PureGold Delivers First Ore to the Mill

PureGold Mine Delivered on Time and on Budget

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pure Gold Mining Inc. (PGM:TSX-V, LSE:PUR) (“PureGold” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce a major milestone with first ore introduced to the mill at the Company’s high-grade PureGold Mine, in Red Lake, Ontario. With ore delivered and first gold production scheduled this month, commissioning activities will transition into full scale ramp up of the mining and milling operations over the coming quarter.

“This is a very exciting day for our shareholders, the community of Red Lake, and our entire team,” stated Darin Labrenz, President and CEO of PureGold. “The introduction of ore to the milling facility reflects the successful culmination of our project build, and signals the commencement of the next chapter in our Company’s evolution as Canada’s newest gold mine. Just last year, we announced our intention to become a producer and we are delivering on that promise, on-track and on schedule for first gold production this month. We have taken the PureGold Mine from our first drill hole to production in less than six years. Bringing a mine on-stream in 2020 is a firm testament to our incredible team, the support we have received from our First Nations partners; Wabauskang First Nation and Lac Seul First Nation, the Province of Ontario, Municipality of Red Lake, and the entire Red Lake community. We look forward to our first gold pour, making the transition to commercial production and continuing to build and expand the PureGold Mine into an iconic Canadian producer in the heart of Red Lake.”

Chief Doug Riffel of Wabauskang First Nation and Chief Clifford Bull of Lac Seul First Nation provide the following joint statement: “We are very pleased with the development and the ongoing progress we continue to make in our relationship with PureGold. Built on the principles of Environmental Stewardship, Resource Sharing and Mutual Respect, we look forward to a long, mutually beneficial relationship.”

As the second operating mine in Red Lake, the PureGold mine is a major contributor to the economy of the region.  The mine currently employs over 200 people and the workforce is expected to average 350 individuals during the twelve year phase one mine operation with approximately $470 million in life of mine salaries projected over that period.

Milling Facility
With over 21,000 tonnes of broken ore available, crushing has commenced and first ore has been introduced to the grinding circuit at a rate of approximately 25 tonnes per hour (600 tonnes per day). The mills have operated for short periods at nameplate capacity of 800 tonnes per day and have done so seamlessly, with no operational issues. Gravity concentration will recover free-milling gold, followed by pre-oxidation, leaching, carbon in pulp circuit and electrowinning, and refining to produce doré gold, with first gold expected before the end of 2020. With the grinding circuit, gravity circuit and leach / CIP circuit operating as expected, commissioning activities are now focussed on optimization of the instrumentation and controls of the mill process systems.