Company president and CEO Stephen Roman noted that the milestone means it progressed the project from permitting to gold production in under four weeks.

As for the mine's infrastructure, it too is making progress. The plant start-up is running smoothly with no reported material issues, and the mine's mill has been stabilised with gold being recovered on-site via gravity processing. A flotation concentrate is also being produced for processing off-site.

Underground at Sugar Zone, ore production has restarted, adding to the surface stockpile, and development is continuing at the rate of about 8.2m daily - over the budgeted advancement the miner previously set.

Five levels are open at the Sugar Zone south ramp and are now ready for longhole mining. The levels represent approximately six months of ore, Harte officials said.

Sugar Zone, which has a projected mine life of 11 years, received its positive preliminary environmental assessment in May. Full funding of the 100%-owned project came from Sprott Private Resources Lending and Appian Natural Resources Fund.

The underground operation is expected to produce 904,000oz of gold at an average annual rate of 80,700oz.