Equinox Gold Awards Aurizona Mining Contract to U&M Mineração e Construção S/A and Provides Construction Update
TSX-V: EQX
OTC: LWLCF
Suite 730 – 800 West Pender St., Vancouver, BC Canada V6C 2V6
[email protected] +1 604.558.0560 www.equinoxgold.com
NEWS RELEASE
Equinox Gold Awards Aurizona Mining Contract to U&M Mineração e Construção S/A
and Provides Construction Update
March 5, 2018 – Vancouver, BC – Equinox Gold Corp . (TSX-V: EQX, OTC: LWLCF ) (“ Equinox Gold” or the
“Company”) is pleased to announce that it has awarded the mining contract for its Aurizona Gold Mine in
Brazil (“Aurizona”) to U&M Mineração e Construção S/A (“U&M”). U&M is a Brazilian company with more
than 40 years of mining contract experience offering earthworks, implementation and operation of mines
and material-hauling services. The company has worked on a number of mining projects in Northern Brazil,
including the Carajás iron ore mine for Vale and recently the Tucano gold mine for Beadell Resources. U&M
is certified by ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 and has a reputation for efficiency, safety and quality.
U&M is currently mobilizing to site to commence mining activities in March.
Aurizona Construction Highlights
• Overall project is 30% complete and EPCM (engineering, procurement and construction management)
activities are 45% complete as at the end of February
• U&M mobilization is underway to commence mining activities in March
• Tailings facility raise is substantially complete
• Plant refurbishment is substantially complete
• Project construction is fully funded
• Construction remains on track to pour gold by late 2018
Tailings Facility Raise
The existing tailings facility is being raised to support the restart of operations with the first raise to be
completed prior to production and two additional lifts to be completed over the life of the mine . The first
tailings facility raise is substantially complete and the tailings facility is ready to receive and store water during
the current wet season in anticipation of process plant start-up in the fourth quarter.
Process Plant Procurement, Construction and Refurbishment
Fabrication and assembly of the SAG mill and ball mill by CITIC Heavy Industries Co. is well advanced. Equinox
Gold’s third-party inspector has been conducting regular visits to the manufacturing facility to confirm the
quality of the mill fabrication. The mills remain on schedule with delivery to Aurizona expected in June 2018.
Refurbishment of the existing CIP circuit and detox tanks is substantially complete and expected to be
finished in March. Concrete work is 50% complete. The mill foundations are in place and the pedestals are
expected to be completed in early March. First delivery of structural steel for new plant facilities is expected
in March. Construction of the incinerator building is complete and full mechanical and electrical installation
is expected to be finished in April.
Powerline
The high -voltage power upgrade required for the new plant is underway with longest lead items being
delivered to site during March. In addition, infrastructure works to accommodate new equipment in two sub
stations have commenced with completion and commissioning on schedule for Q3-2018. Aurizona has
formalized with the Maranhão state electrical utility CEMAR to migrate to the “free market” in Q4-2018. With
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this formally in place, Aurizona will be able to purchase power from a variety of power suppliers in Northern
Brazil at a lower cost than the current fixed-price arrangement.
Additional Progress
Equinox Gold has awarded a contract to SGS Geosol Brazil to supply and operate an on-site assay lab facility.
Design and equipment purchases are underway with the expectation that the lab will be operational in
phases and fully functional by the end of Q3-2018.
Equinox Gold Contacts
Christian Milau, CEO
Rhylin Bailie, Vice President Investor Relations
Tel: +1 604-558-0560
Email: [email protected]
About Equinox Gold
Equinox Gold is a Canadian mining company with a multi-million-ounce gold resource base, near -term and
growing gold production from two past -producing mines in Brazil and California, and a long -term growth
platform with a diverse portfolio of gold and copper assets in North and South America. Construction is
underway at the Company’s Aurizona project in Brazil with the objective of pouring gold by late 2018, and a
prefeasibility study is underway at the Company’s Castle Mountain project in California with the objective of
restarting production. Further information about Equinox Gold ’s current portfolio of assets and long -term
growth strategy is available at www.equinoxgold.com or by email at [email protected].
Cautionary Notes and Forward-Looking Statements
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies
of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This document contains certain forward- looking information and forward- looking statemen ts within the
meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively “forward-looking statements”). The use of the words
“will”, “expected” , “objective”, “ anticipated”, “underway ”, “targeted”, “expectation”, “scheduled” and
similar expressions are inte nded to identify forward- looking statements. Forward- looking statements
contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding construction activities
underway at Aurizona, anticipated production from the Aurizona Gold Mine and Castle Mountain Gold Mine,
the Castle Mountain prefeasibility study, the potential for other assets of the Company , and the growth
potential of the Company . Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-
looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-
looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual
results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the
risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Company ’s periodic filings with Canadian securiti es
regulators, and assumptions made with regard to the Company’s ability to complete construction at Aurizona
and the timing to achieve production; the Company’s ability to complete the Castle Mountain prefeasibility
study and the results of the study; and the Company’s ability to achieve its expected growth and production
potential. Furthermore, the forward- looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the
date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligations to publicly update and/or
revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of additional information, future
events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.