Centamin has announced that it will suspend its operations in the Sukari open-pit Stage 4 West wall after detecting movement in a localized area of waste material, according to a press release.

The preventative measure aims to safeguard the health and safety of the workforce and the long-term potential of Sukari. Centamin’s CEO, Martin Horgan, assured that employees’ safety comes first, adding that “the use of the slope radar system has facilitated pro-active management of geotechnical risks and we have decided to defer production from this higher-grade area in order to protect our workforce and preserve the value of Sukari.”

Centamin has not given up on its work in the affected area and began a detailed geotechnical assessment focusing on developing a mining plan for the impacted area. The area was estimated to contain approximately 90,000 ounces of gold in situ at grades of up to 2.0 grams per tonne of milled ore (g/t) ِAu. Accordingly, the company changed its 2020 guidance and stated that it will be reduced. 

The mine’s initial production for Q3 2020 was estimated at 120,000 ounces, bringing the total production of 2020 until September 30 to about 375,000 ounces. By suspending operation, the company expects production for the fourth quarter to be reduced to circa 70,000 ounces.