NEWS RE LEASE Equinox Gold Energizes Crusher at Aurizona Gold Mine, Commences Commissioning
TSX-V: EQX
OTC: EQXFF
Suite 730 – 800 West Pender St., Vancouver, BC Canada V6C 2V6
[email protected] +1 604.558.0560 www.equinoxgold.com
NEWS RE LEASE
Equinox Gold Energizes Crusher at Aurizona Gold Mine, Commences Commissioning
December 20, 2018 – Vancouver, BC – Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX-V: EQX, OTC: EQXFF) (“E quinox Gold” or the
“Company”) is pleased to report that the new crusher at its Aurizona Gold Mine in Brazil (“Aurizona”) has been
energized and dry tested with the expectation of putting first ore through the system in early January 2019.
The project is nearly complete and on schedule to achieve commercial production around the end of Q1-2019.
• C
rusher circuit including vibrating feeder has been energized and dry tested
• Commissioning team ramping up and training programs are underway
• Engineering and procurement activities are complete
• Tailings storage facility is complete
• Powerline sub-station upgrades are complete and awaiting final verification by the state utility
• Ancillary buildings and facilities are complete
• At the end of November, processing plant construction was 90% complete
- Concrete work is complete
- S
tructural steel erection is 96% complete
- Equipment and plate work installation is 86% complete
- Piping is 76% complete
- E lectrical and instrumentation is 50% complete
• Pre-production mining is nearing completion
- More than 6.4 million tonnes of material moved
- 730,000 tonnes of ore stockpiled and ready for commissioning
The construction team is focused on piping, electrical and instrumentation. T he main transmission line is ready to
provide full energization to all equipment, and site-wide distribution circuits to local electrical rooms are being
commissioned to enable testing of individual equipment components.
Equinox Gold commenced full -scale construction at Aurizona in January 2018 and pre -production mining in April
2018. Approximately US$116 million was spent at the end of November 30, 2018 , including fiscal 2017 spending
related to construction activities . The project remains fully funded . In addition to existing cash reserves, the
Company has US$10 million remaining to draw against its US$85 million construction credit facility.
Construction progress at Aurizona is documented in a photo gallery on Equinox Gold’s website at
www.equinoxgold.com and a number of photos are included at the end of this news release.
On Behalf of the Board of Equinox Gold Corp.
“Christian Milau”
CEO & Director
Equinox Gold Contacts
Christian Milau, CEO & Director
Rhylin Bailie, Vice President Investor Relations
Tel: +1 604-558-0560
Email: [email protected]
- 2 -
Aerial view of Aurizona Plant (foreground) and ore stockpile (background)
Crusher
CIP Tanks
Thickener
Process Water
Ore Stockpile
CN Destruct
Crusher
Piaba Open Pit
Surge Bin
SAG and
Ball Mills
Leach Tanks
Electrical
Substation
Reagents
- 3 -
SAG and ball mills
Crusher (left), surge bin (centre), thickener (right), SAG and ball mill (top)
- 4 -
Mining fleet
About Equinox Gold
Equinox Gold is a Canadian mining company with a multi-million-ounce gold reserve base, gold production from its
Mesquite Gold Mine in California, and near- term production growth from two past -producing mines in Brazil and
California. Construction is well advanced at the Company’s Aurizona Gold Mine in Brazil with the objective of
achieving commercial production around the end of Q1 -2019, and the Company is advancing its Castle Mountain
Gold Mine in California with the objective of ram ping-up Phase 1 operations in early 2020. Further information
about Equinox Gold’s 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 statements within the meaning of applicable
securities legislation (collectively “forward -looking statements”). A ll statements other than statements of historical fact are
forward-looking statements. The use of the words “expect ation”, “on track ”, “ around the end”, “underway”, “awaiting”,
“nearing”, “ ready”, “enable”, “objective”, “advancing” and similar expressions are intended 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 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 securities regulators, and as sumptions made with regard to the Company’s ability to complete
construction at Aurizona and achieve production, and the timing to achieve production; the Company’s ability to advance Castle
Mountain and achieve production, and the timing to achieve production; the Company ’s ability to successfully operate
Mesquite; 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.