conveyor system and ore bins is complete, which streamlines the introduction of mill feed into the mill circuit.

The Company has established a separate 178,000 tonne high-grade stockpile at grades of approximately 1.52 g/t that is in addition to the more than one million tonne stockpile.

Underground long-hole drilling contractors have been mobilized on site and stope preparation in the Upper Boundary Zone is progressing on schedule. Production from the initial two stopes is expected to begin during the fourth quarter and average approximately 1,000 tonnes per day with grades averaging approximately 3.5 grams per tonne gold.

Raiseboring of the second leg (450 metres) of the Northgate shaft will start in September and is targeted to reach a vertical depth of 890 metres (9440 level), with a final target of 1,500 vertical metres. The Company anticipates hoisting waste by the second quarter of 2013 and hoisting ore by the third quarter of 2013 once the mid-shaft crushing circuit is commissioned.

As of August 31, 2012 the Young-Davidson mine reported over 2.3 million hours without a lost time injury.

A Grand Opening celebration was held at the Young-Davidson mine on August 11 with more than 850 people in attendance including employees and their families, government officials, community leaders and local community members.

For more information on the Young-Davidson mine, see the September issue of Canadian Mining Journal magazine.

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