G Mining Ventures Corp (TSX-V:GMIN, OTCQX:GMINF) said it is moving closer to commercial production this year with the start of hot commissioning at its 100%-owned Tocantinzinho gold project (TZ) in Brazil.
Ore was introduced into the grinding circuit this week following the receipt of the hot commissioning permit from the Pará State Environmental Agency (SEMAS).
The permits authorize the mining and processing of ore, disposal of tailings, and the selling and exporting of gold, the company said in a statement.
Initial hot commissioning will use low-grade ore, with higher-grade ore processed as production ramps up.
Louis-Pierre Gignac, CEO of G Mining, praised the project's rapid progress.
"Less than two years after the formal construction decision, TZ is on track to commence gold production imminently,” Gignac said.
TZ is poised to become Brazil's third-largest primary gold mine, the CEO added.
The project is 97% complete, with construction essentially finished. Minor works remain at the gravity, ADR, carbon regeneration, and gold room facilities, and around two million tonnes of ore is now stockpiled.
TZ is designed to produce approximately 175,000 ounces of gold annually over its initial 10.5-year mine life, targeting a throughput of 4.7 million tons per year.