PRECIOUS METALS

Rainy River flows early

Commercial production was achieved at Rainy River two weeks ahead of schedule

Staff reporter

This article is 8 years old. Images might not display.

Ore processing first began at the Richardson Township complex on September 14, and first gold was poured on time on October 6. In its first 30 days of operation, processing totalled about 475,000 tonnes of ore.

Including four planned days of downtime that had been a component of its commissioning plan, Rainy River’s processing rate averaged 15,200tpd, equivalent of 72% of its nameplate capacity of 21,000tpd. The operator defines commercial production as 60% or more of nameplate.

Additionally, from October 1-18, processing averaged 19,000tpd (90% of nameplate).

New Gold president and CEO Hannes Portmann commented on the good start and said that both grade and recoveries have been consistent to date with its commissioning plan.

“With the hard work, dedication and commitment of our workforce, and the strong support of our local communities and indigenous partners, we are now focused on continuing to successfully ramp up the operation through the balance of the year,” he said.

Expert-led Insights reports built on robust data, rigorous analysis and expert commentary covering mining Exploration, Future Fleets, Automation and Digitalisation, and ESG.

Expert-led Insights reports built on robust data, rigorous analysis and expert commentary covering mining Exploration, Future Fleets, Automation and Digitalisation, and ESG.

editions

Future Fleets Insights 2026

Exclusive research for the Mining IQ Future Fleets Insights 2026 shows mining companies must invest more in decarbonising if they are to meet CO2 targets

editions

ESG Index 2025: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Index provides an in-depth evaluation of the ESG performance of 60+ of the world’s largest mining companies. It assesses companies across 10 weighted indicators within 6 essential ESG pillars.

editions

Automation and Digitalisation Insights 2025

Discover how mining companies and investors are adopting, deploying and evaluating new technologies.

editions

Mining IQ Exploration Insights 2025

Gain exclusive insights into the world of exploration in a comprehensive review of the top trending technologies, intercepts, discoveries and more.