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Rabat – Canadian mining company Aya Gold & Silver announced a record-breaking production of 1.9 million ounces of silver at its Moroccan Zgounder Silver Mine in 2023.
Silver production surpassed the 2023 production guidance of between 1.7 and 1.9 million ounces, Aya Gold & Silver said in a statement.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, Aya Gold & Silver reported silver production of over 450,000 ounces, and processed over 66,000 tonnes of ore at a head grade of 239 grams per tonne of silver, according to a statement from the company.
The statement equally says that the company increased health and safety training hours in 2023 by a substantial 240% year-on-year, resulting in an 86% reduction in accident frequency rates compared to 2022.
Commenting on the results, President & CEO Benoit La Salle expressed his pride in the operations team for achieving another year of outperforming production.
He highlighted the record-breaking silver production of almost 2 million ounces in 2023, attributing the success to the team’s dedication and the ongoing Zgounder mine expansion project.
“Not only did we beat production guidance for the third year in a row, but 2023 was a record year, with silver production of almost 2 million ounces,” he said.
“This important milestone was achieved during a transitional year as we complete our Zgounder mine expansion to quadruple production and continue to drill at both Zgounder and Boumadine. We remain on time and on budget with commissioning in Q2-2024 and full ramp up by Q4-2024,” he added.
The company detailed in the statement that the Zgounder open pit operation commenced in 2023, reaching the planned production rate of 500 tonnes per day in October.
The underground mine production accelerated to 1,300 tonnes per day in November, and by December, the combined mining rate from both underground and open pit mines exceeded 2,300 tonnes per day, aligning with the company’s plan.
Read Also: Aya Gold & Silver Initiates $100 Million Funding for Mine Expansion in Morocco
