Sacre Coeur boosts gold production in Guyana after installing new refinery equipment

Sacre Coeur Minerals (CVE:SCM) said Thursday that, following the successful installation of new refinery equipment, it has boosted gold production at several of its properties located in north-central Guyana.
In order to minimize mining dilution, a systematic grade control system has been implemented, focusing the company's operations on the "pay zone."
Sacre Coeur installed a new booster pump to the water supply system at its refinery, allowing for the increase in pressure and volume to break up cemented gravel, moving more material to the plant. Now, the dredge has a capacity of over 50 cubic metres of loose gravel per hour.
The refinery, which processes the mine concentrates, also received a Falcon centrifugal concentrator and attendant screens, materials handling equipment, final gravity cleaning equipment and an electronically-controlled smelting furnace.
Sacre Coeur said the equipment will help the company to efficiently produce high purity gold bars, without the use of mercury. The use of several gravity concentration devices to 'clean' mine concentrates will increase the company's recovery rate.
Since the new mining equipment's installation, overall average production has been about 5.24 troy ounces of gold per day. Production continues to improve, rising to over eight troy ounces of gold per day in the last two days alone.
To date, the company has sold 84.4 troy ounces of gold bars, with grades of 94% gold, to the Guyana Gold Board. Sacre Coeur pays a five percent net smelter royalty (NSR) and a two percent net production royalty to the Government of Guyana.
Sacre Coeur estimated cash operating costs of USD $3,206 per operating day. With the implementation of this new equipment, however, the company said its production has already begun to add net cash flow, significantly offsetting these operating costs.