Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

    Geomechanics.io

    Geomechanics, Streamlined.

    © 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

    Geomechanics.io

    CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

    Industries

    MiningConstructionTunnelling

    Company

    Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Contract Award

    Eldorado’s McIlvenna Bay mill expansion: throughput and capex lens for mine planners

    September 3, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Eldorado’s McIlvenna Bay mill expansion: throughput and capex lens for mine planners

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Eldorado Gold is evaluating a 43% expansion of the McIlvenna Bay processing plant in Saskatchewan, including a new silver-lead circuit, as the underground copper-zinc-gold-silver mine ramps towards commercial production in Q3 with more than 400,000 tonnes of material stockpiled. The C$1.32 billion build-out has already delivered first copper concentrate in June and zinc and pyrite concentrates in July, with 2026 output guided at 5–10 million lb copper and 3,000–6,000 tonnes zinc. Grid power is secured via an 85 km SaskPower transmission line and substation, and 14,000 metres of drilling is targeting the Tesla zone and Bigstone deposit.

    Technical Brief

    • Capital requirement from June 2024 to commercial production is estimated at US$952 million (C$1.32 billion).
    • McIlvenna Bay is designed for an 18‑year mine life under the March 2025 feasibility study.
    • Average annual output over life-of-mine is forecast at 41 Mlb Cu and 54 Mlb Zn.
    • Gold and silver by-products are projected to average 20,000 oz Au and 444,000 oz Ag per year.
    • Site lies ~65 km west of Flin Flon, with underground access supporting copper‑zinc‑gold‑silver extraction.
    • Workforce currently numbers about 380, expected to rise to ~450 post‑ramp‑up, with 34% Indigenous employees.
    • Federal support includes C$20m for power and EV infrastructure, C$41m for clean tech, and ~C$156m growth funding.

    Our Take

    With McIlvenna Bay in Saskatchewan ramping up copper output and Skouries in Greece now commissioning (21 July 2026 item), Eldorado Gold is building a two-continent copper platform that can partially offset earnings volatility from its gold‑heavy portfolio highlighted in recent gold‑price coverage.

    The layered federal support from Natural Resources Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Canada Growth Fund at McIlvenna Bay signals Ottawa’s willingness to underwrite grid‑connected copper and zinc projects in Saskatchewan, which could be relevant for other critical‑minerals plays in the province such as potash and uranium operations noted in our database.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Meeka hits nameplate at Andy Well: throughput and ore sorting lens for planners
    Mining
    about 3 hours ago

    Meeka hits nameplate at Andy Well: throughput and ore sorting lens for planners

    Meeka Metals has reached its nameplate 600,000 tonnes per annum processing rate at the Andy Well gold operation in Western Australia, with the plant running at an annualised ~600ktpa through July and August and recording higher peak throughput over the period. An ore sorter is scheduled for commissioning in October, targeting higher feed grades and reduced mill load by rejecting low-grade material ahead of the existing circuit. For plant and mine planners, stable operation at nameplate before adding pre-concentration reduces ramp-up risk and supports more predictable metallurgical performance.

    Greenland Mines’ Sarfartoq rare earth acquisition: NPV, IRR and mine plan lens
    Mining
    about 3 hours ago

    Greenland Mines’ Sarfartoq rare earth acquisition: NPV, IRR and mine plan lens

    Greenland Mines has closed its US$35 million acquisition of the Sarfartoq rare earth project from Neo Performance Materials, securing a carbonatite-hosted NdPr deposit near Kangerlussuaq, about 60 km from Greenland’s main international airport. An independent Initial Assessment on the ST1 deposit alone, which occupies under 1% of the 191 km² licence, reports a pre-tax NPV of ~US$2.05 billion and IRR of 118.6%, based on Indicated and Inferred resources and a nine-year mine plan. The company plans immediate infill drilling, pilot-scale metallurgical test work, mine engineering and expanded environmental and social baseline studies to advance to pre-feasibility.

    Maritana’s Boorara drilling and 2027 restart: planning insights for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 3 hours ago

    Maritana’s Boorara drilling and 2027 restart: planning insights for mine engineers

    Maritana Minerals has completed over 17,000m of reverse-circulation drilling in 119 holes at the Boorara gold project near Kalgoorlie, progressing it as the first planned ore source for the Black Swan processing hub ahead of a targeted mid-2027 restart. The campaign focuses on resource conversion and was run in parallel with grade-control drilling to tighten pre-production mine planning. For geotechnical and mine design teams, the dense drilling grid should materially refine orebody geometry, grade continuity and pit optimisation for the initial restart phase.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental